I of the Mourning
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| Promotional single by The Smashing Pumpkins | ||||
| Released | June 2000 | |||
| Genre | Alternative rock, dream pop, pop rock | |||
| Length | 4:37 | |||
| Label | Virgin | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Billy Corgan | |||
| Producer(s) | Flood, Billy Corgan | |||
| The Smashing Pumpkins singles chronology | ||||
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"I of the Mourning" is a promotional single for The Smashing Pumpkins' fifth studio album, Machina/The Machines of God. It was written by Billy Corgan and released in early 2000. Reportedly it was merged with another song called "Radio" during the Machina sessions.
On March 9, 2000, the band went on Total Request Live at MTV Studios in New York City for a half-hour live TV special. During the broadcast they performed "The Everlasting Gaze" as well as "I of the Mourning" after an online and call-in voting competition between three songs from Machina. "I of the Mourning" became a staple during the subsequent Sacred and Profane tour, including a performance on the Late Show with David Letterman on April 26, 2000.
"I of the Mourning" is the Machina-related release that did not include cover art by artist Vasily Kafanov.
Lyrics
radio, play my favorite song
radio, radio
radio, i'm alone
radio
radio, please don't go
radio
i peer through curtains on empty streets
behind a wall of caller i.d.
no one's out there
to hear if i care
about the troubles in the air
as i of the mourning now come
pick up where my thoughts left off
cause i'm home to die on my own
as my radio plays my favorite song
radio, radio
radio, don't you know
radio, radio
radio, i'm alone
i've blown the dust off my guitars
in the attic with the stars
i read your letters to feel better
my tears upon the fading ink
cause i of the mourning now come
pick up where my thoughts left off
cause i'm home to die on my own
as my radio plays my favorite song
radio, radio
radio, i'm alone
radio, radio
radio, please don't go
i sit in the dark light
to wait for ghost night
to bring the past alive
to make a toast to life
cause i have survived
what is it you want
what is it you want to change
what is it you want
what is it you want to change
what is it you want to change
radio, radio, radio, radio
radio, radio, radio, radio
radio, radio, radio, radio
what is it you want
what is it you want to change
what is it you want
what is it you want to change
what is it you want to change
Track listing
All tracks are written by Billy Corgan.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "I of the Mourning" | 4:37 |
| 2. | "I of the Mourning" (Call Out Hook) | 0:18 |
Release history
| Released | Label | Catalog ID | Format | Country | External sites | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 2000 | Virgin | DPRO14998 | CD | Europe | Discogs | [1] | |
| June 2000 | Virgin | DPRO 14998 • 7087 6 14998 2 7 | CD | US | Discogs | MusicBrainz | [1] |
Availability
| Title | Notes | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Machina/The Machines of God (premaster) | Promotional | |
| Machina/The Machines of God | Main release | Studio |
| Celebrating *20* Years of Sadness | Live | |
| I of the Mourning |
Tour stats
- Total plays: 158 plays (157 full, 1 tease, 2 soundcheck), 14 acoustic, 2 artists
- First performance: The Smashing Pumpkins 1999-12-20 at Metro, Chicago, IL, US
- Last performance: The Smashing Pumpkins 2022-11-16 at Honda Center, Anaheim, CA, US