Drown

"Drown"
Promotional single by The Smashing Pumpkins
Album Lyrics Tabs Spotify
Released	May 1992 (promo); June 30, 1992 (commercial)
Format	CD
Studio sessions	Spring 1991 – Rehearsal Demos; March 1992 – Waterfront Studios; March 1992 – Smart Studios;
Genre	Grunge
Length	8:17 on Singles; 4:30 on Rotten Apples
Label	Epic
Songwriter(s)	Billy Corgan
Producer(s)	Butch Vig, Billy Corgan
The Smashing Pumpkins singles chronology

"Drown" is a song by The Smashing Pumpkins from the soundtrack to the 1992 Cameron Crowe film, Singles.

Release[edit | edit source]

The song debuted during the Gish tour and was written not long after that record was released. The first take of the song was recorded at Waterfront Studios, which belongs to Lenny Kravitz, who was also signed to Virgin Records. The song became a moderate radio hit in mid-1992 and gave the band significant exposure just before work commenced on Siamese Dream.

"Drown" was to be released as a commercial single, but, as Billy Corgan explained,

“

We wanted it to be a single, we were pushing for it. I was even willing to make it a video. Radio stations were playing it. And when it came time for the third single, they said, 'Screaming Trees.' And I was like, 'Screaming Trees??' But what label is Alice in Chains on and what label are the Screaming Trees on? Epic, which is the label that put out the soundtrack. And that's what killed the song.^[2]

”

Nonetheless, the song was given a promotional single, and became their highest-charting single at the time, peaking at number 24 on the U.S. Alternative Songs chart.

The song has also been released publicly as an early demo through SPRC, which is 8:58 in length.

Greatest hits release[edit | edit source]

The song was also released on the band's official greatest hits compilation Rotten Apples in 2001, though the length of the song was reduced from 8:17 to 4:30, cutting off the extended feedback and E-Bow solo at the end. "Drown" was considered for Pisces Iscariot, but Corgan decided against it.

Gish (2011 reissue)[edit | edit source]

The complete version of "Drown" was included with an alternate guitar solo on the bonus CD in the 2011 Reissue of Gish.

Lyrics[edit | edit source]

No matter where you are
I can still hear you when you drown
You've traveled very far
Just to see you I'll come around
When I'm down
All of those yesterdays
Coming around

No matter where you are
I can still hear you when you dream (on some versions, "scream")
You traveled very far
You traveled far, like a star
And you are
All of those yesterdays
Coming around

Is it something someone said?
Was it something someone said?

Yesterday the sky was you
And I still feel the same
Nothing left for me to do
And I still feel the same

I wish, I wish I could fly
I wish, I wish I could lie
I will, I will try
I will, I will
Goodbye

Charts[edit | edit source]

Chart (1993)	Peak position
US Alternative Airplay (Billboard)^[3]	24

Track listing[edit | edit source]

All tracks are written by Billy Corgan.

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Drown"	4:27
2.	"Drown" (version seen on Singles)	8:17

Release history[edit | edit source]

Released	Label	Catalog ID	Format	Country	External sites
May 1992	Epic	ESK 4733	CD	US	Discogs	MusicBrainz	[1]

Availability

Title	Notes	Type
Gish	2011 Reissue bonus CD – Trippin' Through the Stars	Studio
Drown		Promo
Singles		Soundtrack
Siamese Dream	2011 reissue bonus DVD – Live at the Metro (Live on August 14, 1993)	Studio
The Cutting Edge	August 27, 1993 – Biddinghuizen, NL (soundboard / electric)	Bootleg
Mashed Potatoes		Bootleg
Pluggelectric	August 27, 1993 – Biddinghuizen, NL (soundboard / electric)	Bootleg
The Smashing Pumpkins 1991–1998	Promotional CD	Promotional • Compilation
Ghost Children: A Tribute To The Smashing Pumpkins		Tribute
Rotten Apples	North American version	Compilation
Rarities and B-Sides		Compilation
SPRC Downloads		Compilation
Inside the Dream Machine		Bootleg • Live
Live at Kawasaki 2.24.92		Live
Smashing Pumpkins 4/12/94		Live

Tour stats

Total plays: 412 plays (387 full, 21 tease, 4 abandoned, 9 soundcheck), 16 acoustic, 2 artists
First performance: The Smashing Pumpkins 1991-06-22 at Reckless Records, Chicago, IL, US
Last performance: The Smashing Pumpkins 2022-09-22 at Irving Plaza, New York, NY, US
Longest performance: The Smashing Pumpkins 1992-09-01 at Loft, Berlin, DE [10:40]
Shortest performance: The Smashing Pumpkins 2000-04-18 at Elliott Hall of Music, West Lafayette, IN, US [2:33]

References[edit | edit source]

↑ Leas, Ryan (August 1, 2018). "30 Essential Grunge Songs". Stereogum. Retrieved August 3, 2019.
↑ Corgan, Billy. Interview. Impact Magazine. September 1994.
↑ "Smashing Pumpkins Chart History (Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved November 23, 2016.

External links[edit | edit source]

"Drown" at SPFC

[1] Leas, Ryan (August 1, 2018). "30 Essential Grunge Songs". Stereogum. Retrieved August 3, 2019.

[2] Corgan, Billy. Interview. Impact Magazine. September 1994.

[sc_Billboardalternativesongs_Smashing_Pumpkins-3] "Smashing Pumpkins Chart History (Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved November 23, 2016.

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