candy cane walks down
to build a bonfire, to break my fall
my baby, my sweet thing
just maybe we could lose ourselves this time
king of the horseflies, dark prince of death
his tragic forces are heaven sent
in sweet things, in a lovers breath
in knowing this was meant to be the last
a go-go-kids, a go-go-style
a suck suck kiss, a suck suck smile
as always, in youn gneed
a velied promise to never die
on dead highways, her black beauties roam
for june angels, so far from home
for a love lost, a faded picture
to tread lightning, to ink the lavender skies
so get on the bomb
get back where you belong



Lyrics submitted by Ice, edited by Mellow_Harsher

Track duration: 04:23


Where Boys Fear to Tread song meanings
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32 Comments

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  • -1
    General Comment:I definitely believe this song has massive drug influence. Listen to the doomy and gloomy chords, the ultra sonic, mutli-textured distortion-fest over a slow and trance-like groove and without searching too hard for hidden meanings...read those lyrics. They are incoherent and asinine. I have a hard time believing Billy wasn't right into the black tar with the rest of them during (in my opinion), the pinnacle of their career, dead center of the Mellon Collie era. I think Billy definitely had a lot of personal experiences from relationships expressed through these lyrics but expressed through a 1990's heroin muse, so that could be anything that was conjured up in a dead.com trance. I thought "king of the horseflies" was a slight reference to a heroin user and "black beauties" was another term of sorts for heroin or heroin user. But who knows. Billy Corgan is an amazing and gifted musician and I probably couldn't guess the meaning to these lyrics to save my own life. I think it's incredible to read everyone elses thoughts. I like 4ya's interpretation and Geek UK's. Sorry for rambling on but The Smashing Pumpkins will always be my favs til' I die.
    Flag Avtarglennon January 26, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I think it's got to do with drugs, too. Maybe Billy isn't talking about a girl here at all but about the drug and an addiction itself:

    candy cane walks down
    "Candy Cane" is the drug (e.g. a pill) which is consumed (swallowed) and "walks down" your throat

    to build a bonfire, to break my fall
    The drug builds a bonfire inside you, it makes you feel warm and good and forget your depression ("fall")

    my baby, my sweet thing
    just maybe we could lose ourselves this time
    When you're addicted the drug is your baby, your everything and you wish to escape from reality with that baby.

    king of the horseflies, dark prince of death
    his tragic forces are heaven sent
    in sweet things, in a lovers breath
    in knowing this was meant to be the last
    Now it comes to the dark side of the drug. The "king of the horseflies, dark prince of death" usually means the devil and in this case the evil power of the drug. Its forces are "tragic", but if you're a drug addict or have serious mental problems they are "heaven sent", i.e. they give you relief.
    And "knowing this was meant to be the last" refers to the addict cheating himself with the promise that it will be the last time he uses the drug everytime he takes it.

    a go-go-kids, a go-go-style,
    a suck suck kiss, a suck suck smile
    Doublemeaning: It describes sucking on the candy cane, i.e. the drug, and the suck (shitty, fake) emotions (love, happiness) that the drug simulates. I'm not sure about the "go-go"-style but it may also refer to the rush of fake emotions and the feeling of almightiness the drug causes.

    as always, in young need
    a velied promise to never die
    Just after you used it the drug gives you the feeling you're immortal.

    on dead highways, her black beauties roam
    for june angels, so far from home
    for a love lost, a faded picture
    to tread lightning, to ink the lavender skies
    The drugs ("black beauties") are always finding their way to (young) people, who got lost somehow ("june angels far from home") and go through a crisis, especially when relationships fail("a lover lost, a faded picture") to bring a very short moment of light and false emotions to their souls ("to tread lightning, to ink the lavender skies").

    so get on the bomb
    get back where you belong
    You have taken the drug, you know exactly what is going to happen and that it is very dangerous ("bomb").
    But you belong there because you're an addict and you don't deserve it any better.


    What do you think?





    Flag 4yaon October 29, 2010   Link
  • +2
    General Comment:It's weird how none of these lyrics make any goddamn sense, yet I relate to it so easily.
    Flag sixteenmistakeson October 14, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:on drugs
    Flag klonopinon January 28, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:It's about Jackson Pollock... drip the lavender skys .. come on seriously
    Flag klonopinon January 28, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I think this song is about cheating on your girlfriend with drugs. Like you promised her you were off the shit for good, but one day she finds you doing it one more time.
    Flag Lester_91on August 30, 2008   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:I definitely agree with everyone that said it's about teenagers, the unexperienced candy canes that walk down to build a bonfire and have some fun. I always got the vibe that this was about youths in a dangerous land. Like a fairy tale where the kids sneak out after night and get lost in a land of horseflies.
    Flag mellon alcoholieon October 15, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Amazing. I think it's about shit/fake relationships. "As always, in young need. A veiled promise to never die". "Get on the bomb / get back where you belong".
    Flag Lateralus518on October 15, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Geek UK got it perfectly
    Flag last-dodoon December 17, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Katie777 had a very very good explanation. For anyone who's ever read the book Load of the Flies, this song sounds alot like it. But in the song it also sounds like Corgan is describing a girl. His lyrics are hard to understand sometimes.
    Flag Chris Ron August 07, 2006   Link

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