Bullet with Butterfly Wings

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"Bullet with Butterfly Wings"
Single by The Smashing Pumpkins
Album
Lyrics
Lyrics
Tabs
Video
Spotify
ReleasedOctober 23, 1995
FormatCD, cassette
Studio sessions
Genre
Length4:16
LabelVirgin
Songwriter(s)Billy Corgan
Producer(s)Flood, Alan Moulder, Billy Corgan
The Smashing Pumpkins singles chronology
"Rocket"
(1994) 		"Bullet with Butterfly Wings"
(1995) 		"1979"
(1996)
  1. Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness
  2. Tonight, Tonight
  3. Jellybelly
  4. Zero
  5. Here Is No Why
  6. Bullet with Butterfly Wings
  7. To Forgive
  8. Fuck You
  9. Love
  10. Cupid de Locke
  11. Galapogos
  12. Muzzle
  13. Porcelina of the Vast Oceans
  14. Take Me Down
  15. Where Boys Fear to Tread
  16. Bodies
  17. Thirty-Three
  18. In the Arms of Sleep
  19. 1979
  20. Tales of a Scorched Earth
  21. Thru the Eyes of Ruby
  22. Stumbleine
  23. X.Y.U.
  24. We Only Come Out at Night
  25. Beautiful
  26. Lily (My One and Only)
  27. By Starlight
  28. Farewell and Goodnight

"Bullet with Butterfly Wings" is the debut and lead single for The Smashing Pumpkins' 1995 double album Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness. This song was the band's first top-forty US hit, peaking at number 22 on the Billboard Hot 100. It also spent six weeks at number two on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart and peaked at number four on the Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart. In Canada, the song peaked at number 18 on the RPM Top Singles chart and spent four weeks at number one on the RPM Alternative 30 chart, becoming Canada's most successful rock song of 1995. It also reached number one in Iceland for a week.

The song won the Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance in 1997. It was named the 91st best hard rock song of all time by VH1 in 2009[3] and ranked number 70 on the 2008 list of "The 100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time" of Rolling Stone.[4] The song came second in the Triple J Hottest 100, 1995,[5] was later voted number 51 in the Triple J Hottest 100 of All Time, 2009[6] and placed at number 25 in the Triple J Hottest 100 of the Past 20 Years, 2013.[7]

"Bullet with Butterfly Wings" was one of 165 songs strongly recommended to be pulled from US radio following the September 11 attacks, as it was believed the song title and lyrics could be interpreted by some listeners as referring to the attacks.[8]

Background[edit | edit source]

The opening riff had its origins during the very first Siamese Dream studio session. According to Billy Corgan, "somewhere, I have a tape of us from 1993 endlessly playing the 'world is a vampire' part over and over".[9] Corgan wrote the noted chorus "rat in a cage" on an acoustic guitar during the same session that "Landslide" was recorded.[9] Well into the later months of recording Mellon Collie, Corgan still hadn't decided if he liked the song, and he was "shocked" when Virgin Records decided it to be the lead single.[10]

Corgan hasn't been very clear on the true meaning of the song, writing "The song's true message has grown on me over the years, as I find it to be a withering attack on the lameness of fame."[10] The lyrics "Can you fake it, for just one more show?" may refer to the band's experience headlining the 1994 Lollapalooza festival, with Corgan calling it the "old job".[11][12] "Old job" may also refer to the biblical figure "Job", whom faced many challenges to prove his faith to God. Along with other parts of the album, Corgan appears to compare himself to Jesus Christ, with the line "Jesus was an only son / Tell me I'm the chosen one".[11]

The artwork is adapted from an 1800s Burdock Blood Bitters trading card, which served as an advertisement for a digestive aid.[13] A painting showing a bomb falling onto an orchestra of children was on the back cover of the US release. European releases replaced this with the horizon imagery seen on the back of the insert.

Equipment[edit | edit source]

Corgan used his notorious 1974 Stratocaster (painted baby blue), because the heavier wood gave it the basic Strat sound with a bit more bottom.

Music video[edit | edit source]

Filming for the music video took place in Los Angeles, California with Samuel Bayer as director.[14] The filming took place on or around September 27, 1995.[15] The visual look of the video was inspired by the work of Brazilian photographer Sebastião Salgado on gold mining,[16][17] while, in contrast, the band used the video to debut their new glam rock wardrobes - notably, Billy Corgan's black shirt with the word "Zero" written in silver, and silver pants, what became simply known as ZERO shirt.[18] The video also marks the last filmed appearance of Billy Corgan prior to his decision to shave his head.[19][20]

When asked why the band chose "Bullet" for the first video, Corgan jokingly responded "the record company did a survey of K-Mart shoppers between 30 and 40 and this is the song they came up with". "This is the blue light special", said Chamberlin.[21][22][23]

Director Samuel Bayer has directed music videos for many artists including David Bowie and The Rolling Stones, but considers "Bullet with Butterfly Wings" one the videos he is most proud of.[24]

Lyrics[edit | edit source]

The world is a vampire, sent to drain
secret destroyers, hold you up to the flames
and what do i get, for my pain
betrayed desires, and a piece of the game
even though i know, i suppose i'll show
all my cool and cold, like old job
despite all my rage i am still just a rat in a cage
then someone will say what is lost can never be saved
despite all my rage i am still just a rat in a cage
now i'm naked, nothing but an animal
but can you fake it, for just one more show
and what do you want, i want to change
and what have you got
when you feel the same
even though i know, i suppose i'll show
all my cool and cold, like old job
despite all my rage i am still just a rat in a cage
then someone will say what is lost can never be saved
despite all my rage i am still just a rat in a cage
tell me i'm the only one
tell me there's no other one
jesus was an only son
tell me i'm the chosen one
jesus was an only son for you
despite all my rage i am still just a rat in a cage
and i still believe that i cannot be saved

Track listing[edit | edit source]

Original US/UK CD single
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Bullet with Butterfly Wings"Billy Corgan4:16
2."...Said Sadly"James Iha3:09

"...Said Sadly" features Nina Gordon of Veruca Salt on vocals.

1996 Reissue
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Bullet with Butterfly Wings"Billy Corgan4:16
2."...Said Sadly"James Iha3:09
3."You're All I've Got Tonight"Ric Ocasek3:10
4."Clones (We're All)"David Carron2:43
5."A Night Like This"Robert Smith3:36
6."Destination Unknown"Dale Bozzio/Terry Bozzio/Warren Cuccurullo4:14
7."Dreaming"Debbie Harry, Chris Stein5:11
US 7" double A-side single
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."1979"Billy Corgan4:24
2."Bullet with Butterfly Wings"Billy Corgan4:16

Release history[edit | edit source]

Released Label Catalog ID Format Country External sites
October 23, 1995 Hut Recordings • Virgin HUTCD 63 • 7243 8 93198 2 8 CD UK Discogs MusicBrainz [1]
October 24, 1995 Virgin 7243 8 38522 2 2 • V25F-38522 CD US Discogs MusicBrainz [1]
October 23, 1995 Hut Recordings • Virgin HUTCD 63 • 8931982 CD Australia Discogs MusicBrainz [1]
October 23, 1995 Delabel • Hut Recordings • Virgin 724389330021 • 724389330021 • 7243 893 300 2 1 CD France Discogs MusicBrainz [1]
October 24, 1995 Virgin 7243 8 38522 4 6 Cassette US Discogs [1]
November 6, 1996 Virgin 7243 8 38565 2 7 CD US Discogs MusicBrainz [2]
July 23, 1996 Virgin 7243 8 38522 7 7 7" US [3]

More releases: Discogs • MusicBrainz

Charts[edit | edit source]

Certifications[edit | edit source]

Region Certification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[43] Silver 200,000double-dagger
United States (RIAA)[44] Gold 500,000^

^shipments figures based on certification alone

Cover versions[edit | edit source]

In other media[edit | edit source]

The song is used, slightly edited, as the title song for the Animal Planet reality television series Whale Wars, which follows the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society as they chase Japanese whalers in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary.[54] The song is also used in the South Park episode "Whale Whores", which parodies Whale Wars.[55]

"Weird Al" Yankovic performed the chorus in "The Alternative Polka" from his Bad Hair Day album.[56]

The song was featured as a playable track in the video game Guitar Hero 5.[57]

It was also used in the launch trailer for Dead Space 2[58] and TV spot for Battlefield 1.

The song was the TNA Lockdown wrestling pay-per-view theme song for 2009.[59]

UFC also used it for the Anderson Silva vs Nick Diaz fight in UFC 183's short trailer.[60]

Parts of the song were used in the exposition of the 2022 film Black Adam.[61]

A remixed version of the song can be heard in the teaser trailer for Rampage[62], and it is sampled in the film's end credits song, "The Rage", performed by Kid Cudi.

A remixed version of the song plays in the trailer for The Last Voyage of the Demeter.

Availability

TitleNotesType
Live At The RivieraBootleg • Live
Chicago Tapes and Unreleased DemosBootleg
Live In ChicagoLive • Promotional
Bullet with Butterfly WingsOriginal US/UK CD singleSingle
Mellon Collie and the Infinite SadnessDisc one – Dawn to DuskStudio
MCIS Demos IBootleg
1979US 7" double A-side singleSingle
The Aeroplane Flies High"Bullet with Butterfly Wings"Box set
Free TibetVideo • Compilation
Adore2014 Reissue DVD: Fox Theater, Atlanta, GA – August 4, 1998Studio
As Featured on MTVVideo • Promotional • Live
The Smashing Pumpkins 1991–1998Promotional CDPromotional • Compilation
The VideosVideo • Promotional
The Smashing Pumpkins (Machina promo)Promotional
MCIS Demos IIBootleg
Billy's Gravity Demos IBootleg
A Gothic–Industrial Tribute to Smashing PumpkinsTribute
Rotten ApplesNorth American versionCompilation
Greatest Hits Video Collection (1991–2000)Video
True Power. True Faith.Promotional • Compilation
Rarities and B-SidesCompilation
MySpace Smashing Pumpkins TributeTribute
Celebrating *20* Years of SadnessLive
Oceania: Live in NYCLive • Video
London By DayLive
MCIS Demos III

Tour stats

Personnel[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ A.U. (August 6, 2015). "The 95 Best Alternative Rock Songs of 1995". Spin. Retrieved November 22, 2015.
  2. ↑ 1001 Albums: You Must Hear Before You Die. Hachette; 2011. Print.
  3. ↑ "VH1's 100 Greatest Hard Rock Songs". Stereogum. Retrieved November 23, 2014.
  4. ↑ "The 100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on May 31, 2008. Retrieved November 23, 2014.
  5. ↑ "Triple J Hottest 100 1993". Triple J. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved June 16, 2019.
  6. ↑ "Countdown | triple j's Hottest 100 of All Time, 2009". Triple J. Retrieved February 10, 2016.
  7. ↑ "Countdown | Twenty Years of triple j's Hottest 100". Triple J. Retrieved November 24, 2014.
  8. ↑ Truitt, Eliza (September 17, 2001). "It's the End of the World as Clear Channel Knows It". Slate.com. Archived from the original on October 15, 2007. Retrieved September 14, 2007.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Corgan, Billy (January 1997). "King B's". Guitar World.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Corgan, Billy. "Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness 2012 reissue liner notes". Genius.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Pareles, John (October 22, 1995). "RECORDINGS VIEW;Alternative Rockers Think Big, Uneasily". The New York Times. Retrieved November 25, 2014.
  12. ↑ McKelvey, Iain. "The Throwback, 1995". Vulture. Archived from the original on December 22, 2014. Retrieved November 25, 2014.
  13. ↑ "Really Rare Antique 1800's Burdock Blood Bitters Advertising Trading Card". eBay. Retrieved August 13, 2020.
  14. ↑ "Smashing Pumpkins making of Bullet With Butterfly Wings - video dailymotion". Dailymotion. Retrieved November 2, 2019.
  15. ↑ "Smashing Pumpkins making of Bullet With Butterfly Wings". Daily Motion. Retrieved April 17, 2020.
  16. ↑ Finished challenges. "2 out of 3 - Bullet with butterfly wings: Digital Photography Review". Dpreview.com. Retrieved September 27, 2012.
  17. ↑ "Bullet with Butterfly Wings". Personal.umich.edu. Retrieved September 27, 2012.
  18. ↑ SPIN Media LLC (June 1996). SPIN. SPIN Media LLC. pp. 53–.
  19. ↑ Mac, Ryan; Dunn, Charlie (December 14, 2010). "Review: Live 105's Not So Silent Night". The Stanford Daily. Retrieved November 25, 2014.
  20. ↑ "YouTube". www.youtube.com. Retrieved November 2, 2019.
  21. ↑ MTV News with Kurt Loder (Motion picture). MTV. October 1995.
  22. ↑ "spfc.org : interviews : MTV News Interview". www.spfc.org. Retrieved November 2, 2019.
  23. ↑ "Behind The Scenes Smashing Pumpkins Bullet With Butterfly Wings Video MTV 1995". Retrieved November 2, 2019 – via www.youtube.com.
  24. ↑ Chen, David. "Interview: Samuel Bayer, Director of A Nightmare on Elm Street". Slash Film. Retrieved August 23, 2021.
  25. ↑ "Australian-charts.com – The Smashing Pumpkins – Bullet with Butterfly Wings". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved November 23, 2016.
  26. ↑ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 2864." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved November 23, 2016.
  27. ↑ "Top RPM Rock/Alternative Tracks: Issue 9053." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 19 March 2018.
  28. ↑ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 12 no. 44. November 4, 1995. p. 21. Retrieved June 19, 2020.
  29. ↑ "Lescharts.com – The Smashing Pumpkins – Bullet with Butterfly Wings" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved November 23, 2016.
  30. ↑ "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (20.1. '96 – 26.1. '96)". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). January 20, 1996. Retrieved October 2, 2019.CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
  31. ↑ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – The Smashing Pumpkins". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved November 23, 2016.
  32. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – The Smashing Pumpkins – {{{song}}}" (in Dutch). w:Single Top 100.
  33. ↑ "Charts.nz – The Smashing Pumpkins – Bullet with Butterfly Wings". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved November 23, 2016.
  34. ↑ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 12, 2019.
  35. ↑ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 12, 2019.
  36. ↑ "The Smashing Pumpkins Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved November 23, 2016.
  37. ↑ "The Smashing Pumpkins Chart History (Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved November 23, 2016.
  38. ↑ "The Smashing Pumpkins Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved November 23, 2016.
  39. ↑ "USA Cashbox Charts Summaries". popmusichistory. Retrieved December 14, 2022.
  40. ↑ "The Smashing Pumpkins Chart History (Hard Rock Digital songs)". Billboard.
  41. ↑ "RPM Top 50 Alternative Tracks of 1995". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved March 19, 2018.
  42. ↑ "RPM Year End Alternative 30". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved January 13, 2019.
  43. ↑ "British single certifications – Smashing Pumpkins – Bullet with Butterfly Wings". British Phonographic Industry. 2022-03-04. Retrieved March 8, 2022.
  44. ↑ "American single certifications – Smashing Pumpkins – Bullet with Butterfly Wings". RIAA. Retrieved November 25, 2016. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH. 
  45. ↑ Baines, Huw. "The Menzingers - Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff - August 9 2013 (Live Review)". Stereogum.com. Retrieved November 10, 2014.
  46. ↑ Leahey, Andrew. "Explains It All". AllMusic. Retrieved November 10, 2014.
  47. ↑ Huey, Steve. "A Gothic Industrial Tribute to the Smashing Pumpkins". Allmusic. Retrieved November 10, 2014.
  48. ↑ "Nerve Damage". Allmusic. Retrieved November 10, 2014.
  49. ↑ Heaney, Gregory. "Dead New World". Allmusic. Retrieved November 10, 2014.
  50. ↑ "The World is a Vampire". theghostandthegrace.com. Archived from the original on June 3, 2012.
  51. ↑ Melia, Daniel. "Deftones, Panic! At The Disco for Smashing Pumpkins tribute album". Gigwise. Retrieved November 10, 2014.
  52. ↑ Karen O. "Bullet With Butterfly Wings (From "Hanna")". YouTube. Retrieved March 17, 2019.
  53. ↑ MØ. "Bullet With Butterfly Wings". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved January 22, 2020.
  54. ↑ Feeney, Steve. "Review: Pumpkins a smash at State Theatre". Portland Press Herald. Retrieved November 10, 2014.
  55. ↑ "The Fight Is On". Southparkstudios.com. Archived from the original on November 10, 2014. Retrieved November 10, 2014.
  56. ↑ ""Weird Al" Yankovic - Bad Hair Day". Spfc.org. Retrieved November 10, 2014.
  57. ↑ Brudvig, Erik. "OFFICIAL GUITAR HERO 5 SONG LIST". IGN. Retrieved November 10, 2014.
  58. ↑ "Dead Space 2". Electronic Arts. Retrieved November 10, 2014.
  59. ↑ Lapatine, Scott. "Billy Corgan Adapts "Butterfly Wings" For Wrestling Commercial, Joins Twitter". Stereogum. Retrieved November 10, 2014.
  60. ↑ "YouTube". www.youtube.com. Retrieved November 2, 2019.
  61. ↑ Pinheiro, Ariadna (October 26, 2022). "'Black Adam' soundtrack: Every song that appears in the movie". MSN. Retrieved January 20, 2023.
  62. ↑ "RAMPAGE - OFFICIAL TRAILER 1 [HD]". Retrieved November 2, 2019 – via www.youtube.com.

External links[edit | edit source]

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