Today (The Smashing Pumpkins song)

"Today"
Single by the Smashing Pumpkins
from the album Siamese Dream
B-side
  • "Hello Kitty Kat"
  • "Obscured"
  • "Apathy's Last Kiss"
ReleasedSeptember 13, 1993 (1993-09-13)
Genre
Length3:22
LabelVirgin
Songwriter(s)Billy Corgan
Producer(s)
The Smashing Pumpkins singles chronology
"Cherub Rock"
(1993) 		"Today"
(1993) 		"Disarm"
(1994)
Music video
"Today" on YouTube

"Today" is a song by American alternative rock band the Smashing Pumpkins, written by lead vocalist and guitarist Billy Corgan. The song, though seemingly upbeat, contains dark lyrics; Corgan wrote the song about a day in which he was having suicidal thoughts. The contrast between the grim subject matter of the song and the soft instrumental part during the verses, coupled with use of irony in the lyrics, left many listeners unaware of the song's tale of depression and desperation. The song alternates between quiet, dreamy verses and loud choruses with layered, distorted guitars.

"Today" was released in September 1993 as the second single from the band's second album and major label debut, Siamese Dream. "Today" and its follow-up "Disarm" are credited in AllMusic for popularizing the band and "sen[ding] [Siamese Dream] into the stratosphere".[4] "Today" has been generally well received by critics; a Blender article described it as having "achieved a remarkable status as one of the defining songs of its generation, perfectly mirroring the fractured alienation of American youth in the 1990s".[5]

  1. ^ Ankeny, Jason. "Today [7" Vinyl Version] - Smashing Pumpkins | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Archived from the original on March 3, 2015. Retrieved October 6, 2014.
  2. ^ Donovan, Thom (June 7, 2024). "5 Classic Smashing Pumpkins Songs and Why Billy Corgan Says He Won't Be Pressured Into Playing Them". American Songwriter. Retrieved October 12, 2024.
  3. ^ Danaher, Michael (August 4, 2014). "The 50 Best Grunge Songs". Paste. Retrieved December 7, 2019.
  4. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Smashing Pumpkins – Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved May 21, 2014.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference blender was invoked but never defined (see the help page).