Purple Blood
| "Purple Blood" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by The Smashing Pumpkins | ||||
| Released | November 20, 2020 | |||
| Studio sessions | April-August 2019 – Pumpkinland II | |||
| Length | 3:19 | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Billy Corgan | |||
| Producer(s) | Billy Corgan | |||
| The Smashing Pumpkins singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"Purple Blood" is a single from The Smashing Pumpkins' eleventh studio album, CYR. It was released on November 20, 2020 with "Dulcet in E" as the backing A-side. The music video was released a week later as part of the In Ashes five-part animated series.
Rolling Stone boasted "Purple Blood" as having a "classic Pumpkins feel, with Billy Corgan lacing his vocals over a big guitar crunch, heavy drums, and some moody atmospheric synth textures,"[1] while AllMusic highlighted the "gently melancholic" song "Dulcet in E" as one of CYR's recommended tracks, adding that the "soft loneliness recalls other sadly beautiful songs the band have offered up since the early '90s."[2]
Background[edit | edit source]
Billy Corgan believes "Purple Blood" to be the last song written for CYR, sometime during the Summer 2019 tour. He attributes the vibe of the song to "spooky" 90's and 80's feels, as well as early 70's synth like Gary Wright's "Dream Weaver". He further explained the song didn't quite come out as he expected:[3]
| “ | I didn't go as far with "Purple Blood" as maybe I would have or should have but that's kind of what I like about it. It feels kind of like an incomplete picture, postcard or like a Polaroid that's been stepped on … it's a bit mangled but sometimes you need imperfection to create the perfect mood that you're after. | ” |
| — Billy Corgan, #CyrCyries deep dive | ||
The vocals for the song took about a day to arrange,[4] which holds true for most songs on CYR.[5]
In the Thirty-Three podcast, Corgan explained that the title "Purple Blood" is a reference to the term blue blood used to describe royal families and nobility, especially in ancient times. He also said the title is a reference to his genetic condition causing him to have thick blood.[6] It is unclear what condition he was referring to; it may have been hereditary haemochromatosis, but more likely it is his well-known condition of having port-wine stains.
Music video[edit | edit source]
The music video was released on November 27, 2020 exclusively on Apple Music and later on YouTube on December 4. The video served as the fifth and final episode of the five-part animated series In Ashes.
Lyrics[edit | edit source]
I'm in love with your God
I'm in love with your fear
By the touch of your hand
I'm far from here
Oh, for sunny days
When life was flat embrace
And might love come what may
Shot to ground, set it off
Like your phoenix, I will fly
From dread dawns to sky
I'm in love with your God, ooh
Fever by your side
Sun is so you cannot rise
Fever by your side
Sun is so you cannot rise
I'm in love with your God
I'm in love with said fear
By the blush of your thorn
I'm lost but near
But oh, for sunny days
Shot to ground, set it off
Like your phoenix, I will fly
From dread dawns to sky
I'm in love with your God, ooh
I'm in love with your God, ooh
Fever by your side
Sun is so you cannot rise
Fever by your side
Sun is so you cannot rise
Hunger greets far fleece
So solace, thunder agony
A fever by your side
Sun is so you cannot rise
Track listing[edit | edit source]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Purple Blood" | 3:19 |
| 2. | "Dulcet in E" | 3:21 |
Release history[edit | edit source]
| Released | Label | Catalog ID | Format | Country | External sites | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 20, 2020 | Sumerian | Digital | Worldwide | Discogs | [1] | ||
Additional personnel[edit | edit source]
- Katie Cole – background vocals
- Sierra Swan – background vocals
Availability
| Title | Type |
|---|---|
| Purple Blood | Single |
| CYR | Studio |
| CYR Singles | Box set |
Tour stats
- Total plays: 27 plays
- First performance: The Smashing Pumpkins 2023-07-28 at Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV, US
- Last performance: The Smashing Pumpkins 2023-09-09 at Ruoff Music Center, Noblesville, IN, US
External links[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Blistein, Jon (November 20, 2020). "Smashing Pumpkins Release Two New Tracks, 'Purple Blood,' 'Dulcet in E'". Rolling Stone.
- ↑ Thomas, Fred. "Cyr - The Smashing Pumpkins". AllMusic. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
- ↑ Corgan, Billy. "#CyrCyries: "Purple Blood"". YouTube. Retrieved June 15, 2021.
- ↑ Billy Corgan. November 24, 2020 Instagram Q&A
- ↑ Billy Corgan. September 26, 2020 Instagram Q&A
- ↑ Corgan, Billy. "Every Morning (with Chloe Mendel)". Thirty-Three (Podcast). Retrieved February 26, 2023.