Zero
The Smashing Pumpkins Lyrics
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There's no connection to myself
I'm your lover I'm your zero
I'm the face in your dreams of glass
So save your prayers
For when you're really gonna need 'em
Throw out your cares and fly
Want to go for a ride?
She's the one for me
She's all I really need, oh yeah
She's the one for me
Emptiness is loneliness and loneliness is cleanliness
And cleanliness is godliness, and God is empty just like me
Intoxicated with the madness, I'm in love with my sadness
Bullshit fakers, enchanted kingdoms
The fashion victims chew their charcoal teeth
I never let on, that I was on a sinking ship
I never let on that I was down
You blame yourself, for what you can't ignore
You blame yourself for wanting more
She's the one for me
She's all I really need, oh yeah
She's the one for me
She's my one and only
The lyrics to The Smashing Pumpkins’ song Zero speak to feelings of disconnection, emptiness, and loneliness. In the first verse, the singer sees himself reflected in a dirty mirror, but feels no connection to who he sees. He describes himself as the lover, but also the zero, suggesting a feeling of insignificance. The line “I’m the face in your dreams of glass” adds to this sense of detachment, as he is not a real presence in another’s dreams, only a reflection.
The chorus seems to offer a solution to these feelings, encouraging the listener to throw out their cares, save their prayers for when they really need them, and go for a ride. This could be interpreted as a call to escape from the pressures and expectations of daily life, to let go of worries and just enjoy the moment.
The second verse delves deeper into the singer’s emotional state, suggesting that his loneliness and emptiness are connected to his sense of cleanliness, godliness, and emptiness. He is intoxicated with the madness of his own sadness, suggesting that he is familiar with these feelings, perhaps even addicted to them. The lines about bullshit fakers and enchanted kingdoms could be interpreted as a critique of societal norms and expectations, or perhaps of the singer’s past attempts to fit in or succeed within those structures.
The final verse is more personal, with the singer admitting to keeping his struggles hidden from others. He suggests that others may blame themselves for not realizing what was going on, or for wanting more than what they were given. The final repetition of “She’s the one for me” seems to suggest that despite everything, there is still hope for connection and love.
Overall, the song Zero explores themes of disconnection, loneliness, and the struggle to find meaning in a world that often feels empty and devoid of true connection.
Line by Line Meaning
My reflection dirty mirror
I see myself through a dirty mirror, feeling disconnected from the person I see.
There's no connection to myself
I can't seem to find a connection with my true self, feeling lost and alone.
I'm your lover I'm your zero
I am the one you love, but at the same time, I feel like nothing and have no value.
I'm the face in your dreams of glass
In your dreams, I am the reflection of what you want me to be, but in reality, I am just a fragile and breakable figure.
So save your prayers
Don't bother praying.
For when you're really gonna need 'em
You will need them when the time comes, but for now, it won't make a difference.
Throw out your cares and fly
Let go of your problems and enjoy the moment without any burdens holding you back.
Want to go for a ride?
Do you want to join me on this journey of self-discovery and isolation?
She's the one for me
She is the perfect match for me.
She's all I really need, oh yeah
I don't need anything else but her, she completes me.
Emptiness is loneliness and loneliness is cleanliness
Being empty and alone is better than being surrounded by toxic people and situations.
And cleanliness is godliness, and God is empty just like me
Being clean and pure is like being close to god, but god is empty like me because of the absence of meaningful connections.
Intoxicated with the madness, I'm in love with my sadness
The chaotic situation I'm in has made me accept my sadness as part of my identity.
Bullshit fakers, enchanted kingdoms
People who pretend to be something they're not, living in a fantasy world that doesn't exist.
The fashion victims chew their charcoal teeth
People obsessed with being trendy and fashionable follow toxic beauty standards that harm their health.
I never let on, that I was on a sinking ship
I pretended that everything was fine, even though I was in deep trouble and couldn't keep my head above water.
I never let on that I was down
I kept my emotions bottled up, never showing anyone that I was struggling.
You blame yourself, for what you can't ignore
You feel guilty for not being able to ignore something that bothers you, but it's not your fault.
You blame yourself for wanting more
You feel guilty for wanting something more than what you have, but it's a natural feeling.
She's the one for me
She is the perfect match for me.
She's all I really need, oh yeah
I don't need anything else but her, she completes me.
She's my one and only
She is the only one for me.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: William Patrick Corgan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Anunna_Temple
Lyrics:
My reflection, dirty mirror
There's no connection to myself
I'm your lover, I'm your zero
I'm the face in your dreams of glass
So save your prayers
For when we're really gonna need them
Throw out your cares and fly
Wanna go for a ride?
She's the one for me
She's all I really need, oh yeah
She's the one for me
Emptiness is loneliness, and loneliness is cleanliness
And cleanliness is godliness, and God is empty
Just like me
Intoxicated with the madness
I'm in love with my sadness
Bullshit fakers, enchanted kingdoms
The fashion victims chew their charcoal teeth
I never let on
That I was on a sinking ship
I never let on that I was down
You blame yourself
For what you can't ignore
You blame yourself for wanting more
She's the one for me
She's all I really need, oh yeah
She's the one for me
She's my one and only
@Acoustic-Rabbit-Hole
I have an amazing story to tell about this song. I grew up on an isolated ranch in Bent, New Mexico, USA. My mother abused me all my life and my whimsy, closeted father enabled her. In that time intruded inward, teaching myself piano by ear. I also began to “see” the color-shapes inside the notes, and began writing of my experiences. After high school I fled to NYC, only to be y=taken 9n by another Narccisist to take my mother’s place. But he was a male.
I survived as a male hustler. It was just when the internet was starting to have adult dating sites, so I was apple to arrange clients all thru Manhattan quite easily.
I was able to begin supporting myself through college where I began music coursed. But I could never understand it. I had already seen how the notes looks independently of the theory. I scraped by with D and C grades. After 6 years of Turing’s to take the final music theory class to graduate, I had actually written an entire music theory using color-shapes instead of note names. I invented two alternate Circle 5ths progressions. The the 3rd time I tried to get thru music theory III, I knew I was not going to pass after finals. I just knew. Yet I took the subway to see the grades that were anonymously posted on the wall. My heart began to skink into my stomach as I slowly approach the wall in that grand, stone building in Washington Heights. Why was I going through this ritual of nothingness? why was I walking up to my fate even though I knew the answer already. I looked up and found my coded number. Grade of F.
My heart sank till there was no more heart. I instantly flipped around, and like a creature from the depths I staked out of the building as literally the Smashing Pumpkins started playing in my head. “Zero.”
I was nothing. I was zero. I was no one. I was meaningless. I didn’t even take the train to get back home. I just began slowly walking the streets back into Harlem. So far away from Bent, New Mexico. So far away from anything that could be mine. That song “Zero” never stopped playing in my head. Not until I finally made it through through those endless streets on New York and back to my apartment. Nothing could stop me again.
@cristianalmazabas5972
My reflection dirty mirror
There's no connection to myself
I'm your lover I'm your zero
I'm the face in your dreams of glass
So save your prayers
For when you're really gonna need 'em
Throw out your cares and fly
Want to go for a ride?
She's the one for me
She's all I really need, oh yeah
She's the one for me
Emptiness is loneliness and loneliness is cleanliness
And cleanliness is godliness, and God is empty just like me
Intoxicated with the madness, I'm in love with my sadness
Bullshit fakers, enchanted kingdoms
The fashion victims chew their charcoal teeth
I never let on, that I was on a sinking ship
I never let on that I was down
You blame yourself, for what you can't ignore
You blame yourself for wanting more
She's the one for me
She's all I really need, oh yeah
She's the one for me
She's my one and only
@leokimvideo
ABOUT TIME, this should have been here 13 years ago.
@yasminlegrand1893
I know !
@sophiecat14
leokimvideo I was actually starting to believe I’d just imagined a video for Zero!
@theeliwhitney
Ultimate youtube comment ever right here
@Nissiinthesky
I know
@realrainbows5136
And the sound of this version is bad as well
@charleebrown7188
That was the best guitar solo, played by a piano, ever.
@mitchelputman538
Yes it is
@junnex2polestico882
Piano is the new guitar.
@davidferrara1105
Nope. It's a guitar through a Digitech Whammy with the interval of a 4th tuned in
// guitar teacher