Smashing Pumpkins' Billy Corgan Describes 'Disarm' in Latest Webisode

Smashing Pumpkins’ Billy Corgan Describes ‘Disarm’ in Latest Webisode

2012-03-12

Story by Anne Erickson

Pumpkins webisode features Billy Corgan performing ‘Disarm’ unplugged

Armed with the ability to share his deepest, rawest feelings and experiences through his music, frontman Billy Corgan scored a gorgeous symphonic ballad in Smashing Pumpkins track “Disarm.” In the Smashing Pumpkins’ fourth webisode in support of the band’s recent “Gish” and “Siamese Dream” reissues, Coragn explains why “Disarm” — which is found on 1993’s “Siamese Dream” — is one of the most personal songs he’s ever written and one of the few songs that hits him the same way every single time he hears it. Watch the full webisode, below.

“Speaking personally, ‘Disarm’ is probably one of the most important songs I ever wrote for myself,” Coragn says in the webisode. “It’s hard sometimes when a song is so close to you and so personal to understand the way other people see it. I know other people have responded to the song. The song was successful. We had a big hit with the song. It was on MTV. The video of us flying through the sky and the whole thing. And through the years, many people have come up to me and expressed how this song helped them deal with the loss of their mother of the brother that got killed in the war, or something like that, which is always flattering.

“Yet, when a song is so close to you, as a songwriter, it’s hard sometimes to relate to other people’s versions, because your version is so dominant in your mind. And this is one of the few songs that no matter how many years go by, no matter how many times I play it, it still hits me the same way. Which is powerful, because it’s the first song where I ever really dealt publically with my childhood in a way that just wasn’t sort of vague or alluded to. It was very direct. And I remember when we put out the ‘Siamese Dream’ album, almost cringing because I knew sooner or later, I was going to get a call from somebody in the family, and eventually those calls came. Some doubted. Some denied. Some pointed fingers. But the song, definitely, the bulls-eye got home to where it was meant to go.” Watch Corgan play “Starla” acoustically on the Pumpkins’ artist page. (Photo via YouTube.)

Watch Smashing Pumpkins Webisode No. 4 – ‘Disarm’:

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Anne Erickson

Meet the expert - Author, writer and editor Anne Erickson is a Detroit-based reporter and radio host. She has written for the USA Today Network, Consequence.net, Blabbermouth.net, and many more. Anne holds a master's degree from Michigan State University. Contact Anne at anne@audioinkradio.com.