Bullet with Butterfly Wings explained

Bullet with Butterfly Wings
Cover:Bullet with Butterfly Wings.jpg
Type:single
Artist:the Smashing Pumpkins
Album:Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness
B-Side:
Released:[1]
Recorded:1995
Length:4:16
Label:Virgin
Prev Title:Rocket
Prev Year:1994
Next Title:1979
Next Year:1996

"Bullet with Butterfly Wings" is a song by the American alternative rock band the Smashing Pumpkins. It was released as the lead single from their 1995 double album Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, and is the sixth track on the first disc. This song was the band's first top-40 US hit, peaking at number 22 on the Billboard Hot 100. It also spent six weeks at number two on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart and peaked at number four on the Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart. In Canada, the song peaked at number 18 on the RPM Top Singles chart and spent four weeks at number one on the RPM Alternative 30 chart, becoming Canada's most successful rock song of 1995. It also reached number one in Iceland for a week.

The song won the Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance in 1997. It was named the 91st best hard rock song of all time by VH1 in 2009[2] and ranked number 70 on the 2008 list of "The 100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time" of Rolling Stone.[3] The song came second in the Triple J Hottest 100, 1995,[4] was later voted number 51 in the Triple J Hottest 100 of All Time, 2009[5] and placed at number 25 in the Triple J Hottest 100 of the Past 20 Years, 2013.[6]

Background

The song had its origins during the recording of 1993's Siamese Dream. According to frontman Billy Corgan, "I have a tape of us from 1993 endlessly playing the 'world is a vampire' part over and over".[7] Corgan wrote the noted chorus "rat in a cage" on an acoustic guitar during the same session that "Landslide" was recorded.

The lyrics "Can you fake it, for just one more show?" may refer to the band's experience headlining the 1994 Lollapalooza festival, with Corgan calling it "old Job".[8] [9] Along with other parts of the album, Corgan appears to compare himself to Jesus Christ, with the line "Tell me I'm the chosen one / Jesus was an only son".

Critical reception

"Bullet with Butterfly Wings" is widely considered one of the Smashing Pumpkins' best songs. Louder Sound and Kerrang both ranked the song number three on their lists of the greatest Smashing Pumpkins songs.[10] [11]

The New York Times noted of a 2014 concert by the band that "one chorus always gets the Smashing Pumpkins' fans shouting along", identifying the line as: "Despite all my rage, I am still just a rat in a cage".[12]

Music video

Filming for the music video took place in late September 1995 with Samuel Bayer as director.[13] [14] The filming location was a quarry located in the Simi Valley California hills, most likely the mining pits of the Gillibrand Industrial Sands facility, located adjacent to the Big Sky Film Ranch[15] The visual look of the video was inspired by the work of Brazilian photographer Sebastião Salgado on gold mining,[16] [17] while, in contrast, the band used the video to debut their new glam rock wardrobes - notably, Billy Corgan's black shirt with the word "Zero" written in silver, and silver pants.[18] The video also marks the last filmed appearance of Billy Corgan prior to his decision to shave his head.[19] [20]

When asked why the band chose Bullet for the first video, Corgan responded "the record company did a survey of K-Mart shoppers between 30 and 40 and this is the song they came up with". "This is the blue light special", said Chamberlin,[21] [22] [23] though it is likely in the context of the interview that these statements were sarcastic.

Track listings

Original US/UK CD single[24] [25]

"...Said Sadly" features Nina Gordon of Veruca Salt on vocals.

1996 Re-issue[26]

US 7" double A-side single[27]

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1995–1996)Peak
position
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[28] 66
Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40)[29] 1
Netherlands (Single Top 100 Tip)[30] 9
US Cash Box Top 100[31] 27

Year-end charts

Chart (1996)Position
Canada Rock/Alternative (RPM)[33] 32
Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40)[34] 75
US Mainstream Rock Tracks (Billboard)[35] 31
US Modern Rock Tracks (Billboard)[36] 50

Cover versions

In other media

The song is used, slightly edited, as the title song for the Animal Planet reality television series Whale Wars, which follows the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society as they chase Japanese whalers in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary.[46] The song is also used in the South Park episode "Whale Whores", which parodies Whale Wars.[47]

"Weird Al" Yankovic performed the chorus in "The Alternative Polka" from his Bad Hair Day album.[48]

The song was featured as a playable track in the video game Guitar Hero 5.[49]

It was also used in the launch trailer for Dead Space 2.[50]

The song was the TNA Lockdown wrestling pay-per-view theme song for 2009.[51]

Parts of the song were used in the exposition of the 2022 film Black Adam.[52]

A stripped-down remix by A.P. Laurenson was uploaded in 2016, which had gone viral and later served as the basis for various trailers, including Rampage in 2018,[53] Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II in 2022,[54] and The Last Voyage of the Demeter in 2023.[55]

Notes and References

  1. New Releases: Singles. Music Week. 27. October 14, 1995. July 10, 2021.
  2. Web site: VH1's 100 Greatest Hard Rock Songs. Stereogum. November 23, 2014.
  3. The 100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time. Rolling Stone. November 23, 2014. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20080531001204/http://www.rollingstone.com/news/coverstory/20947527/page/30. May 31, 2008.
  4. Web site: Triple J Hottest 100 1993. Triple J. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. June 16, 2019.
  5. Web site: Countdown triple j's Hottest 100 of All Time, 2009. Triple J. February 10, 2016.
  6. Web site: Countdown Twenty Years of triple j's Hottest 100. Triple J. November 24, 2014.
  7. News: Corgan . Billy . King B's . Guitar World . January 1997.
  8. News: Pareles. John. RECORDINGS VIEW;Alternative Rockers Think Big, Uneasily. November 25, 2014. The New York Times. October 22, 1995.
  9. Web site: McKelvey. Iain. The Throwback, 1995. Vulture. November 25, 2014. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20141222064611/http://vulturemagazine.com.au/throwback-1995/. December 22, 2014.
  10. Web site: The 10 best Smashing Pumpkins songs. Matt. Bigland. Louder Sound. October 18, 2016. March 28, 2022.
  11. Web site: The 20 greatest Smashing Pumpkins songs – ranked. Sam. Law. Kerrang. November 20, 2021. March 28, 2022.
  12. News: After Years of Rage and Fury, a Cooler-Headed Sound. Jon. Pareles. The New York Times. December 9, 2014.
  13. Web site: Smashing Pumpkins making of Bullet With Butterfly Wings - video dailymotion. Dailymotion. November 2, 2019.
  14. Book: Amy Hanson. Smashing Pumpkins Tales of a Scorched Earth. 2004. Helter Skelter . 214–. 9781900924689.
  15. Web site: Mining Pits. The Quarry at Gillibrand . November 3, 2022.
  16. Web site: Finished challenges . 2 out of 3 - Bullet with butterfly wings: Digital Photography Review . Dpreview.com . September 27, 2012.
  17. Web site: Bullet with Butterfly Wings . Personal.umich.edu . September 27, 2012.
  18. Book: SPIN Media LLC. SPIN. June 1996. SPIN Media LLC. 53–. 0886-3032.
  19. News: Mac. Ryan. Dunn. Charlie. Review: Live 105's Not So Silent Night. November 25, 2014. The Stanford Daily. December 14, 2010.
  20. Web site: YouTube. www.youtube.com. November 2, 2019.
  21. October 1995 . MTV News with Kurt Loder . Motion picture . MTV.
  22. Web site: spfc.org : interviews : MTV News Interview. www.spfc.org. November 2, 2019.
  23. Web site: Behind The Scenes Smashing Pumpkins Bullet With Butterfly Wings Video MTV 1995. https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211222/rqmcgqKSGjs . 2021-12-22 . live. November 2, 2019. www.youtube.com.
  24. Web site: Smashing Pumpkins Bullet With Butterfly Wings UK 5" CD SINGLE (54612) . Eil.com . September 27, 2012.
  25. Web site: Smashing Pumpkins Bullet With Butterfly Wings USA 5" CD SINGLE (241127) . Eil.com . September 27, 2012.
  26. Web site: Smashing Pumpkins The Aeroplane Flies High USA BOX SET (76593) . Eil.com . December 9, 1996 . September 27, 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20100530130243/http://eil.com/shop/moreinfo.asp?catalogid=76593 . May 30, 2010 .
  27. Web site: Smashing Pumpkins 1978/Bullet With Butterfly Wings USA 7" RECORD (224570) . Eil.com . September 27, 2002 . September 27, 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20150204183120/http://eil.com/shop/moreinfo.asp?catalogid=224570 . February 4, 2015 .
  28. Eurochart Hot 100 Singles. Music & Media. 12. 44. 21. November 4, 1995. June 19, 2020.
  29. News: Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (20.1. '96 – 26.1. '96). Dagblaðið Vísir. is. 38. January 20, 1996. October 2, 2019.
  30. Web site: The Smashing Pumpkins – Bullet with Butterfly Wings. Single Top 100. nl. July 18, 2021.
  31. Web site: U.S. Cash Box Charts. popmusichistory. December 8, 2023.
  32. RPM Top 50 Alternative Tracks of 1995. RPM. Library and Archives Canada. March 19, 2018.
  33. RPM Year End Alternative 30. RPM. Library and Archives Canada. January 13, 2019.
  34. News: Árslistinn 1996. Dagblaðið Vísir. is. 16. January 2, 1997. May 30, 2020.
  35. [{{Google books|sQkEAAAAMBAJ|pg=RA1-PA42-IA9|plainurl=yes}} The Year in Music 1996: Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks]. Billboard. Google Books. 108. 52. YE-76. December 28, 1996. 0006-2510. December 25, 2023.
  36. Airplay Monitor Best of '96: Modern Rock Tracks. Airplay Monitor. 4. 53. 24. December 27, 1996. December 25, 2023.
  37. Web site: Baines. Huw. The Menzingers - Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff - August 9 2013 (Live Review). Stereogum.com. November 10, 2014.
  38. Web site: Leahey. Andrew. Explains It All. Allmusic. November 10, 2014.
  39. Web site: Huey. Steve. A Gothic Industrial Tribute to the Smashing Pumpkins. Allmusic. November 10, 2014.
  40. Web site: Nerve Damage. Allmusic. November 10, 2014.
  41. Web site: Heaney. Gregory. Dead New World. Allmusic. November 10, 2014.
  42. Web site: The World is a Vampire. theghostandthegrace.com. https://web.archive.org/web/20120603191303/http://theghostandthegrace.com/post/2009/10/18/world-vampire/. June 3, 2012 .
  43. Web site: Melia. Daniel. Deftones, Panic! At The Disco for Smashing Pumpkins tribute album. Gigwise. November 10, 2014.
  44. Web site: Karen O. Bullet With Butterfly Wings (From "Hanna"). YouTube. https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211222/KaCXtBUgLgg . 2021-12-22 . live. March 17, 2019.
  45. Web site: MØ. Bullet With Butterfly Wings. Pitchfork Media. January 22, 2020.
  46. Web site: Feeney. Steve. Review: Pumpkins a smash at State Theatre. Portland Press Herald. November 10, 2014.
  47. Web site: The Fight Is On. Southparkstudios.com. November 10, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20141110055013/http://www.southparkstudios-q.mtvi.com/clips/254169/the-fight-is-on. November 10, 2014. dead. mdy-all.
  48. Web site: "Weird Al" Yankovic - Bad Hair Day. Spfc.org. November 10, 2014.
  49. Web site: Brudvig. Erik. OFFICIAL GUITAR HERO 5 SONG LIST. IGN. November 10, 2014.
  50. Web site: Dead Space 2. Electronic Arts. November 10, 2014.
  51. Web site: Lapatine. Scott. Billy Corgan Adapts "Butterfly Wings" For Wrestling Commercial, Joins Twitter. Stereogum. November 10, 2014.
  52. Web site: Pinheiro. Ariadna. 'Black Adam' soundtrack: Every song that appears in the movie. MSN. October 26, 2022. January 20, 2023.
  53. Web site: Ha . Anthony . 2017-11-16 . They turned 'Rampage' into a movie (and here's the first trailer) . 2023-09-06 . TechCrunch . en-US.
  54. Web site: Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Trailer For MP And Warzone 2.0 Shows New Ways To Fight . 2023-09-06 . GameSpot . en-US.
  55. Web site: Welch . Alex . 2023-04-14 . What's The Song In The Last Voyage Of The Demeter Trailer? . 2023-09-06 . Looper . en-US.

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