Tear

From SPCodex, The Smashing Pumpkins wiki
"Tear"
Song by The Smashing Pumpkins
Released1998
Studio sessions
Length5:52
Songwriter(s)Billy Corgan
Producer(s)Billy Corgan, Brad Wood

"Tear" is a song from The Smashing Pumpkins' fourth studio album, Adore. It was written for the Lost Highway soundtrack but was rejected by David Lynch in favor of "Eye".[1]

Recording[edit | edit source]

The released version of the song was recorded during the August-September 1997 – Chicago Trax Recording sessions. Once the band moved to Sunset Sound in November 1997, Billy Corgan attempted to rerecord heavier versions using distortion and over-compression, citing the lack of enough "loud moments" on the album, but these versions ended up sounding too much like the original. In a final attempt, he and the engineers attempted to use tape saturation to create harmonic distortion (whereby the tape head approaches its limit of residual magnetization), which they were content with. However when it came time for mixing the album, the saturation had worn off, and Corgan and Flood decided to use the original rough mix recorded in Chicago.[2]

Videos[edit | edit source]

Live at Pinkpop Festival on June 1, 1998. Chino Marino can be seen in the small crowd behind D'arcy Wretzky at the 1:53 mark.
Winner of the #AdoreMyCover contest, by The Garden of Earthly Delights

Lyrics[edit | edit source]

the lights came on fast
lost in motorcrash
gone in a flash unreal
but you knew all along

you laugh the light i sing the songs
to watch you numb

i saw you there
you were on your way
you held the rain
and for the first time heaven seemed insane
cause heaven is to blame
for taking you away

do you know the way that i can?
do you know the way that i can't lose?
do you know the things that i can?
do you know the things that i can't do?

where is your heart?
where is your heart gone to?
tear me apart
tear me apart from you

you laugh the light i cry the wound
in grey afternoons

i saw you there
you were on your way
you kissed me cold
and for the first time heaven seemed insane
for taking you away
cause heaven is to blame
for taking you away

the lights came to pass
dead opera motorcrash
gone in a flash unreal
in nitrous overcast

do you know the way that i can?
do you know the way that i can't choose?
do you know the things that i can?
do you know the things that i can't lose?

tear me apart
tear me apart from you
where is your heart?
where has your heart run to?

Additional personnel[edit | edit source]

Production[edit | edit source]

Availability

TitleNotesType
AdoreMain releaseStudio
Live at the Viper Room 1.15.98Billy Corgan acoustic setLive

Tour stats

References[edit | edit source]

  1. Justin Coloma (director), Amy Kettenburg (producer/interviewer) (November 4, 2009). DLF.TV Visits Billy Corgan of the Smashing Pumpkins. David Lynch Foundation.
  2. 2014 Adore reissue liner notes

External links[edit | edit source]