Hello. Iâm Tino Hendrawan. For this assignment, I choose the song called â1979â by The Smashing Pumpkins. This song released in 1995 in a very outstanding album, Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness. That album is released in the time that grunge really make out to the surface as a mainstream genre. The bands like Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, Nirvana, and the other grunge bands  are really really successful at that time. And The Smashing Pumpkins are one of those successful bands.
But this song, 1979, is different. Although the grunge roots is still there, it feels different. It feels soft, warm, nostalgic, and sad at the same time. I like to call it âa time machine songâ because the nostalgic feeling in this song is incredibly strong. Billy Corgan, the songwriter and vocalist, sing the song with his whole emotion. It is like from the deepest part of his heart. It is really deep, you can feel that too if you listen to it. The guitar parts, bass line, drum beats is also amazing. This song is just so different, meaningful, and heartwarming.
Until now, I like to listen to this song in the middle of the night, or in the quiet place, or when Iâm alone. This song can fly me to the time that I always missed.
This songâs lyric tells about the year 1979. The year that Billy Corgan was 18 years old. He was living in the suburban area of Chicago, and he has an awesome teenage experience. Such as having party everyday, jamming with his band all night, make a mess around the supermarket, etc. He feels that feeling is full of truth and emotion, like it will never ends. But the thing is, teenager is an era that happens so fast and the era is already ended when we realized how important that is to our life. Billy thinks that as a human, we all need friends. Because when we meet our friends, our world is alive. Teenage is the perfect era to have some friends and we better not mess that thing up.
Somehow, I feel related to that lyric even though I donât have the exact memory like Billy. I also live in the suburban area and I was a naughty naĂŻve teenager back there when I was a high school student. I like to messing around with teachers, come home late at night, hanging around with friends that I love, Itâs really fun. Like the time will never end. But deep in my heart, I fell that that moments wonât last forever. Three years in a high school era should be used for useful things. Study hard, join a competition, make our parents proud, something like that. And when I realized that I only do bad things and useless things in high school, I feel guilty. I feel sorry for myself. But, Iâm not regretting it. Because itâs explained in the lyric
âAnd we donât even care, to shake the zipper blues. And we donât know just where our bones will rest to dust, I guess. Forgotten and absorbed to the ground below.â
I donât regret it. I believe that I do the right thing. To be naughty, to be angry, and to be wild. Thatâs what we need right? As a tenager.
Apparently, a lot of people on the Internet feels that too. In Youtube comments, in Quora, in Reddit, even Kaskus. They feel emotional, nostalgic, and sad. Some people even cry when they listen to it. I can understand that. I think I can cry too!
There are bunch of language expression in this song. Like âzipper bluesâ, âfreaks and ghoulsâ, âmorphine cityâ. That is metaphor. Zipper blues means choice. Freaks and ghouls means friends that we love and hate. Morphine city means hope.Â
Every aspect of this song is perfectly crafted. I hope you listen to it too. Because.. itâs an amazing song!Â
Thatâs it from me. Thank you for listening. I hope you have a great day. Assalamualaikum wr wb.