Lightning Strikes

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"Lightning Strikes"
Song by The Smashing Pumpkins
ReleasedMarch 18, 2011
Studio sessionsDecember 2010-February 2011 – Pumpkinland II
Length3:56
Songwriter(s)Billy Corgan

"Lightning Strikes" is a song from the third volume of Teargarden by Kaleidyscope, released digitally on March 18, 2011. It was first performed during the July 9, 2010 soundcheck, under the working title "Zen Baby". In a Twitter update, Billy Corgan said the song is dedicated to Mark Tulin, who died the previous February, and "to all our great fans in Japan" suffering from the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.

The song as well as "Owata" were the first songs recorded with newly recruited bassist Nicole Fiorentino and drummer Mike Byrne. Guitarist Jeff Schroeder told MusicRadar, "Oddly enough, it took what seemed to be a crazy-long time to do two songs. When you're working piecemeal, you can lose focus on the big picture. So doing Oceania was more in line from what I grew up with. I'm an album guy."[1]

Videos[edit | edit source]

Acoustic version filmed in the studio by Kristin Burns, February 21, 2011

Lyrics[edit | edit source]

Life on telephones
Love on open roads
Into great unknowns
I stumble brightly

Indigo, breathless yet
I'll link to your regret
Sunflowers as teachers pets
Bent from lightning

I'll bet
I'll bend for you

Shadows give your light to me
Shadows give your light to me

In the ways the city
(In the ways, it)
Pours itself out
You can make this happen
(You can make it)
Beyond your doubt
You can make this happen
(You can make it)
All right now

Eastern days, I'm unafraid
'Cause love to me is such a game
That I believe I can't embrace
The dreams of lovers

Eastern days, I'm unafraid
'Cause love to me is such a game
That I believe I can't embrace
The dreams of lovers

I'll bend for you

Shadows give your light to me
Shadows give your light to me

In the ways the city
(In the ways, it)
Pours itself out
You can make this happen
(You can make it)
Beyond your doubt
You can make this happen
(You can make it)
All right now

Zen baby, lightning strikes
The same heart, but never twice
Zen baby, we've got to fight
For what's real and what becomes the night

In the ways the city
(In the ways, it)
Pours itself out
You can make this happen
(You can make it)
Beyond your doubt
You can make this happen
(You can make it)
All right now

You can make this happen
You can make this happen
All right now

MP3 release[edit | edit source]

No.TitleLength
1."Lightning Strikes"3:56


Released Label Catalog ID Format Country External sites
March 18, 2011 Self-released Digital Worldwide [1]

Availability

TitleType
Lightning StrikesSong

Tour stats

References[edit | edit source]

  1. Bosso, Joe (October 23, 2012). "Jeff Schroeder on guitars, amps, effects and the new Smashing Pumpkins sound". MusicRadar. Retrieved March 18, 2022.

External links[edit | edit source]