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.
It ain't no joke
I'd like to buy the world a toke
And teach the world to sing in perfect harmony
And teach the world to snuff the fires and the liars
Hey I know it's just a song but it's spice for the recipe
This is a love attack
I know it went out but it's back
It's just like any fad, it retracts before impact
And just like fashion it's a passion for the with-it and hip
If you got the goods, they'll come and buy it just to stay in the clique
So don't delay, act now, supplies are running out
Allow if you're still alive
Six to eight years to arrive
And if you follow there may
Be a tomorrow, but if
The offer's shunned
You might as well be walking on the sun
Twenty-five years ago they spoke out and they broke out
Of recession and oppression and together they toked
And they folked out with guitars around a bonfire, just
Singin' and clappin', man what the hell happened
Then some were spellbound, some were hellbound
Some, they fell down
And some got back up and
Fought back against the melt down
And their kids were hippie chicks, all hypocrites
Because fashion is smashing the true meaning of it
So don't delay, act now, supplies are running out
Allow if you're still alive
Six to eight years to arrive
And if you follow there may
Be a tomorrow, but if
The offer's shunned
You might as well be walking on the sun
It ain't no joke
When a mama's handkerchief is soaked
With her tears because her baby's life has been revoked
The bond is broke up
So choke up and focus on the close up
Mr. Wizard can't perform no god-like hocus-pocus
So don't sit back, kick back
And watch the world get bushwhacked
News at 10 your neighborhood is under attack
Put away the crack, before the crack puts you away
You need to be there when your baby's old enough to relate
So don't delay, act now, supplies are running out
Allow if you're still alive
Six to eight years to arrive
And if you follow there may
Be a tomorrow, but if
The offer's shunned
You might as well be walking on the sun
You might as well be walking on the sun
You might as well be walking on the sun
You might as well be walking on the sun...