Soma (song)

Song infobox
Name = Soma


Artist = The Smashing Pumpkins
Album = Siamese Dream
Released = 27 July 1993
track_no = 7
Recorded = 1992 - 1993
Genre = Alternative rock
Length = 6:39
Writer = Billy Corgan, James Iha
Label = Virgin Records
Producer = Butch Vig
Chart position =
Misc =Extra tracklisting
Album = Siamese Dream
Type = studio
prev_track = "Disarm"
prev_no = 6
this_track = "Soma"
track_no = 7
next_track = "Geek U.S.A."
next_no = 8"Soma", originally called "Coma" [Hunter, James. "The Pumpkins Won't Be Smashed", "Musician Magazine". July 1994.] , is a track on the album "Siamese Dream" by The Smashing Pumpkins. One of the few songs on "Siamese Dream" co-written with James Iha, it remains a fan favorite, though it was not released as a single. The song starts and ends very quietly, building to a powerful crescendo featuring a rather chaotic and virtuoso guitar solo. One of the longer songs to appear on a Smashing Pumpkins album, it is said to have included up to 40 guitar tracks over the course of the song. A 2007 "Rolling Stone" poll rated the guitar solo as the 24th coolest in a list of 25. [cite web | publisher = RollingStone.com | date=2007-08-06| title=The 25 Coolest Guitar Solos | url= http://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/index.php/2007/08/06/the-25-coolest-guitar-solos/ | accessdate=2006-08-12]

Lyrically, the song appears to reference Aldous Huxley's "Brave New World", whence it is likely the song was named. The lyrics were written by Billy Corgan in reference to his break-up with then-girlfriend Chris Fabian. The song is an exercise in expressing both perspectives of a failed relationship, rather than taking the typical solipsistic approach found in many break-up related songs. The song itself expresses this through ambisexual vocal stylings and musical arrangements, shifting from a soft, relaxed style to crushingly heavy distortion towards the end, finally arriving again at the initial relaxed arrangement to close the song. Corgan says the song "is based on the idea that a love relationship is almost the same as opium: it slowly puts you to sleep, it soothes you, and gives you the illusion of sureness and security." [van den Berg, Erik. "Smashing Pumpkins." Oor. 10 June 1993] The song features a prominent piano figure by Mike Mills of R.E.M..

References