Glynis
"Glynis" is a song by The Smashing Pumpkins that was first released on the No Alternative compilation album, and later on Rarities and B-Sides and on the 2012 deluxe reissue of Pisces Iscariot. The 2012 mix is almost identical to previous versions except with different vocal takes with Billy Corgan laughing at his crackling voice.
| "Glynis" | |
|---|---|
| Song by The Smashing Pumpkins | |
| Released | November 9, 1993 |
| Studio sessions | |
| Length | 4:54 |
| Songwriter(s) | Billy Corgan |
An old Speak & Spell toy "hello" starts the song, and the soupy solo in the middle is the result of double-tracked guitars fed through a vintage Electro-Harmonix Bassballs pedal. The song is a dedication to former Red Red Meat bassist Glynis Johnson, who passed away from AIDS-related complications in 1992.[1]
| “ | The song "Glynis" is about this girl Glynis who was in a band called Red Red Meat in Chicago, and they're still a band now. She was very sick for a long time and no one knew what was wrong with her and then she found it she had AIDS and she died two months later. And it's not that I knew her very well; we'd played with them, and I've known of her for a very long time. There were things written about her and there's a lot of people who know her better than I. But it really effected me because, not so much--and I don't mean to undermine one person's passing--but it effected me more the way people talked about her dying, and the way people moralized about it, than it did the fact that a human being's life had passed. | ” |
| — Billy Corgan, interview, No Alternative video, 1994 | ||
LyricsEdit
[Hello] [speak & spell?]
Here's a name you cannot forget
Her name is Glynis, yes
And with these tears of respect
Conforms a sadness
For anyone who's ever lost
One who's dearest, and the love of a friend
On our worried knees
Given to all beliefs
Scarecrows and disease haunt us all
Ooh, bury your heads in the sand
Ooh, bury your heads
So have we stumbled from grace
Are we being punished for fate
My god is subtle and great
He can't be wounded
By the gossip and the hate of the frightened
Who took their paths on the sand, yeah
Fear that grips us all
Gives us an awful sound
Can't help anything but ourselves
Ooh, bury your head in the sand
Ooh, bury your head, yeah
Ooh, bury your head
Ooh, I believe in one love
Ooh, I believe in one love
Ooh, I believe in one love
Yeah, yeah
(etc.)
Availability
| Title | Notes | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Quiet and Other Songs | Demo • Bootleg | |
| No Alternative | Compilation | |
| Pisces Iscariot | 2012 deluxe reissue bonus CD | Compilation |
| Rarities and B-Sides | Compilation |
Tour stats
- Total plays: 1 play
- Only performance: The Smashing Pumpkins 1993-10-31 at MTV Studios, New York, NY, US
ReferencesEdit
- ↑ Richard Thomas, "Signal To Noise: The Sonic Diary Of The Smashing Pumpkins", Electronic Musician, October 1st, 2008