Formada en Chicago en 1988, The Smashing Pumpkins surgió como una de las bandas más influyentes del rock alternativo de la década de 1990. Billy Corgan (voz y guitarra), James Iha (guitarra), D'arcy Wretzky (bajo) y Jimmy Chamberlin (batería) fueron los miembros originales, y juntos crearon un sonido que mezclaba elementos de rock gótico, heavy metal y dream pop.
En 1991, lanzaron su álbum debut, Gish. Aunque no fue un éxito inmediato, estableció a la banda como una fuerza emergente en el rock alternativo. Pero fue su segundo álbum, Siamese Dream (1993), el que los catapultó a la fama. Canciones como "Today" y "Disarm" se convirtieron en éxitos masivos, ayudando a que el álbum vendiera más de cuatro millones de copias en los Estados Unidos.
El lanzamiento en 1995 de Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, un álbum doble, consolidó la reputación de la banda como innovadores musicales. Este trabajo incluyó éxitos como "1979", "Bullet with Butterfly Wings" y "Tonight, Tonight". Ganó múltiples premios y vendió más de diez millones de copias en todo el mundo.
Is everyone afraid?
Is everyone ashamed?
They're running towards their holes to find out.
Apocalyptic means are lost among our dead,
A message to our friends to get out.
There's wages on this fear, oh, so clear.
Depends on what you'll pay to hear.
They're bound to kill us all in whitewashed halls,
Their jackals lick their paws.
Please don't stop,
It's lonely at the top.
These lonely days,
When will they ever stop?
This doomsday clock ticking in my heart, not broken.
I love life every day in each and every way,
Kafka would be proud to find out.
I'm certain of the end,
It's the means that has me spooked.
It takes an unknown truth to get out.
I'm guessing I'm born free, silly me,
I was meant to beg from my knees.
Please don't stop,
It's lonely at the top.
These lonely days,
Will they ever stop?
This doomsday clock ticking in my heart,
These lonely days, when will they ever stop?
We gotta dig in, gas masks on.
Wait in the sunshine, all bug-eyed.
If this is living, sake's alive.
Well, then they can't win, no one survives.
Is everyone afraid?
You should be ashamed.
Apocalyptic screams mean nothing to the dead.
Kissing that 'ol sun to know all there is.
Come on, last call, you should want it all.
Ah, it's lonely at the top.
These lonely days, will they ever stop?
This doomsday clock ticking in my heart,
These lonely days, when will they ever stop?
This ticking in my heart, is everyone afraid?