Thru the Eyes of Ruby
"Thru the Eyes of Ruby" is a song from The Smashing Pumpkins' third studio album, Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness. The final recording reportedly contains as many as 70 guitar tracks.[1] Although it is not widely known, it is a favorite song of some die-hard Pumpkins fans, and is a considered to be a song that exemplifies all the styles of music that the Pumpkins played leading up to that point.
The last ~40 seconds of the song is the same as the "Nighttime version 1" variant of "Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness" (the song), as featured on the 2012 reissue. Other versions available on the deluxe reissue include "Take 7" (slower, instrumental), a solo acoustic version, and "Pit mix 3" which is comprised solely of guitar feedback which may have been used for overdubbing.
In 2012, the song ranked at #10 in Rolling Stone's reader's poll of the best Smashing Pumpkins songs.[2]
Style[edit | edit source]
The song is considered a prime example of a progressive rock song from the Smashing Pumpkins. The song varies in dynamics often, starting off with a slow build-up which leads into a heavy intro riff. From there, the song then switches off between quiet and loud sections, while contnually introducting new sections of the song. At the end, the song gives way to the "Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness" theme with acoustic guitar playing the chords, and a clean electric guitar playing the melody.
Equipment[edit | edit source]
Corgan has stated he used his 1984 Marshall JCM 800 100-watt amp for the Mellon Collie session of "Thru the Eyes of Ruby", and the gain is especially noticeable at the 0:24 mark of the recording.
Live[edit | edit source]
"Ruby" was played extensively in the Infinite Sadness tour, but without the quiet outro. Instead, the band built up to a barrage of power chords and octave climbs. Towards the end of the tour, the band added a reprise of the opening guitar riff to the very end of the song. It made some appearances in the Adore tour, but under a new format. The quiet guitar riff that takes up the first few minutes of the normal song is primarily used, and the song does feature the loud/soft dynamics from the original. "Ruby" was also played at the final Metro show in Chicago. When the song returned to the setlist in the The Other Side of the Kaleidyscope tour, the ending gradually transitioned into an instrumental version of "I Am One".
Lyrics[edit | edit source]
wrap me up in always, and drag me in with maybes
your innocence is treasure, your innocence is death
your innocence is all i have
breathing underwater, and living under glass
and if you spin your love around
the secrets of your dreams
you may find your love is gone
and is not quite what it seemed
to appear to disappear
beneath all your darkest fears
i believe in never, i believe in all the way
but belief is not to notice, believe is just some faith
and faith can't help you to escape
and with this ring i wed thee true
and with this ring i wed thee now
and with this ring i play so dead
but no one's asking for the truth, so let me tell you
if you spin your love around
the secrets of your dreams
you may find your love is gone
and is not quite what it seemed
to appear to disappear
beneath all your darkest fears
to the revelations of fresh faced youth
no one will come to save you
so speak your peace in the murmurs drawn
but youth is wasted on the young
your strength is my weakness, your weakness my hate
my love for you just can't explain
why we're forever frozen, forever beautiful,
forever lost inside ourselves
the night has come to hold us young
Availability
| Title | Notes | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Live At The Riviera | Bootleg • Live | |
| Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness | Disc two – Twilight to Starlight | Studio |
| 666 | Bootleg • Video | |
| The Aeroplane Flies High | 2013 Reissue bonus DVD: Live at Malsaucy Lake, Belfort, France; 4 July 1997 | Box set |
| Adore | 2014 Reissue DVD: Fox Theater, Atlanta, GA – August 4, 1998 | Studio |
Tour stats
- Total plays: 304 plays (303 full, 1 abandoned, 1 soundcheck), 2 acoustic
- First performance: The Smashing Pumpkins 1995-08-23 at SFX Hall, Dublin, IE
- Last performance: The Smashing Pumpkins 2024-09-13 at SiriusXM Studios, Los Angeles, CA, US
- Longest performance: The Smashing Pumpkins 1998-05-14 at Spielbudenplatz, Hamburg, DE [11:36]
- Shortest performance: The Smashing Pumpkins 1998-10-31 at Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles, CA, US [6:52]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Thomas, Richard. "Signal to Noise: The Sonic Diary of the Smashing Pumpkins". EQ Magazine. October 2008.
- ↑ https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/readers-poll-the-best-smashing-pumpkins-songs-13645/10-thru-the-eyes-of-ruby-213071/