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| Length = | Label = Virgin | Writer = Billy Corgan | Producer = | Certification = | Chart position = | Last single = "Cherub Rock" (1993) | This single = "Today" (1993) | Next single = "Disarm" (1994) | Misc = }} "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, exemplified by the reference to self-mutilation in the chorus. 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 guitar similar to the noisy guitar rock of My Bloody Valentine. "Today" was released in September 1993 as the second single from the band's second album and major label debut, ''Siamese Dream''. Although Corgan opted for "Cherub Rock", the lead single from the album, to be the opening track, "Today" and its follow-up "Disarm" are credited in AllMusic for popularizing the band and "sen() (Dream'' ) into the stratosphere". "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."〔 == Background and recording == After the release and minor success of the band's debut album, ''Gish'', The Smashing Pumpkins were being hyped as "the next Nirvana".〔Thompson, Dave. "Local Geek Makes Good". ''Creem''. January/February 1994.〕 However, the band was experiencing several difficulties at the time. Drummer Jimmy Chamberlin was undergoing an increasingly severe addiction to heroin; James Iha and D'arcy Wretzky had recently broken up their romantic relationship; and Billy Corgan had become overweight, depressed to the point of contemplating suicide, and plagued by writer's block.〔 〕 Corgan recalled that "after the first album, I became completely suicidal. It was an eight-month depression, give or take a month, and I was pretty suicidal for about two or three months." Under the pressure and other complications, the Pumpkins entered the Triclops Sound Studios in Atlanta to record the follow-up to ''Gish''.〔 "Today" was the first song Corgan wrote for ''Siamese Dream''.〔 Corgan said, "The day after I wrote 'Today,' my manager heard it and said, 'It's a hit,' and I guess in a way, it was."〔Corgan, Billy. "Guitar Geek USA ()". ''Guitar World''. February 1996.〕 Corgan played the self-recorded demo to producer Butch Vig and to the rest of his band, all of whom responded positively.〔 "Today" already had a chord progression and a melody, but Corgan felt there needed to be an opening riff to the song. One day, "out of the blue, I heard the opening lick note for note in my head", Corgan said. "When I added the opening riff, it completely changed the character of the song. Suddenly, I had a song that was starting out quiet and then got very loud."〔Corgan, Billy. "Guitar Geek USA ()". ''Guitar World''. August 1995.〕 Soon afterwards, Virgin Records executives were sent to check up on the band after hearing about their problems, but were pleased with the demo.〔 The reaction from the executives only served to put more stress on Corgan;〔 as a result, he recorded most of the guitar and bass guitar parts himself, including on the finished version of "Today".〔 ''Siamese Dream'' was completed after running four months after the deadline and considerably exceeding its budget.〔 Virgin Records executives saw "Today" as the ideal lead single, but Corgan wanted "Cherub Rock", one of the last songs written for the album,〔 as the lead single.〔 Ultimately, "Cherub Rock" was released first, but it was only a modest success.〔 "Today" brought the band popularity through wide radio airplay and a successful music video.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Today (The Smashing Pumpkins song)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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