The Smashing Pumpkins – Bullet With Butterfly Wings – Bridge
Bullet With Butterfly Wings < All Analyses
Chord Progression
[‘Em’, ‘G5’, ‘F#5’, ‘E’, ‘F#5’, ‘A5’, ‘Em’, ‘G5’, ‘F#5’, ‘E’, ‘F#5’, ‘A5’, ‘Em’, ‘G5’, ‘F#5’, ‘E’, ‘F#5’, ‘A5’, ‘Em’, ‘G5’, ‘F#5’, ‘E’, ‘F#5’, ‘A5’, ‘Em’, ‘G5’, ‘F#5’, ‘E’, ‘F#5’, ‘A5’, ‘Em’, ‘G5’, ‘F#5’]
Chord Progression Analysis
Let’s analyze the chords in the Bridge and identify them using Roman numerals. The song is in the key of E minor, so that will be our point of reference.
Em (i), G5 (♭III), F#5 (ii), E (I), F#5 (ii), A5 (IV), repeat four times
Similar Chord Progressions
1. “Smells Like Teen Spirit” by Nirvana also uses simple power chord progressions in E minor to invoke ambiguity and dissonance.
2. “Karma Police” by Radiohead uses power chords that don’t clearly state a major or minor tonality, while their transition from major to minor chords echoes the Smashing Pumpkins’ tonal shifts.
3. “Under The Bridge” by Red Hot Chili Peppers can be similarly analyzed, though it relies more on clear major and minor chords for its melancholic tone.
Here’s the chord progression for “Smells Like Teen Spirit”: [‘E5’, ‘B5’, ‘G5’, ‘C5’], or in terms of Roman numerals: E5 (i), B5 (v), G5 (♭III), C5 (♭VI).
Musical Analysis
The song uses a mix of major and minor chords (and power chords, which are neither major nor minor), contributing to a tense and unstable feeling, characteristic of much of The Smashing Pumpkins’ music.
The use of power chords (a root note and a perfect fifth with no third) also adds to this mix of “unresolved” feelings; they are neither major nor minor and hence do not have a clear emotional tone, which matches the song’s theme of frustration and confusion.
Overall Analysis
“Bullet With Butterfly Wings” by The Smashing Pumpkins is a rock song that alternates between heavy distortion and calm sections. Interestingly, the song is mostly in E minor, but uses a lot of power chords (5th chords) and sus2 chords which give the song a distinctively undecided, floating feeling, as these chords don’t have a clear major or minor character. The song uses a rather straightforward progression with a few deviations and embellishments which provide tension and release.
Style Analysis
“Bullet With Butterfly Wings” features several hallmarks of the 1990s alternative grunge-rock style – including distorted guitars, power chords, and a vocal line that rises and falls in intensity echoing the lyrical themes. The song also showcases Smashing Pumpkins’ signature style, which includes Corgan’s nasally vocals, heavy use of distortion, and high-octane choruses contrasted with quieter verses.
What are the chords in: The Smashing Pumpkins – Bullet With Butterfly Wings – Bridge?
[‘Em’, ‘G5’, ‘F#5’, ‘E’, ‘F#5’, ‘A5’, ‘Em’, ‘G5’, ‘F#5’, ‘E’, ‘F#5’, ‘A5’, ‘Em’, ‘G5’, ‘F#5’, ‘E’, ‘F#5’, ‘A5’, ‘Em’, ‘G5’, ‘F#5’, ‘E’, ‘F#5’, ‘A5’, ‘Em’, ‘G5’, ‘F#5’, ‘E’, ‘F#5’, ‘A5’, ‘Em’, ‘G5’, ‘F#5’]
