The Smashing Pumpkins – Bullet With Butterfly Wings – Chorus
Bullet With Butterfly Wings < All Analyses
Chord Progression
[‘B5’, ‘G5’, ‘D’, ‘Asus2’, ‘B5’, ‘G5’, ‘D’, ‘Asus2’, ‘B5’, ‘G5’, ‘D’, ‘Asus2’, ‘B5’, ‘G5’, ‘D’, ‘Asus2’, ‘B5’, ‘G5’, ‘D’, ‘Asus2’, ‘B5’, ‘G5’, ‘D’, ‘Asus2’, ‘B5’, ‘G5’, ‘D’, ‘Asus2’, ‘B5’, ‘G5’, ‘D’, ‘Asus2’]
Chord Progression Analysis
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B5 (‘VI’), G5 (‘IV’), D (‘VII’), Asus2 (‘II’), B5 (‘VI’), G5 (‘IV’),
D (‘VII’), Asus2 (‘II’), B5 (‘VI’), G5 (‘IV’), D (‘VII’), Asus2 (‘II’),
B5 (‘VI’), G5 (‘IV’), D (‘VII’), Asus2 (‘II’), B5 (‘VI’), G5 (‘IV’),
D (‘VII’), Asus2 (‘II’), B5 (‘VI’), G5 (‘IV’), D (‘VII’), Asus2 (‘II’),
B5 (‘VI’), G5 (‘IV’), D (‘VII’), Asus2 (‘II’), B5 (‘VI’), G5 (‘IV’),
D (‘VII’), Asus2 (‘II’)
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Similar Chord Progressions
“Creep” by Radiohead
Creep features a similar continuous-loop chord progression
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G (‘III’), B (‘V’), C (‘VI’), Cm (‘vi’)
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“Zombie” by The Cranberries
Zombie also applies modal mixture with primarily four chords constituting the progression.
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Em(‘i’), C(‘VI’), G(‘III’), D(‘vii’)
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Musical Analysis
This song features an interesting chord progression that strikes a balance between tension and resolution. Asus2 is actually a borrowed chord from the parallel key of E major, which helps to add a touch of brightness, contrast, and tension to the primarily minor tonality of the song. This is resolved back to the minor tonality each time the progression loops. D Major in the Key of E minor acts as the subtonic chord which creates a slight push towards the tonal center. It’s the mixture of the typically minor feel of the song with these major and suspended chords that give the song its unique character.
Overall Analysis
“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.
Style Analysis
The Smashing Pumpkins are known for their alternative rock sound, characterized by heavy distortion, complex arrangements, and occasionally unconventional chord progressions. “Bullet With Butterfly Wings” is no exception, featuring an energetic progression with an interesting mix of power chords, suspended chords, and borrowed chords. The resulting sound is typical of the post-grunge and alternative rock genres of the mid-1990s.
What are the chords in: The Smashing Pumpkins – Bullet With Butterfly Wings – Chorus?
[‘B5’, ‘G5’, ‘D’, ‘Asus2’, ‘B5’, ‘G5’, ‘D’, ‘Asus2’, ‘B5’, ‘G5’, ‘D’, ‘Asus2’, ‘B5’, ‘G5’, ‘D’, ‘Asus2’, ‘B5’, ‘G5’, ‘D’, ‘Asus2’, ‘B5’, ‘G5’, ‘D’, ‘Asus2’, ‘B5’, ‘G5’, ‘D’, ‘Asus2’, ‘B5’, ‘G5’, ‘D’, ‘Asus2’]
