I of the Mourning

"I of the Mourning"
Promotional single by The Smashing Pumpkins
Album Lyrics Tabs Spotify
Released	June 2000
Studio sessions	Late 1998 – Sadlands, Chicago November 1998-September 1999 – Pumpkinland
Length	4:37
Label	Virgin
Songwriter(s)	Billy Corgan
Producer(s)	Flood, Billy Corgan
The Smashing Pumpkins singles chronology
"Stand Inside Your Love" (2000) "I of the Mourning" (2000) "Try, Try, Try" (2000)
Machina/The Machines of God The Everlasting Gaze Raindrops + Sunshowers Stand Inside Your Love I of the Mourning The Sacred and Profane Try, Try, Try Heavy Metal Machine This Time The Imploding Voice Glass and the Ghost Children Wound The Crying Tree of Mercury With Every Light Blue Skies Bring Tears Age of Innocence

"I of the Mourning" is a promotional single for The Smashing Pumpkins' fifth studio album, Machina/The Machines of God. It was written by Billy Corgan and released in early 2000. Reportedly it was merged with another song called "Radio" during the Machina sessions.

On March 9, 2000, the band went on Total Request Live at MTV Studios in New York City for a half-hour live TV special. During the broadcast they performed "The Everlasting Gaze" as well as "I of the Mourning" after an online and call-in voting competition between three songs from Machina. "I of the Mourning" became a staple during the subsequent Sacred and Profane tour, including a performance on the Late Show with David Letterman on April 26, 2000.

"I of the Mourning" is the Machina-related release that did not include cover art by artist Vasily Kafanov.

Lyrics

radio, play my favorite song
radio, radio
radio, i'm alone
radio
radio, please don't go
radio

i peer through curtains on empty streets
behind a wall of caller i.d.
no one's out there
to hear if i care
about the troubles in the air

as i of the mourning now come
pick up where my thoughts left off
cause i'm home to die on my own

as my radio plays my favorite song
radio, radio
radio, don't you know
radio, radio
radio, i'm alone

i've blown the dust off my guitars
in the attic with the stars
i read your letters to feel better
my tears upon the fading ink

cause i of the mourning now come
pick up where my thoughts left off
cause i'm home to die on my own

as my radio plays my favorite song
radio, radio
radio, i'm alone
radio, radio
radio, please don't go

i sit in the dark light
to wait for ghost night
to bring the past alive
to make a toast to life
cause i have survived

what is it you want
what is it you want to change
what is it you want
what is it you want to change
what is it you want to change

radio, radio, radio, radio
radio, radio, radio, radio
radio, radio, radio, radio

what is it you want
what is it you want to change
what is it you want
what is it you want to change
what is it you want to change

Track listing

All tracks are written by Billy Corgan.

UK promo

No.	Title	Length
1.	"I of the Mourning"	4:37
2.	"I of the Mourning" (Call Out Hook)	0:18

Release history

Released	Label	Catalog ID	Format	Country	External sites
June 2000	Virgin	DPRO14998	CD	Europe	Discogs		[1]
June 2000	Virgin	DPRO 14998 • 7087 6 14998 2 7	CD	US	Discogs	MusicBrainz	[1]

More releases: Discogs • MusicBrainz

Availability

Title	Notes	Type
Machina/The Machines of God (premaster)		Promotional
Machina/The Machines of God	Main release	Studio
I of the Mourning	UK promo	Promo
Celebrating *20* Years of Sadness		Live

Tour stats

• Total plays: 158 plays (157 full, 1 tease, 2 soundcheck), 14 acoustic, 2 artists
• First performance: The Smashing Pumpkins 1999-12-20 at Metro, Chicago, IL, US
• Last performance: The Smashing Pumpkins 2022-11-16 at Honda Center, Anaheim, CA, US

External links

• "I of the Mourning" at SPFC