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Related Music Theory Alchemy

“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.

“Tonight, Tonight” by The Smashing Pumpkins is a rock song happy to embrace classical music tropes. An orchestral, string-heavy arrangement propels the song, surrounding the listener with a rich tapestry of sound. The grandiose sound of the full orchestra is bolstered by the band’s dual guitars and Billy Corgan’s characteristic singing.

“Set Fire To The Rain” is a song that largely follows the conventions of pop music, with its simple and repetitive chord progressions echoing those in many similar genres. The chord progression observed in the Outro is primarily a combination of minor and major chords that provide a melancholic and intense undertone to the song’s overall theme. The song is in the key of A minor and the chord progression in the Outro starts on the key’s root chord (‘Am’).

The Rolling Stones’ “As Tears Go By” is primarily in the key of G major and follows a Verse-Verse-Verse-Outro structure. The harmony is relatively simple, incorporating primarily diatonic chords from the G major scale as well as a few borrowed chords and inversions.

Chord Progression Analysis (Outro):
G Major (I) – A Major (V/vi, borrowed from E minor) – C Major (IV) – D Major (V) – G Major (I)

“1979” by The Smashing Pumpkins is written in the A major key and showcases various examples of modal interchange, also known as borrowed chords. The song switches often between the major and minor modes, providing a dynamic interplay of moods. The outro particularly stands out due to its use of both major and maj7th chords, a somewhat unusual combination. Emaj7 adds color and complexity to the progression, as a borrowed chord from the E major scale.

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’]