Appels + Oranjes
| "Appels + Oranjes" | |
|---|---|
| Song by The Smashing Pumpkins | |
| Released | 1998 |
| Studio sessions | |
| Length | 3:35 |
| Songwriter(s) | Billy Corgan |
"Appels + Oranjes" is a song from The Smashing Pumpkins' fourth studio album, Adore. It was the first song written for the album. An early demo called "What If?" was released on the 2014 reissue of Adore.
Likely referring to "What If", Corgan once described the early version as a hippy folk song with funnier lyrics. He then rewrote the lyrics, while making the music sparser and more fragmented. Corgan considered rewriting the lyrics again but D'arcy Wretzky convinced him to keep the lyrics the same as you hear on the album.[1]
During another interview, Corgan explained the reason why the song's title has an odd spelling. There had been a Pink Floyd song in 1967 called "Apples and Oranges" and he didn’t want to pretend the song never existed.[2]
| “ | "Appels + Oranjes" has the distinction of being the first song written for Adore, demoed out during a session with Matt Walker, as other music was being put together for what became the Ransom Soundtrack. And here lies another story, as the famed composer I was to share the album's cover with had me summarily kicked off it. Why? Because he claimed the work I'd done was not 'music,' and he would not be sullied by it. To him, and to you, I say it is better to make original noise than luke-warm, adopted themes trolled from the greats. To he, I dedicate this hymn. For what if his shining, erstwhile baton refused to shudder at our collective rebellion? | ” |
| — Billy Corgan, Adore remaster liner notes, 2014 | ||
The original Adore recording included guitar and bass contributions from Iha and Wretzky, but Corgan scrapped them all and re-recorded it from the ground-up. "While that might seem disrespectful," Corgan told Guitar World, "I fully acknowledge that I probably wouldn't have arrived at the final arrangement unless I had their original parts as a jump-off point."[3]
Lyrics[edit | edit source]
what if the sun refused to shine?
what if the clouds refused to rain?
what if the wind refused to blow?
what if the seas refused to wave?
what if the world refused its turn?
what if the stars would hesitate?
what if what is isn't true?
what are you going to do?
what if what is isn't you?
does that mean you've got to lose?
digging for the feel of something new
what if the silence let you dream?
what if the air could let you breathe?
what if the words would bring you here?
what if this sound could bring you peace?
what if what is isn't true?
what are you gonna do?
digging for the feel of something new
what if what is isn't you?
what are you gonna do?
it came from your thoughts
your dreams and visions
ripped up from your weeks
and indecisions
what if the sun refused to shine?
what if the clouds refused to rain?
what if the world refused its turn?
what if the clocks would hesitate?
what if what is isn't true?
what are you gonna do?
what if what is isn't you?
does that mean you've got to lose?
digging for the feel of something new
does that mean you've got to choose?
the feel of something new
does that mean you've got to lose?
the thoughts you cannot use
what are you gonna do?
what if the sun refused to shine?
what if the clouds refused to rain?
what if the trees grew straight on down?
what if the wind refused to blow?
what if the world refused to turn?
what if the seas refused to wave?
what if, what if, what if?
i don't know, i don't care
what if, what if, what if?
i know it isn't fair
just as long as you are always there
what if we all just showed up late?
what if the clocks would hesitate?
what if we all just put it down?
what if we all just got it right?
what if, what if, what if?
i don't know, i don't care
just as long as you are always there
what if, what if, what if?
i know it isn't fair
it came from your sleep
and thought and vision
wrapped up in your weeks
you thought them omission
what if we all just lost our minds?
what if the birds just chose to walk?
what if Fellini wanted to sing?
what if we all just moved to Rome?
what if, what if, what if?
i don't know, i don't care
what if, what if, what if?
i know it isn't fair
just as long as you are always there
as long as you are there
i know it isn't fair
as long as you are there
i know and i don't care
Availability
| Title | Notes | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Adore | Main release | Studio |
Tour stats
- Total plays: 12 plays (12 full, 4 soundcheck), 4 acoustic, 2 artists
- First performance: The Smashing Pumpkins 1998-05-14 at Spielbudenplatz, Hamburg, DE (soundcheck)
- First full performance: The Smashing Pumpkins 1998-05-16 at Piazza Delle Feste, Genova, IT
- Last performance: Billy Corgan 2013-02-11 at Madame ZuZu's, Highland Park, IL, US