The Smashing Pumpkins – Tales of a Scorched Earth

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farewell goodnight last one out turn out the lights
and let me be, let me die inside
let me know the way from of this world of hate in you
cause the dye is cast, and the bitch is back
and we're all dead teah we're all dead
inside the future of a shattered past
i lie just to be real, and i'd die just to feel
why do the same old things keep on happening?
because beyond my hopes there are no feelings
bless the martyrs and kiss the kids
for knowing better, for knowing this
cause you're all whores and i'm a fag
and i've got no mother and i've got no dad
to save me the wasted, save me from myself
i lie just to be real, and i'd die just to feel
why do the same old things keep on happening?
because beyond my hopes there are no feelings
everybody's lost just waiting to be found
everyone's a thought just waiting to fade
so fuck it all cause i don't care
so what somehow somewhere we dared
to try to dare to dare for a little more
i lie just to be real, and i'd die just to feel
why do the same old things keep on happening?
because beyond my hopes there are no reasons

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Lyrics submitted by Ice, edited by Mellow_Harsher

Track duration: 03:46


Tales of a Scorched Earth song meanings
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25 Comments

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  • +2
    General Comment:the whole of Mellon Collie is about life. from the beautiful, delicate points of it to the dirty, hopelessness in it, and everything in between. this one quite effectively describes the anger, the heat, the pure flaming octane of those moments in life. The album wouldnt be complete without it. Life is happiness, joy, beauty, moodiness, anger, hopelessness, mindlessness, fury, emptiness, ambition, etc. This song portrays those more furious points.
    Flag yokeltokenon May 31, 2010   Link
  • 0
    My Opinion:For all of the people that say this is the worst Smashing Pumpkins song, Have you ever heard Astral Planes?
    now that is truly the worst Smashing Pumpkins song ever created. :)
    Flag FailedOpinionson May 05, 2010   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:how come so many people hate this song? i love it so much, the guitar is awesome and i think the distorted vocals are cool even though they are kind of painful sounding
    Flag SludgeGarden13on July 19, 2009   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:this is a great song... even just reading the lyrics i could feel the total anger and hopelessness radiating off it, and listening to the song doubles that feeling, it's amazing. i also like how it contrasts a lot with the next song, thru the eyes of ruby, which talks about innocence and actually believing in something, be it only a girl.
    Flag N/U/T/T/Y/?on January 06, 2008   Link
  • -1
    General Comment:the vocal distortion is the problem, but once you get past it the lyrics, however plain, are eff-ing wonderful... the chorus [if you can call it that] expresses what the truly enraged all know (actualy it says exactly the same thing in Bullet with the Butterfly Wings), that you're powerless no matter what you do.
    Flag Susannah-Mioon July 30, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:This is a great song in IMHO. I could understand why a lot of Pumpkins fans wouldn't like it. It's by far their heaviest song. I listen to a lot of metal so I like it. It's overshadowed by the many other songs on an absolutely epic record.

    To me, the song is about a guy that is about a guy who lives a life that it's devoid of real feeling. He's dead inside: "let me die inside." Basically, he needs some kind of drive to take him out of his predicament, but he just doesn't have it. He's experiencing a rare moment of strong emotion, something his life has very little of.

    "I like just to be real" - He's trying feel alive
    "I'd die just to feel" - He wants to feel true emotion
    "Why do the same old things keep on happening?" - He's in a perpetual cycle of failure that he just can't break out of.
    "Beyond my hopes, there are no feelings"- he tells himself that he wants to get better, but he doesn't have the emotional drive to do what he needs to do.

    In the last verse he gives up; he resigns himself to the fact that he is going to be like this for the rest of his life.
    Flag Metman07on March 01, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:This song is probably one of the most heaviest and Most Distorted Smashing Pumpkins songs i've ever heard. This song sounds like another Smashing Pumpkins song "Pissant" from "Pieces iscariot". But I love the song, it really doesn't sound Pumpkins style but still a great song.
    Flag Chris Ron August 07, 2006   Link
  • -1
    General Comment:I agree with the haters. This is the worst song on Mellon Collie and probably the worst officially released Pumpkins song
    Flagged Cherub Rockon July 22, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Around the time this album came out, and many times since, Billy had said that rock was dead, so I think that's what this song could be about, and how bad it was getting, and how good it had been. I dunno, a lot of it says that to me. I saw an interview where he was talking about how the closest thing to the musical movement of the early '90s was that of the hippie generation, but how they got all burned out, and drugs kinda killed the '90s one too, perhaps hence "why do the same old things keep on happening." I could cite some other lyrics too but I'm tired.
    Flag klausityklauson April 04, 2006   Link
  • -1
    General Comment:You either love or hate this song, and I hate it. The message behind the song, like the message behind all Pumpkins songs, is cool though.
    Flag Reel Big Fishermanon March 08, 2006   Link

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