Drown (The Smashing Pumpkins song)

"Drown"
Single by Smashing Pumpkins
from the album Singles: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Released	June 30, 1992
Format	CD
Genre	Alternative rock, psychedelic rock, dream pop
Length	8:17 on Singles: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack 4:30 on Rotten Apples
Label	Epic
Writer(s)	Billy Corgan
Producer(s)	Billy Corgan, Butch Vig
Smashing Pumpkins singles chronology
"Daughter" (1992) "Drown" (1992) "I Am One" (re-release) (1992)

"Drown" is a song by American alternative rock band The Smashing Pumpkins from the soundtrack to the 1992 Cameron Crowe film, Singles. The song is a heavy mixture of psychedelia and dream pop.

Release

The song debuted during the Gish tour and written not long after that record was released. The first take of the song was recorded at Waterfront Studios, which belongs to Lenny Kravitz, who was also signed on Virgin Records. The take was scrapped as the output sounded more like a Kravitz recording. The song became a moderate radio hit in mid-1992 and gave the band significant exposure just before work commenced on Siamese Dream.

"Drown" was to be released as a commercial single, but, as Billy Corgan explained,

We wanted it to be a single, we were pushing for it. I was even willing to make it a video. Radio stations were playing it. And when it came time for the third single, they said, 'Screaming Trees.' And I was like, 'Screaming Trees??' But what label is Alice in Chains on and what label are the Screaming Trees on? Epic, which is the label that put out the soundtrack. And that's what killed the song.

Nonetheless, the song was given a promotional single, and became their highest-charting single at the time, peaking at number 24 on the U.S. Alternative Songs chart.

The song has also been released publicly as an early demo through SPRC, which is 8:58 in length.

Greatest hits release

The song was also released on the band's official greatest hits compilation Rotten Apples in 2001, though the length of the song was reduced from 8:17 to 4:30, cutting off the extended feedback and E-Bow solo at the end. "Drown" was considered for Pisces Iscariot, but Corgan decided against it.

Gish (2011 reissue)

The complete version of "Drown" was included with an alternate guitar solo on the bonus CD in the 2011 Reissue of Gish.

Live performances

The Smashing Pumpkins often include "Drown" in medleys with songs such as "The Aeroplane Flies High (Turns Left, Looks Right)", "To Sheila", "Hummer", and "Shame".

External links

• Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics