Hummer
| "Hummer" | |
|---|---|
| Song by The Smashing Pumpkins | |
| Released | 1993 |
| Studio sessions | |
| Length | 6:57 |
| Songwriter(s) | Billy Corgan |
Hummer is the fourth song from The Smashing Pumpkins' second studio album, Siamese Dream. At 6:57, it is comparatively long for a rock song. It starts with a guitar with altered distortion (sounding like a sitar) and other effects playing a quiet riff. At 29 seconds, the song abruptly flows into the main verse riff with loud, distorted guitar. Billy Corgan has said that he experienced massive writer's block during the recording of Siamese Dream, and that "Hummer" is the subject of this lack of inspiration. The lyric "When I woke up from that sleep/ I was happier than I'd ever been" could be about the end of the writer's block. Corgan has also stated that the song "is the idea that life is not designed for those who are cheerful, whistling, daydreamers, [but] designed to be cruel and mean"[1], and was especially displeased that the Chicago Sun Times gave it a bad review because of its extremely personal subject matter. The recording includes over 40 individual tracks.
The song ranked at #8 in Rolling Stone's reader's poll of the best Smashing Pumpkins songs.[2]
Lyrics[edit | edit source]
Faith lies in
The ways of sin
I chased the charmed
But I don't want them anymore
And in their eyes I was alive
A fool's disguise
Take me away from you
Shame my tongue
Fat with promise all along
But when I woke up from that sleep
I was happier than I'd ever been
When you decide
That your life is a prize
Renew and revive
It's alright honey
It's alright, yeah
Happiness will make you wonder
Will I feel OK?
It scares the disenchanted
Far away
Yeah I want something new
But what am I supposed to do about you
Yeah I love you, it's true
Life's a bummer
When you're a hummer
Life's a drag
Ask yourself a question
Anyone but me
I ain't free
Ask yourself a question
Anyone but me
I ain't free
Do you feel
Love is real?
Availability
| Title | Notes | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Quiet and Other Songs | Demo • Bootleg | |
| Siamese Dream | Original release | Studio |
| Unplugged: 100% Pure Acoustic Performances | Bootleg | |
| Acoustic Series | Bootleg | |
| 3 Feet High | Bootleg • Live | |
| Vieuphoria | Lost '94 Tapes | Video |
| Oceania: Live in NYC | Live • Video | |
| Inside the Dream Machine | Bootleg • Live | |
| Mayonaise Dream: Broadcast from Tower Records. July 1993 | Bootleg • Live | |
| Siamese Dream (Fruit Bats cover) | Tribute | |
| Smashing Pumpkins 4/21/94 | Live | |
| London By Day | Live |
Tour stats
- Total plays: 379 plays (328 full, 47 tease, 4 abandoned, 6 soundcheck), 10 acoustic
- First performance: The Smashing Pumpkins 1992-06-10 at Unicorn, Milwaukee, WI, US
- Last performance: The Smashing Pumpkins 2023-09-17 at Madame ZuZu's, Highland Park, IL, US
- Longest performance: The Smashing Pumpkins 1993-11-23 at Roseland Ballroom, New York, NY, US [6:37]
- Shortest performance: The Smashing Pumpkins 1994-04-02 at Sunken Garden Theater, San Antonio, TX, US [5:24]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Gladstone, Eric. "Psychic Reliquaries and Separation Anxiety ", Alternative Press. August, 1993.
- ↑ https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/readers-poll-the-best-smashing-pumpkins-songs-13645/14-porcelina-of-the-vast-oceans-213520/