"Crestfallen" is a song by the American rock band
The Smashing Pumpkins
The Smashing Pumpkins (also referred to as simply Smashing Pumpkins) are an American alternative rock band from Chicago. Formed in 1988 by frontman and guitarist Billy Corgan, bassist D'arcy Wretzky, guitarist James Iha and drummer Jimmy Chambe ...
, released on their 1998 album ''
Adore''. Originally scheduled as the third single from the album, the song was instead released as a promotional CD in the US. It received moderate play on modern rock stations but did not chart. The single's artwork is by
Yelena Yemchuk
Yelena Yemchuk ( Ukrainian: Єлена Ємчук, born April 22, 1970) is a Ukrainian photographer, painter and film director, best known for her work with The Smashing Pumpkins.
Early life
Born in Kyiv, Ukraine to an athlete and a teacher, ...
.
The song features
Billy Corgan
William Patrick Corgan Jr. (born March 17, 1967) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and professional wrestling promoter. He is best known as the lead singer, primary songwriter, guitarist, and only permanent member of the rock band th ...
on piano and vocals, with
James Iha
(born March 26, 1968) is an American rock musician. He is best known as a guitarist and co-founder of the alternative rock band the Smashing Pumpkins. He was a member until the initial breakup in 2000. Among his musical projects of recent yea ...
on lead guitar. It was the first song to include Corgan playing piano live, the first performance of which took place during the band's gig in
Nashville
Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and t ...
during the promotional tour for Adore in the summer of 1998. The band also performed the song at the
VH1
VH1 (originally an initialism of Video Hits One) is an American basic cable television network based in New York City and owned by Paramount Global. It was created by Warner-Amex Satellite Entertainment, at the time a division of Warner Communic ...
Fashion Awards on October 27, 1998. Billboard gave the song mixed reviews, describing it as "sluggish and anti-climactic", but praising its
ambient
Ambient or Ambiance or Ambience may refer to:
Music and sound
* Ambience (sound recording), also known as atmospheres or backgrounds
* Ambient music, a genre of music that puts an emphasis on tone and atmosphere
* ''Ambient'' (album), by Moby
* ...
qualities.
In popular culture
"Crestfallen" was played at the end of the 2000 TV movie ''
Homicide: Life Everlasting''.
In 2006,
Christian rock
Christian rock is a form of rock music that features lyrics focusing on matters of Christian faith, often with an emphasis on Jesus in Christianity, Jesus, typically performed by self-proclaimed Christians, Christian individuals. The extent to w ...
band
The Evan Anthem covered "Crestfallen".
Meaning
The song's message is one of "Who am I to do this to you?" According to Corgan, he was inspired by his mother's death by which he said "My mother's death helped me to refocus my priorities. It showed me the true value of my life."
Track listing
All songs written by Billy Corgan
US Promo CD single
(DPRO-13629)
# "Crestfallen" – 4:09
# "Call Out Research Hook" – 0.10
References
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The Smashing Pumpkins songs
1998 songs
Rock ballads
Songs written by Billy Corgan