The Smashing Pumpkins – Bullet With Butterfly Wings – Verse 2
Bullet With Butterfly Wings < All Analyses
Chord Progression
[‘B5’, ‘Em’, ‘G5’]
Chord Progression Analysis
The verse progression could be loosely placed in the key of E minor, but the absence of thirds in the power chords leaves this ambiguous. In this key, the B5 could be called a B minor (bVII), Em would be the tonic (i), and G5 the submediant (bVI).
The full chord names and their roman numerals (in the context of E minor) would be:
“`
B minor (bVII)
E minor (i)
G major (bVI)
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Note: It is important to observe that the ‘5’ in the chord names indicates that these are ‘5th’ or ‘power’ chords, which only consist of the root and the perfect fifth – they don’t contain the third (which usually determines the major/minor quality of a chord).
Similar Chord Progressions
1. Nirvana – “Smells Like Teen Spirit”: F5 – Bb5 – Ab5 – Db5 – known for its similar use of power chords.
2. Soundgarden – “Outshined”: G5 – Bb5 – D5 – Eb5 – spanning several different keys on a consistent progression of power chords.
3. Radiohead – “Creep”: G5 – B5 – C5 – Cm5 – although this Radiohead classic isn’t grunge, per se, it does feature ambiguous tonality brought about by power chords.
4. Black Sabbath – “Iron Man”: B5 – D5 – E5 – a classic example of power chord use in early metal and rock.
Remember, the nature of power chords gives them a universal quality, usable in any genre for any mood – they don’t convey a specific mood themselves without a broader musical context. Context and treatment are exactly what bands like Smashing Pumpkins brought to bring new life to this simple harmonic device.
Musical Analysis
The mixture of power chords in a minor key setting, particularly the raised subtonic (VII), is characteristic of the grunge style. They contribute to the overall ambiguous tonal center, which can be seen as characteristic of much of The Smashing Pumpkins’ work, and most notably the grunge and rock genres of the period. Being ‘power’ chords, they contain no third – and therefore give a neither major nor minor tonality.
Overall Analysis
“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.
Style Analysis
The grunge era was known for its heavy uses of power chords, ambiguous tonal center, and dark lyrical themes – all characteristics present in “Bullet With Butterfly Wings”. The Smashing Pumpkins were unique in their extensive use of quartal harmonies (based on intervals of a fourth), tonal ambiguity, and frequent oscillation between chords.
What are the chords in: The Smashing Pumpkins – Bullet With Butterfly Wings – Verse 2?
[‘B5’, ‘Em’, ‘G5’]
