I Am One

"I Am One"
Single by The Smashing Pumpkins
Album Lyrics Tabs Video Spotify
Released	May 1990 (Limited Potential) August 24, 1992 (Gish version)
Format	CD, 7" vinyl, 10" vinyl
Studio sessions	Summer 1989 – Reel Time Studios December 1990-March 1991 – Smart Studios
Genre	Alternative rock
Length	4:16 (Limited Potential) 4:07 (Gish version)
Label	Limited Potential Caroline, Hut
Songwriter(s)	Billy Corgan,James Iha
Producer(s)	Billy Corgan (Limited Potential) Billy Corgan, Butch Vig (Gish version)
The Smashing Pumpkins singles chronology
"I Am One" (1990) "Tristessa" (1990)
Gish version
10" vinyl and CD cover.
Gish I Am One Siva Rhinoceros Bury Me Crush Suffer Snail Tristessa Window Paine Daydream I'm Going Crazy

"I Am One" is the debut single by The Smashing Pumpkins. It was the band's first ever release and remains the only single issued by the band with co-writing credits to both Billy Corgan and James Iha. It charted on the UK Singles Chart at a peak position of number 73.

With only 1500 copies pressed, the Limited Potential release is highly sought after by collectors. There are apparently three test pressings also in existence, two owned by Billy Corgan and one was formally owned by Limited Potential owner, Mike Potential.

“ If you go back and listen to "I Am One," and the drum balance on the toms, those are not geeked up; those are him hitting the drums. That's the concussiveness of the way he's playing coming through the room mics. Oftentimes when you hear drummers play, and then you see them live, they don't have the same power because they're aided by the studio balance. That is actually true to Jimmy's balance; what you hear is how Jimmy sounded in the room. ” — Billy Corgan, Tape-Op interview, September/October 2016

Background

Two recordings of the song were released. One was recorded in 1990 and was the Pumpkins' first release and first on Limited Potential. This recording was financed with the money from Corgan's college tuition fund left by his grandmother. "I Am One" was re-recorded for Gish and a new single was released on Caroline Records and Hut Recordings. Corgan later stated his regret with not re-working the song for Gish, as the two versions are nearly identical.

Corgan wrote the intro drum riff, and the rest of the song was formed around it. He has said the riff might have been influenced by Stephen Perkins of Jane's Addiciton and Led Zeppelin. Lyrically, "I Am One" is a take on religion, with "I am one as you are three" being a reference to the Father, Sun and Holy Ghost. Some lyrics were adapted from an article he read on Bishop Desmond Tutu.

In the Thirty-Three podcast, Corgan detailed how religion and LSD influenced the lyrics: "I Am One was my grappling with the idea that I've been told a bunch of stuff about religion, particularly in the Catholic church, that I knew in my heart wasn't true. That Jesus is a savior wasn't really saying the things they said he was saying, at least that was my interpretation. LSD in particular got me think beyond what I was told and realize, oh no, we're actually all connected. … [The song] isn't as much about me, as it is trying to figure who I was going to be." He added that he was initially nervous that the lyric "I Am One" would come off as too egotistical. His actual intention was more of a 'rallying cry' that others can identify with.

"I Am One" features a doubled guitar solo – a technique later used on Pumpkins songs like "Ava Adore", "Tarantula", and "Bring the Light". Corgan has said this is his favorite part of the song.

When the band released their greatest hits compilation, Rotten Apples, in 2001, "I Am One" was one of the few singles that did not make the cut (the others were "Tristessa", "Rocket", "Thirty-Three", "The End Is the Beginning Is the End", and on American copies of the album, "Try, Try, Try").

Live performances

In live performances (starting around the release of Siamese Dream) Corgan would often improvise a speech during the extended bass break; as a result the song could extend to 8–10 minutes in length. The speech section is known among fans as the "I Am One rant", but is just one of many instances that the band considers "art breakdown", likely coined by drummer Jimmy Chamberlin. These rants were criticized, sometimes even by the other band members, due to their abrasive nature. The rants were apparently based around the erosion of the belief structure in America's youth, and Corgan has stated they were the gestation for many ideas he later explored on Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness. Some of the rants contained lyrics for future songs, most notably "Zero". The recording of "I Am One" on Vieuphoria / Earphoria features one such rant. The longest live performance took place at Lollapalooza on August 3, 1994 at just under 11 minutes in length.

Music video

A video was filmed in 1991, but never released (until 2001) due to the band being unhappy with the result. Footage from the video was instead used on the long form video, Vieuphoria, and the long version of the music video was released on the Greatest Hits Video Collection. Both were directed by Kevin Kerslake, who would later do videos for "Cherub Rock", "Empires" and "Spellbinding". In a conversation with Corgan in 2023 following the release of the "Spellbinding" video, Kerslake recalled he was the only person involved in shooting the video, with a budget roughly of "four digits", including the costs of the plane flight and hotel rooms.

Lyrics

i am one as you are three
try to find a messiah in your trinity
your city to burn
your city to burn
try to look for something in your city to burn
you'll burn
am i as i seem?
i'm down
down, so down

time is right for a guiding light
try to turn to reasons in your bitter life
your city to burn
your city to burn
try to look for something
in your city to burn, you'll burn

see you, don't you just want to?
see you, i am one
see you, don't you just want to?
see you

see you, don't you just want to?
see you, i am one
see you, don't you just want to?
see you, i am one

Formats and track listing

US Limited Potential

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"I Am One"	Billy Corgan, James Iha	4:16
2.	"Not Worth Asking"	Billy Corgan	4:00

Gish CD version and UK 7" and 12" vinyl releases

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"I Am One"	Billy Corgan, James Iha	4:07
2.	"Plume"	Billy Corgan, James Iha	3:37
3.	"Starla"		11:01

UK 7" vinyl promo

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"I Am One"	Billy Corgan, James Iha	4:07

UK & Dutch 10" vinyl

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"I Am One"	Billy Corgan, James iha	4:07
2.	"Terrapin"	Syd Barrett	2:55
3.	"Bullet Train to Osaka"	Billy Corgan	4:16

UK flexi-disc sent by record label to promoters, radio stations, etc.

Release history

Released	Label	Catalog ID	Format	Country	External sites
May 1990	Limited Potential	LimP 006	7"	US		MusicBrainz	[1]
1991	Hut Recordings		Flexi-disc • 7"	UK	Discogs		[3]
1991	Hut Recordings	HUTEN 18	10"	UK & Europe	Discogs	MusicBrainz	[4]
August 24, 1992	Hut Recordings	HUTCD 18	CD	UK	Discogs	MusicBrainz	[2]
August 24, 1992	Hut Recordings	HUTEN 18	10"	UK	Discogs	MusicBrainz	[2]
August 24, 1992	Hut Recordings	HUTT 18	12"	UK	Discogs		[2]

Chart performance

Chart (1992)	Peak position
UK Singles (OCC)	73

Single personnel

The Smashing Pumpkins

• Billy Corgan – vocals, guitar, production
• James Iha (as "James" on Limited Potential) – guitar, photography (Gish version)
• D'arcy Wretzky – bass guitar
• Jimmy Chamberlin – drums

Technical personnel

• Kerry Brown – production, CD single b-sides
• Butch Vig – production, Gish version
• Lynne Fischer – design, photography (Limited Potential)

Availability

Title	Notes	Type
The Ignoffo Tape		Bootleg
Reel Time Sessions I		Bootleg • Demo
The Smashing Pumpkins (promo)		Promotional
I Am One	US Limited Potential	Single
Gish	Main release	Studio
Trick Or Treat?		Bootleg
Pumpkin Seeds		Bootleg
Siamese Dream	2011 reissue bonus DVD – Live at the Metro (Live on August 14, 1993)	Studio
3 Feet High		Bootleg • Live
Sunshine of Your Love (album)		Bootleg
The Cutting Edge	August 27, 1993 – Biddinghuizen, NL (soundboard / electric)	Bootleg
Vieuphoria		Video
Pluggelectric	August 27, 1993 – Biddinghuizen, NL (soundboard / electric)	Bootleg
Chicago Tapes and Unreleased Demos		Bootleg
The Smashing Pumpkins 1991–1998	Promotional CD	Promotional • Compilation
The Smashing Pumpkins (Machina promo)		Promotional
Greatest Hits Video Collection (1991–2000)		Video
Earphoria	Main release	Live
Rarities and B-Sides		Compilation
MySpace Smashing Pumpkins Tribute		Tribute
Inside the Dream Machine		Bootleg • Live
Mayonaise Dream: Broadcast from Tower Records. July 1993		Bootleg • Live
Live at Kawasaki 2.24.92		Live
Smashing Pumpkins 4/21/94		Live

Tour stats

• Total plays: 287 plays (243 full, 41 tease, 3 abandoned, 4 soundcheck), 5 acoustic, 3 artists
• First performance: The Smashing Pumpkins 1989-01-01 at Laughing Iguana, Des Moines, IA, US
• Last performance: The Smashing Pumpkins 2022-11-11 at Rogers Arena, Vancouver, BC, CA (tease)
• Last full performance: The 8G Band 2015-08-17 (featuring Jimmy Chamberlin) at NBC Studios (New York City), New York, NY, US
• Longest performance: The Smashing Pumpkins 1994-08-03 at Lollapalooza 1994, North Kingstown, RI, US [10:57]
• Shortest performance: The Smashing Pumpkins 1992-01-18 at Effenaar, Eindhoven, NL [3:35]

External links

• "I Am One" at SPFC
• "I Am One" at AllMusic