I really think it’s a white, bourgeois idea to pretend that you don’t have influences. It seems to be the obsession strictly of white people in college.
We can look you in the eye and talk to you about life, heart, love rock’n’roll, whatever, but we do not have the moral authority to tell people how to vote or what to do with their bodies. We are just a rock band.
In my Corgan brain, I’ve decided it’s almost as simple as ‘All you need is love.’ Almost.
I get more out of life just being myself, by just being a human being. Not by being a rock star, not by being whatever. Sometimes I act like a jerk, but I think people respect me for being myself. That’s the ultimate thing about the Smashing Pumpkins.
Stay in school. Lie to your teachers, but stay in school.
I’m Irish and I was born on St. Patrick’s day. I’m lucky sevens.
Everything about life makes me lonely.
Once a pumpkin, Always a pumpkin.
Shave your head, wear a ‘ZERO’ shirt. Take away your identity. What do you have? You still have yourself.
I didn’t grow up with my mother, and so losing her for real was like, some sort of latent childhood, some sort of unresolved issue. When she left for real, it was sort of like, I was done.
I had concussions as a kid playing football and basketball, and know what it feels like and to have someone say ‘Just rub some dirt on it, and get back in there.’
You can only be this high-powered mojo rock band for so long, then you just can’t look people in the eye. So, we’ve projected our own demise.
Life is everything and nothing all at once.
We are the most beloved and hated band in the world.
I’ve always believed that we could reach past genre – we didn’t ride the grunge coat-tails; we’ve always been on our terms.
People always seemed to pay attention to us. I have no idea why – there was just a presence between the four people or something.
We weren’t like mates who decided to form a band. The other three met me because they were interested in being in the band that I was starting.
If I had spent fourteen months in a small room with Jesus, I’d want to fist fight with him.
Well, we have brought certain things upon ourselves. I’ve certainly brought things upon us with my mouth.
We were just a little immature in the past. I think we actually wanted to create difficult situations for ourselves just to be able to use that emotion for stimulation.
To be able to put your arms around 24 years of music, it’s really fun.