How to Format Lyrics:

  • Type out all lyrics, even repeating song parts like the chorus
  • Lyrics should be broken down into individual lines
  • Use section headers above different song parts like [Verse], [Chorus], etc.
  • Use italics (<i>lyric</i>) and bold (<b>lyric</b>) to distinguish between different vocalists in the same song part
  • If you don’t understand a lyric, use [?]

To learn more, check out our transcription guide or visit our transcribers forum

About

Genius Annotation

“1979” is an homage to youth and all the pain, angst, and happiness that goes along with it. With a fusion of alternative rock, new wave, and electronics, the Pumpkins stumbled upon an atmospheric sound that seemed to define a generation. At the time of the release, this track sounded much different than anything the industry had ever heard before. “1979” was the last song recorded for Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness. Billy Corgan believed it belonged on the album, and after being told an earlier version of it wasn’t good enough, revamped it in about four hours, eventually to his producer’s approval.

The song is one of the band’s most popular and successful. Influential online magazine Pichfork ranked it as the 21st best song of the 1990s. In 2012 Rolling Stone readers voted it the second best Smashing Pumpkins song, with the publication calling it a “wistful pop hit.” The song was also nominated for Record of the Year and Best Rock Performance by a Group or Duo at the 39th Annual Grammy Awards, and its corresponding music video won “Best Alternative Video” at the 1996 MTV Music Video Awards.

Q&A

Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning

Has the author ever commented on the meaning of these lyrics?
Genius Answer

Billy Corgan doesn’t make a habit of explaining his lyrics. He prefers not to as he believes it takes away from the song. He would rather us all interpret his words the way we wish, tailoring them to suit our own situations. Has has however made some vague comments regarding the lyrics:

Somehow the lyric, which sings of an opposing sensuous world, balances all of my life on the head of a pin.

What is Billy Corgan saying at the beginning and throughout the song?
Genius Answer

He’s actually just humming and making random sounds that were then electronically processed. He was asked this question in a magazine interview shortly after the song was released:

The most frequently asked question about “1979” is, “What is the `ooh-ahh-ahh' sound at the end of every phrase?” Flood and I were tracking the song, and I started humming the “oohs” like a melody line. I sang them to tape, we sampled the pertinent ones, electronically manipulated them, and looped them against the drum beat.

Is Jimmy actually playing the drums or is the drum track completely electronic?
Genius Answer

Jimmy Chamberlin did play live drums during the recording of “1979,” but not in the traditional way a drummer may be used to. He explained the process to Modern Drummer magazine in 1996:

Another different song for me was “1979,” which is a drum loop with me playing over the top of it. That’s the first time I’ve ever done anything like that.

What did The Smashing Pumpkins say about "1979"?
What have critics said about this song?
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