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“Bullet With Butterfly Wings” by The Smashing Pumpkins is an alternative rock song released in 1995. The song is in the key of E minor and primarily uses power chords derived from the E minor scale throughout the song. Power chords or ‘5’ chords, like B5 or G5, don’t have a major or minor quality and are often used in rock music for their strong and neutral sound. The song also applies modal mixture (borrowing chords from parallel keys) for color and tension.

“The Bullet With Butterfly Wings” by The Smashing Pumpkins essentially revolves around the use of power chords, or 5th chords, to project a raw, grungy intensity. The chord progression (B5, Em, G5), extracted from the second verse of the song, is prominent throughout. The use of power chords results in a composition that doesn’t transpose to a traditional major or minor key, but fits within a modal framework.

The outro of “Kashmir” by Led Zeppelin features a simple alternating chord progression between G major and A major, which creates tension by avoiding a resolution to the tonic or dominant chords. This makes the progression sound unstable, yet well defined as it repeats. The recurring ascending motion creates a sense of lift throughout the outro, while the lack of a true resolution maintains a feeling of unease. This progression is notable for its simplicity, as well as how it invokes a modal sound that is characteristic of the mixolydian mode often used in rock music.

“Someone to Love” by Queen exhibits a blend of rock and gospel music, showcasing their musical brilliance and theatrical elements. The chord progression forms a classic example of a departure from the typical I-IV-V root progression seen in much of popular western music, demonstrating Queen’s ingenious writing style.

“Hurt”, written by Nine Inch Nails, exudes melancholy and despair through a slow progression that weaves intricate melodies between the chords. The tonality is primarily in B minor, but introduces D, E, A, and G chords throughout, indicating some mode mixture or borrowed chord use.

The Smashing Pumpkins – Bullet With Butterfly Wings – Outro

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Chord Progression

[‘B5’, ‘G5’, ‘D’, ‘Asus2’, ‘B5’, ‘G5’, ‘D’, ‘Asus2’, ‘B5’, ‘G5’, ‘D’, ‘Asus2’, ‘B5’, ‘G5’, ‘D’, ‘Asus2’, ‘E5’, ‘G5’, ‘F#5’]

Chord Progression Analysis

The specific part you’ve asked about appears to be in the key of D major, with the progression as follows:

B5 (VI),
G5 (IV),
D (I),
Asus2 (V7sus2),
B5 (VI),
G5 (IV),
D (I),
Asus2 (V7sus2),
B5 (VI),
G5 (IV),
D (I),
Asus2 (V7sus2),
B5 (VI),
G5 (IV),
D (I),
Asus2 (V7sus2),
E5 (IIm),
G5 (IV),
F#5 (IIIm)

The progression is predominantly in D major, with the B5, G5, and D chords forming a typical I-VI-IV pop/rock progression. The Asus2 is a suspended dominant functioning as the V chord, and the E5 and F#5 in the final chunk of the pattern present a brief modulation to the relative minor key of B minor.

Similar Chord Progressions

Some similar progressions can be found in other works of the period. An example would be the verse progression in Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit”, which uses a similar I-V-VI-IV pattern in the key of F minor, although it employs minor rather than power chords: F5 (I), Bb5 (IV), Ab5 (bIII), Db5 (bVI).

Another example is “Creep” by Radiohead, which follows the progression G (I), B (III), C (IV), Cm (iv) in the key of G major. This is a I-III-IV-iv progression, somewhat similar to the VI-IV-I-V7 in “Bullet with Butterfly Wings”, and it also includes a sudden shift from a major to a minor chord for added dramatic effect.

Please note that the roman numerals differ depending on your interpretation of what key the songs are in. This is a rather simplified analysis and it might be slightly different depending on which harmonic interpretation you use.

Musical Analysis

The predominant use of power chords and suspended chords gives the song a strong, driving feel, appropriate to the loud and aggressive style of grunge and alternative rock. These chords also create a sense of ambiguity and tension, which is never fully resolved and thus characterizes the angst conveyed in the song.

Overall Analysis

“Bullet with Butterfly Wings” by The Smashing Pumpkins can be categorized as alternative rock. The chord progression showcases the grunge influence, with an emphasis on power chords and the use of suspended second chords which are often used to create ambiguity or tension.

Style Analysis

The Smashing Pumpkins are known for their unique blending of different rock styles, including punk, gothic rock, and heavy metal. Like many other grunge and alternative rock bands of the 1990s, they used power chords and distorted guitars to create a heavy, raw sound, which is clearly exhibited in “Bullet with Butterfly Wings”.

Chords in the Outro section of Bullet With Butterfly Wings by The Smashing Pumpkins are:

[‘B5’, ‘G5’, ‘D’, ‘Asus2’, ‘B5’, ‘G5’, ‘D’, ‘Asus2’, ‘B5’, ‘G5’, ‘D’, ‘Asus2’, ‘B5’, ‘G5’, ‘D’, ‘Asus2’, ‘E5’, ‘G5’, ‘F#5’]