This Time

The Smashing Pumpkins

This time I need to know
I really must be told
If it's over
It's up to you you know
The things you want to hold
Are in pieces

Crashing down
Crashing down again
Crashing down
Crashing down my friends

I've got to move it on
I've got to sing my song
While I still can
Dispatch the last alarms
Hand out the last few charms
There's no surprises

Only love
Only love can win
Crashing down
Crashing down again

Only love, yeah
Only love will win
Crashing down
Crashing down again

This time I need to know
I really must be told
That it's over
I've lived my life alone
My every step foretold
To never linger
And yet it haunts me so
What are we letting go
Our spell is broken

Crashing down
Crashing down, my friends
Crashing down
Crashing down again
Only love, yeah
Only love will be enough
Yeah, only love will win

For every chemical
You trade a piece of your soul
With no return
And who you think you know
Doesn't know you at all
Their drain is needless

Someday we'll wave hello
And wish we'd never waved goodbye
To this romance
We'll drink up every line
And shoot up every word
Till there's no more

Crashing down
Crashing down, my friends
Only love
Only love can win

So cry these tears
We'll cry as all
We've held so long to fall apart
As the curtain falls
We bid you all goodnight


Lyrics submitted by Ice, edited by viKK

This Time Lyrics as written by William Patrick Corgan

Lyrics © Songtrust Ave, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

This Time song meanings
Add Your Thoughts

29 Comments

sort form View by:
  • 0
    General Comment

    mary mother of a god...that song is beautiful. That hit me hard...especially the "someday we'll wave hello, and wish we'd never wave good bye"...sounds like a breakup that happened for the wrong reasons type of song. Perhaps Billy was referring to those unique situations when people breakup not because they don't love each other but because circumstances make things difficult. The song is just gorgeous though...and as i really read the lyrics for the first time it touched home. Reality bites...just like the movie says.

    y2doggyon August 03, 2002   Link

Add your thoughts

Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.

Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!

More Featured Meanings

Album art
Light Up The Sky
Van Halen
The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
Album art
Standing On The Edge Of Summer
Thursday
In regards to the meaning of this song: Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.” That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
Album art
I Can't Go To Sleep
Wu-Tang Clan
This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
Album art
American Town
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran shares a short story of reconnecting with an old flame on “American Town.” The track is about a holiday Ed Sheeran spends with his countrywoman who resides in America. The two are back together after a long period apart, and get around to enjoying a bunch of fun activities while rekindling the flames of their romance.
Album art
Page
Ed Sheeran
There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.