Crestfallen
| "Crestfallen" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Promotional single by The Smashing Pumpkins | ||||
| Released | November 1998 | |||
| Format | CD | |||
| Studio sessions | November 1997-March 1998 – Sunset Sound | |||
| Genre | Baroque pop, chamber pop | |||
| Length | 4:09 | |||
| Label | Virgin | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Billy Corgan | |||
| Producer(s) | Billy Corgan | |||
| The Smashing Pumpkins singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"Crestfallen" is a track on The Smashing Pumpkins' 1998 album, Adore. Originally scheduled as the third single from the album, the song was instead released as a promotional CD in the US.[1] It received moderate play on modern rock stations but did not chart. The single's artwork is by Yelena Yemchuk.
The song features Billy Corgan on piano and vocals, with James Iha on lead guitar. It was the first song to include Corgan playing piano live, the first performance of which took place during the band's gig in Nashville during the Adore tour in the summer of 1998. The band also performed the song at the VH1 Fashion Awards on October 23, 1998 (aired October 25). Billboard gave the song mixed reviews, but praised its ambient qualities.[2]
Corgan had originally written the song for Courtney Love to use, although he later stated that "she had some kind of tantrum or something and I decided it was better off with us".[3]
| “ | The tune is a piano ballad (thru and through), despite my attempt here (and previously in demos) to electrify its sorrows. That said, I am partial to the song's cadence (even if I can't say why), as the melody embodies something not so easily found in my various searches in A minor. And though I will admit it is a bit syrupy, the lyrics as a whole are direct and at least represent the undaunted heart in an album where so much is broken. | ” |
| — Billy Corgan, 2014 Adore reissue liner notes | ||
In popular culture[edit | edit source]
"Crestfallen" was played at the end of the 2000 TV movie Homicide: Life Everlasting.
In 2006 Christian rock band The Evan Anthem covered "Crestfallen." [4]
Meaning[edit | edit source]
The song's message is one of "Who am I?" to do this to you. According to Corgan, he was inspired by his mother's death by which he said "My mother's death helped me to refocus my priorities. It showed me the true value of my life."[5]
Lyrics[edit | edit source]
who am I
to need you when I'm down
and where are you
when I need you around
your life is not your own
and all I ask you is for another chance
another way around you
to live by circumstance
once again
who am I to need you now
to ask you why, to tell you no
to deserve your love and sympathy
you were never meant to belong to me
and you may go
but I know you won't leave
too many years
built into memories
your life is not your own
who am I to need you now
to ask you why, to tell you no
to deserve your love and sympathy
you were never meant to belong to me
who am I to you?
along the way I lost my faith
and as you were you'll be again
to mold like clay, to break like dirt
to tear me up in your sympathy
you were never meant to belong to me
you were never meant to belong to me
you were never meant to belong to me
who am I?
Track listing[edit | edit source]
All tracks are written by Billy Corgan.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Crestfallen" | 4:09 |
| 2. | "Crestfallen" (Call Out Hook) | 0:10 |
Release history[edit | edit source]
| Released | Label | Catalog ID | Format | Country | External sites | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 1998 | Virgin | 7087 6 13629 2 3 • DPRO-13629 | CD | US | Discogs | MusicBrainz | [1] |
Personnel[edit | edit source]
- Billy Corgan – piano, vocals
- James Iha – guitar
- D'arcy Wretzky – bass
Production[edit | edit source]
- Billy Corgan – producer, mixer
- Howard Willing – engineer
- Bjorn Thorsrud – editor
- Neil Perry – engineer
- Robbie Adams – engineer
- Bon Harris – programmer
- Jay Nicholas – assistant mixer
Availability
| Title | Notes | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Adore | Main release | Studio |
| Crestfallen | US Promo CD single | Promo |
| The Friends & Enemies of Modern Music | Bootleg | |
| The Original F.E.M.M Tape | Bootleg | |
| Celebrating *20* Years of Sadness | Live | |
| Live at the Viper Room 1.15.98 | Billy Corgan acoustic set | Live |
Tour stats
- Total plays: 45 plays (44 full, 1 tease, 2 soundcheck), 2 acoustic, 2 piano, 2 artists
- First performance: The Smashing Pumpkins 1997-07-05 at Rock Werchter festival, Torhout, BE (tease)
- First full performance: Billy Corgan 1998-01-15 at The Viper Room, West Hollywood, CA, US
- Last performance: The Smashing Pumpkins 2008-12-08 at Auditorium Theatre, Chicago, IL, US
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ : SPfreaks : Archived 2013-02-02 at Archive.today
- ↑ Billboard - Google Books. Books.google.com. 1998-11-28. Retrieved 2012-11-13.
- ↑ Corgan, Billy. "Modern Rock Live" interview, 1998-07-09
- ↑ "Crestfallen - The Evan Anthem : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 2012-11-13.
- ↑ Milk It: Collected Musings on the Alternative Music Explosion of The '90s - Jim DeRogatis - Google Books. Books.google.com. Retrieved 2012-11-13.
External links[edit | edit source]
| Studio albums | |||||||
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| Live albums | |||||||
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| Singles |
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| Promotional singles |
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| Promotional releases | |||||||
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