Silverfuck

"Silverfuck"
Song

"Silverfuck" is a song by The Smashing Pumpkins, appearing on their breakthrough album, Siamese Dream. "Silverfuck" is also the longest song on Siamese Dream, lasting for 8:43.

Early/album version

It was one of few Siamese Dream songs along with "Rocket" and "Luna" that were completed almost two years prior to the album's initial release in 1993. It was first performed on July 18, 1991 in Khyber Pass Pub in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. It was recorded in Triclops Sound Studios in December, 1992.

"Silverfuck" is one of the most important tracks on the album, for it is considered to be the brightest example of the band's style and approach. The song is built around D major but avoids being repetitive due to its rollercoaster dynamic, going from intense guitar and bass drum attack in the beginning, through quiet verses, screaming choruses and blazing solo bursts, before unexpectedly going into a long, quiet, almost ambient section with whispered vocals and distant feedback. The song reaches its dynamics bottom in its a cappella section when Corgan distantly and exhaustedly sings repeating nursery rhyme "bang-bang, you're dead, hole in your head" four times (with a reverse echo effect) and then band comes into with full power culminating into song's disturbing climax with complete dissonance and layers of feedback. The band's soft humour calms down the situation when Corgan quietly admits in his short spoken part in the very end: "alright, this take don't give a fuck".

While the album version of "Silverfuck" may seem simple and primal, it is considered to be one of the most emotionally charged songs in the band's repertoire and also continues other Siamese Dream songs' tradition as complete perfectionist recording. The Pumpkins and their producer Butch Vig spent months recording each song for the album, and "Silverfuck" was not an exclusion, though not beating another Siamese Dream track "Soma" (which had literally 40 guitar tracks alone).

It uses guitars and bass guitars tuned into drop D.

The song led to the release of the "clean version" of Siamese Dream, manufactured to sell in stores like Wal-Mart. It lists no track information.

1993-1994 live version

"Silverfuck" began expanding when the studio version was released and the band felt they had a way to go to explore the energy of the song. The song was always a show closer, which was almost a rule. Its a cappella part was extended with a brief tease of the classic "Somewhere Over the Rainbow", and the final part included different short jams; many of which became parts of the band's 1996 b-side "Pastichio Medley". "Silverfuck" also got a very soft and mellow opening section, which could be considered as a different song or jam. Parts of it later became "Porcelina of the Vast Oceans".

During the Lollapalooza tour, the song even increased differences in dynamic and emotions, mainly to show the band's disrespect to the disappointing Gen X crowd. For example the band was finishing the song with guitarist James Iha screaming nonsense ad-libbed lyrics over a long and disturbing feedback of Corgan playing simple tunes on distorted guitar without bass and drums, and then turning the volume up and going backstage without saying a word to the infuriated crowd.

Eric Remschnaider played cello with the band on their Lollapalooza tour.

The band was also joined by Japanese band Boredoms on one of the performances of the song.

"Earphoria" and "Vieuphoria"

A live version of "Silverfuck" appears on "Vieuphoria" and its companion CD "Earphoria". Both include performance of the song during the second day of band's gig in Astoria Theatre, London, UK on April, 1994. The finishing jam is the song called "Jackboot" and it was later recorded in studio, though it didn't make any band's album and remained instrumental. During the jam, Corgan smashes his Fender Stratocaster breaking it in two parts with its neck in his hands, then beats a Marshall amp with it, and then pulls a drum set apart, with one of the cymbals falling on him and causing damage to his face.

2002 DVD release of "Vieuphoria" has an additional footage of "Silverfuck" performance during Lollapalooza tour.

The "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" part in "Silverfuck" is omitted on "Vieuphoria" due to prohibitive licensing costs on both 1994 VHS and 2002 DVD release, though included in both 1994 promo and 2002 official release of "Earphoria". It is completely deleted in the Astoria performance, and is muted in Lollapalooza performance.

Mellon Collie Tour

Silverfuck was reintroduced into the reportoire during the tour and was far more radical than any version before. By late 1996, no guitar "riffs" from the original were present and the song featured mostly ambient guitar work combined with pieces of the original lyrics and other Pastichio Medley riffs.

The longest version of this song went for over 40 minutes.

The Last Show

This was the last song performed by the Pumpkins at the last show before their 2000 break-up. The 35 minute performance at the Metro in Billy Corgan's hometown of Chicago, Illinois, featured him shouting "I feel no pain, I feel no pain, I feel no pain," and then saying "We have the answer to your question, the answer to your guess is that we never fucking left!". Video of the song was played at a private after-show party, but has not been released to the public.[1] The song had a different feel and groove to the original, but halfway through the song, the original Silverfuck riff was reintroduced.

Reunion Tour 2007

The reformed Pumpkins (with only Corgan and Chamberlin remaining from the original line-up) have again reprised Sliverfuck in their live set, playing an 11 minute version at their first show in Paris which included a tease of The Doors classic The End. The version reboots the evolution of the song and takes it straight to original album version with almost no changes.