Tales of a Scorched Earth
"Tales of a Scorched Earth" is a song from The Smashing Pumpkins' third studio album, Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness. It's one of the most experimental tracks on the album, and almost didn't make the cut.
| “ | I just took a driving trip, and listened to the whole album for the first time in a couple of months, and stuff jumped out at me that's hadn't before. Like "Tales of a Scorched Earth," which is just a bit about teenage nihilism. When I recorded the song, I had mixed feelings about putting it on the album, but when I just got away from the intellectualizing and just listened to it, I enjoyed it. It's total bombast. Within the context of the whole record, it fits nicely. It's a nice opposing ice cream flavor. | ” |
| — Billy Corgan, Guitar School, 1996 | ||
Equipment[edit | edit source]
Corgan overdubbed an unusually tuned guitar part over the chorus. The G string is tuned up one half step to G#, while the high E strings was tuned up one whole step to F#. Effectively, all pitches actually sound on half step lower configuration, as all the guitars are tuned down one half step. From there, the guitar goes through an envelope filter that "sounds strange".[1]
The bridge of the song features a regular bass, along with a Fender P-bass played with a pick making it sound more like a six-string bass. In addition are a few guitars that were played through envelopes, including one "real scratchy guitar". There are roughly six or seven different instruments being used in this portion of the song alone.[1]
Lyrics[edit | edit source]
farewell goodnight last one out turn out the lights
and let me be, let me die inside
let me know the way from of this world of hate in you
cause the die is cast, and the bitch is back
and we're all dead yeah we're all dead
inside the future of a shattered past
i lie just to be real, and i'd die just to feel
why do the same old things keep on happening?
because beyond my hopes there are no feelings
bless the martyrs and kiss the kids
for knowing better, for knowing this
cause you're all whores and i'm a fag
and i've got no mother and i've got no dad
to save me the wasted, save me from myself
i lie just to be real, and i'd die just to feel
why do the same old things keep on happening?
because beyond my hopes there are no feelings
if i believe, if i decieve, if i defend you now that way
would you believe, could you recieve, could you have faith
no one is is ever gone
and time is everything and i have none
everybody's lost just waiting to be found
everyone's a thought just waiting to fade
so fuck it all cause i don't care
so what somehow somewhere we dared
to try to dare to dare for a little more
i lie just to be real, and i'd die just to feel
why do the same old things keep on happening?
because beyond my hopes there are no reasons
Availability
| Title | Notes | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness | Disc two – Twilight to Starlight | Studio |
Tour stats
- Total plays: 1 play (0 full, 1 tease)
- Only performance: The Smashing Pumpkins 1996-09-17 at Madison Square Garden, New York, NY, US (tease)