Essay: The Metaphors of Smashing Pumpkins’ Thirty-Three

The Metaphors of Smashing Pumpkins’ Thirty-Three

TLDR: This essay explores the symbolism and metaphor within the lyrics and music video for Thirty-Three by The Smashing Pumpkins.

The Smashing Pumpkins always prided their music as something more than typical rock tunes. The Rolling Stone said the following of the band: “it (the band) excels in creating longer, art-pop compositions that…explore a variety of musical textures, melodies and emotions” (Farley, 1995, p. 146), and “[they turn] fiercely private emotions into arena-like songs” (The Smashing Pumpkins (alternative), 1999). Billy Corgan, lead singer and frontman for the band, once said of their music, “We’re trying to do something that will last, that is a piece of art” (The Smashing Pumpkins (alternative), 1999).

With such lofty ideals for their music, it is almost natural that the band pursues their artistic endeavors visually. Thirty-three, the final single off their double-album Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, transcends the boundaries of music video and poetry by employing visual metaphors to explore the lyricism. Using the song’s music video as my artifact, I seek to answer the following question using Metaphoric Criticism: what are the metaphors used to depict the lyrical elements of Thirty-three?

METAPHOR CRITICISM AND THE ARTIFACT

Understanding Metaphor Criticism requires knowledge of the definition and the function of metaphors. Sonja Foss (2004) defines metaphors quite accurately as “comparisons in which a word or phrase from one domain of experience is applied to another domain” (Foss, 2004, p. 299). A statement becomes a metaphor when it is compared to or defined as a seemingly unrelated idea or object. All metaphors contain two components: tenors and vehicles. A tenor is the subject being explained; a vehicle is the perspective in which the idea is understood. In the metaphor, “he (a college student) is a crybaby,” he is the tenor and crybaby is the vehicle, because the term crybaby is used to describe the college student and is not a factual comparison (Foss, 2004, p. 299). 

Some view metaphor as a major influence on human perception. Foss suggests that metaphors use symbols to construct reality, and that reality is only understood by how we explain it. Reality is not experienced and then interpreted; reality is experienced in terms of how we describe it, in this case, in terms of metaphor. Because interpretations and uses of metaphor vary for each person, no two people will describe reality in exactly the same way (Foss, 2004, p. 300-301). 

This brings me to my artifact. Thirty-three is a music video that correlates visual metaphors with the song’s lyrics. Of this idea, Pumpkins’ songwriter Billy Corgan said this, “…we’d always avoided literal symbolism…so let’s in this video do the exact literal image in our minds for each of the lines” (The Smashing Pumpkins, 2001). His explanation suggested to me that he first translated the lyrics into imagery, and then literally transferred those images into a music video.  In effect, the images become figurative representations of the lyrics, or metaphors. 

The goal of Metaphor Criticism is to identify and explain the metaphors used in an artifact. In the video, nearly every line is accompanied by a visual metaphor. As an artifact, it provides an interesting opportunity to identify the ideas connected with each metaphor, discover what purpose they serve, and understand if they represent a reality as a whole.

THE SONG AND VIDEO

Thirty-three was written by Billy Corgan (The Smashing Pumpkins, 1995). The song and several B-sides were made available later on the compilation The Aeroplane Flies High (The Aeroplane Flies High, 2007). Both the video and the song were released after the band’s drummer, Jimmy Chamberlin, was fired due to his involvement with the overdose of touring keyboardist Jonathan Melvoin (More Info on Matt Walker Leaving the Pumpkins, 1997). 

Chamberlin’s absence from the band seems to have had an effect on the outcome of the video. Yelena Yumchuk, who co-directed the video with Corgan, says this of the song and video, “I think it’s a very symbolic song…at that point for them…it was a very heavy year for everyone” (The Smashing Pumpkins, 2001). The video was shot using a hand-held camera under Corgan’s premise that “there are so many moments that would make great videos…would all the photos make a different image?” (The Smashing Pumpkins, 2001) Because the video was shot and edited using photographs, the final product’s animation has a choppy, disjointed look. Of this style, Guitarist James Iha says the following, “…it showed personality and beautiful images…at this stage it was nice to show the band in that light rather than big mega-rock people” (The Smashing Pumpkins, 2001).

ANALYSIS

As Corgan pointed out, the video takes each song line and literally transfers it to a visual image. The lyrics’ abstract nature commands that their visual representation come in the form of metaphor; since the lines have an indefinite meaning, the visuals must be taken from the directors’ realm of experience and applied to the lines. In this case, the lyrics are the tenors, and the video images are the vehicles. To explore the metaphors throughout the video, I am going to present the images in chronological order, according to the lyrics, and accompany them with a short description of the clip and my interpretation of the metaphor.

The first line, “Speak to me in a language I can hear” is represented by a clip of a woman’s mouth opening and closing rapidly. The scene cuts to the woman leaning toward a man; she appears to be speaking into his ear at the same pace. He, however, stares detachedly toward the camera, at an angle that would imply he is staring at the ceiling. Her words do not seem to be affecting him in any way. Because she is speaking so rapidly, and he is so removed from her statements, I inferred that the images are a metaphor for incomprehension and disinterest. The line and the images seem to plead for understanding and engaging conversation.

“Humor me before I have to go” is combined with an image of middle-aged women holding fans to their faces and giggling on a couch. The fans veil their mouths, implying that there is a secret being spoken beneath. As the camera enters the room, they look directly into it, as if they were seen from a first-person perspective. During the line, “before I have to go,” the shots abruptly transpose from the giggling to frowns, and as the camera moves from an intimate shot near the women to the point of entrance, they seem to cast disapproving stares into the camera. I inferred that the sequence is a metaphor for disappointment in an individual’s (Corgan’s?) departure, as the women seem amused when the person, represented by the camera, enters the room, but upset as he/she pulls away.

“Deep in thought I forgive everyone” has two parts: the close-up of the eye, and the shot of two people embraced in a kiss. The eye is show during the fragment, “deep in thought,” and I interpreted it to resemble the classic adage “the eyes are the windows to the soul,” as it implies thinking and perhaps self-exploration in conjunction with the line. The couple’s embrace appears awkward and sterile, as the woman is staring into the camera, rather than with her eyes closed or even facing her suitor. The image implies that the line it corresponds with, “I forgive everyone,” is unnatural or even foreign; maybe compassionless. It seems to be a metaphor for detached forgiveness or pardoning a passionless relationship. 

The next line introduces a motif present throughout the video, youth. The line “as the cluttered streets greet me once again” is visually represented by a shot of the guitarist standing on the sidewalk, while several children on bicycles pass in the background. The metaphor implies that youth, in its abundance, passes quickly. When combined with the lyrics, greeting the “cluttered streets,” which are the passing children, again implies that the author feels his youth is passing, and he has had the same feeling before.

“I know I can’t be late” is complimented by a shot of actors/actresses dressed up as Alice and the White Rabbit from Alice in Wonderland. As the classic story goes, Alice follows the White Rabbit, who continually checks his watch for fear of being late, down a rabbit hole, where she has several whimsical adventures. The scene is a metaphor for two ideas: youth, since Alice in Wonderland has many elements reminiscent of fairy tales, and time constraint, since the White Rabbit symbolizes being late to an event. 

The scene of the White Rabbit is followed with a shot of a group at dinner, accompanying “supper’s waiting on the table.” Their facial features indicate resentment and disapproval as they stare, as if the person behind the camera is out of place. It gives the impression that the guest, represented by the camera, is either unwelcome or late because the table is full. The scene seems to continue the idea of being late and be a metaphor for the repercussions of not being punctual. 

“Tommorow’s just an excuse away” is visualized by a young girl lying in a vineyard with an apathetic frown. Her face reads that she wants to remain relaxed. The lyrics and imagery imply that children procrastinate, and in youth, can put off their cares until another day. 

“So I pull my collar up and face the cold, on my own” has an interesting juxtaposition of color. The character in the scene is shown shuffling down a path, surrounded by darkened trees and clad in black. However, the dark ambience is contrasted by a bright blue balloon, carried by the character. Balloons are generally associated with birthdays, fun, and children. I understood the image to be a metaphor for hope, even amidst the “cluttered streets” that the character walks through, the youth within the character is about to embark on a journey.

“The Earth laughs beneath my heavy feet” features a dolled up girl, dressed in white, walking barefoot through the mud. It seems that the girl is a metaphor for innocence and purity, indicated by her pale angel-like appearance, although she is weighted (“heavy feet”) on the journey suggested in the last line.

“At the blasphemy in my old jangly walk” is represented by toy soldiers marching. The image is a clear metaphor for mechanical movement, corresponding with “jangly walk,” as the toys do not move fluidly. It also corresponds with the motif of youth, as the soldiers have very boyish faces and may be reminiscent of the children’s film, “The Nutcracker.” The line, by itself, contradicts the last image by claiming the walk to be blasphemous, contrasting the walk of the girl in white. 

The next three lines have ambiguous images. “Steeple, guide me to my heart and home” shows Corgan walking by himself, looking through sunglasses at the camera. There is no direct metaphor here, but the image may suggest Corgan’s sentiment for this line. “The sun is out and up and down again” also does not have a clear metaphor, other than the image implies the sun looking down upon a city. “I know I’ll make it, love can last forever” depicts three women with heavy make-up floating in front of a tree. I did not understand this metaphor; however, it may resemble a portrait or film with which I am not familiar. 

“Graceful swans of never topple to the Earth” depicts a ballerina in the middle of a street. While the ballerina is a direct metaphor for the “graceful swan,” her excited confusion and crying fit is also a metaphor for descent, as echoed by “topple to the Earth.” Tied in with the last line, the “swans of never” may be thoughts of negativity that “love” will abolish.

“You can make it last forever, you” is symbolized by bassist D’Arcy Wretzsky on a white mare, and guitarist James Iha gliding over a body of water in a vessel. The white mare is again a metaphor for purity because of its pure whiteness, and the vessel is reminiscent of the boats of Venice, a city that I have seen consistently associated with romance. The vessel indicates a metaphor for love, which is possibly the “it” in the lyrics.

The metaphors during “and for a moment I lose myself, wrapped up in the pleasures of the world” are a blend of primarily dark images. In the same scene, a disabled figure with a crown rolls back and forth in a wheelchair. A couple strangles each other. An elderly woman raises her hands in agony. In these shots, the metaphors are undecipherable. The only explanation that could correspondence with the lyrics is that the shot is a metaphor for some type of irony, as the “pleasures of the world” are represented by seemingly angst-ridden images.

“I’ve journeyed here and there and back again” shows the remaining band members in the foreground, while behind them, multiple collages of landscapes pass in the background. The metaphor here is pretty obvious – it represents the places that the band has traveled. It also suggests that it is a metaphor for the band’s changes as a triad without Chamberlin, as hinted at in the next image.

“But in the same old haunts I still find my friends” depicts four children sitting on the step of a tattered house. Interestingly, the boy-girl ratio parallels that of the band before Chamberlin was fired. The lyrics and the image seem to be a symbol of the original band and the house may be a metaphor for past “haunts,” or a comfortable place, perhaps a time when the band played music before Chamberlin was fired.  

“Mysteries not ready to reveal” showcases several veiled women in clothing that is unique to the rest of the video. They also glance at the camera in an unwelcoming, uncomfortable gesture, which corresponds that they are “not ready” for something. The women are an exotic metaphor for the mysterious and the unknown.

The next image continues the theme of veils, but in a different function. “Sympathies I’m ready to return” features a woman in a black veil entering a gate. The veil, the roses, and the gate imply that she is visiting a graveyard, perhaps one she has visited before, to leave roses for a deceased loved one. The roses are a metaphor for “sympathies,” and could possibly mean that the line implies returning to an old friend or forgotten feeling.

“I’ll make the effort, love can last forever” has the band on a bed with guitars in hand. The implied metaphor is that the band and their music are the effort being made. It could also be a metaphor for music as an opportunity to express love.

The next line, “graceful swans of never topple to the earth,” is repeated, but accompanied by a different visual image. This time, a dancer of sorts is clad in black, with an emotionless facial expression. She awkwardly maneuvers her dress on the sand before making a descent to the ground. The image here is also a metaphor for a “graceful swan,” but the metaphor is developed in the negative because of the color of the dress, as opposed to a swan’s snow-white plumage, and the clumsiness of the woman’s movements.

The duplicate line, “tommorow’s just an excuse,” greatly contrasts the first use of the line by showing aggressive scenes of a man screaming and a bird offensively flailing its wings. The scene calms down with a shot of Corgan overlooking a nonsensical house, with convoluted doors, stairs, and windows. The scene itself implies a metaphor for confusion and frustration, maybe reflecting the feeling Corgan has for the unknowns of tomorrow.

The final line, a repeat of “you can make it last forever” is surrounded by images that are disjointed in character. Once again, the images leave me baffled as to their correspondence to the lyrics. Themes of veils and the elderly reappear, but do not seem to have any connection with each other. There is definitely a significant visual component here, as the men sitting near a pool stand out among the mostly mellow lighting of the rest of the video. The veiled dancer also repeats the visuals of “mysteries not ready to reveal” and “graceful swans of never,” combining both ideas into a single image. Whether these shots are a summary of the previous metaphors or suggestions of new ideas are, in either case, just speculation, as a definite meaning is obscured here.

CONCLUSION

Thirty-three is a video saturated with metaphor. So saturated, in fact, that it is difficult to determine whether there is a unified reality for the piece, or if the metaphors merely describe each line in seclusion. The video’s reality, as created by Yumchuk and Corgan, is a series of shots that carry a heavy feeling and depict several recurring metaphors. Youth, a journey of thought, exploration of the unknown, purity, and descending from grace stand out as the most prominent. The metaphors that I was unable to explain need to be examined more thoroughly, maybe by a different source. They may hold important metaphors that tie the rest of the video together. To fully understand, it would be helpful to find a first-hand account of the directors’ ideas for the video and the motivations behind the song when it was written. It would also be interesting to explore more of Yumchuk’s work, specifically with the Smashing Pumpkins. 

References

(1997). More Info on Matt Walker leaving the Pumpkins.  Retrieved April 9, 2007, from 

amazon.com. Web site: http://www.netphoria.org/nov97.htm. 

(1999). The Smashing Pumpkins (alternative). Rolling Stone, no. 812, 48-48.

(2007). Thirty Three [CD-SINGLE] [EP] [IMPORT]. Retrieved April 9, 2007, from amazon.com. Web site: http://www.amazon.com/Thirty-Three-Smashing-Pumpkins/dp/B000005ROG/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/103-1616329-9083846?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1176120729&sr=1-1. 

(2007). The Aeroplane Flies High. Retrieved April 9, 2007, from amazon.com. Web site: 

http://www.amazon.com/Aeroplane-Flies-High-Smashing-Pumpkins/dp/B000000W3G/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/104-5950919-4070347?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1176173285&sr=1-1. 

Farley, C. J. (1995). A journey, not a joyride. Time, 146(20), 114-114.

The Smashing Pumpkins (1995). Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness. Virgin Records US.

The Smashing Pumpkins (2001). The Smashing Pumpkins Greatest Hits Video Collection. Virgin Records US.