The Smashing Pumpkins – Tonight, Tonight

Time
Is never time at all
You can never ever leave
Without leaving a piece of youth
And our lives are forever changed
We will never be the same
The more you change, the less you feel

Believe
Believe in me

Believe
That life can change
That you're not stuck in vain
We're not the same, we're different
Tonight

Tonight
So bright
Tonight

And you know you're never sure
But you're sure you could be right
If you held yourself up to the light
And the embers never fade
In your city by the lake
The place where you were born

Believe
Believe in me

Believe
In the resolute urgency of now
And if you believe there's not a chance tonight

Tonight
So bright
Tonight

We'll crucify the insincere tonight
We'll make things right
We'll feel it all tonight
We'll find a way to offer up the night
Tonight
The indescribable moments of your life
Tonight
The impossible is possible
Tonight
Believe in me as I believe in you
Tonight


Lyrics submitted by Ice

Tonight, Tonight song meanings
Add your thoughts

208 Comments

sort form View by:
  • +16
    General CommentI think this song is encouragement to be true to yourself and to believe in yourself. It says you should live in the moment and not the past. It's not so much about any one night in my opinion, but I art is in the eye of the beholder.
    wiseoneon April 17, 2002   Link
  • +9
    General CommentI'd suggest taking a look at the song as a piece of a bigger whole. It's a prelude to the Mellon Collie album as a collective work. The passing of time is a key theme throughout MCIS, and I think "Tonight, Tonight" is the explaination of that. It's sort of the band's way (well... Billy's way) of saying "This is where we are, this is what we feel, and this is what tonight is about". They "crucify the insincere" through Zero, Bullet with Butterfly Wings, An Ode, etc.. In other songs, Corgan "make[s] things right" with personal messages about his childhood and relationships. And finally, he "finds a way to offer up the night" in the twilight of the album, the closing tracks of the second disc. The "indescribable moments" are simple the feelings conveyed by the music.

    Ain't that a nice interpertation? :)
    Statuson April 26, 2003   Link
  • +6
    General Commentawesome song. the night that i found out that my now ex was already with another guy, i drove up to my church around 10pm and i was listening to this song. i couldn't help but cry. the orchestral parts of the song are phenomenal and i totally love it. i just wish that she would have believed in me as i believed in her..thanks.

    b
    zipped6648on September 16, 2002   Link
    • 5 Replies
  • +3
    My InterpretationMaybe I get this sense because of personal reasons, but this was me and my gf's song. We listened to it all the time. A few months ago she told me she didn't love me and felt like we didn't have a connection. I found out from her friends she hadn't been in love with me for a while and that she'd pretended cause she didn't have the guts to tell me. I think the song is about something like that. When someone you love so much takes a piece of you and you're never the same, and you and her are suddenly different. You just want her to believe in you as you believe in her tonight, but maybe it's more general because any broken relationship takes a piece of you. Tonight.
    Niradiopumpkinson May 08, 2016   Link
  • +2
    General Commenthmf, well I just say the video is brilliant, the song is brilliant, Billy is brilliant.
    imthecootieon May 11, 2002   Link
  • +2
    General Commentthis song is AMAZING i think it's saying that u shouldn't be afraid to give in to love and that u should trust ur partner's love completely and love him back and all that good stuff. this video is so freaking cool too! i want to meet billy!
    Ethilienon May 16, 2002   Link
  • +2
    General Comment"city by the lake"= chicago, i'm pretty sure. i lovelovelove this song and this band. love.
    anomaly1006on August 23, 2009   Link
  • +1
    General Commentremindes me of having the greatest night in your life
    ragetallicaon February 13, 2002   Link
    • 3 Replies
  • +1
    General Commentthis song is AMAZING i think it's saying that u shouldn't be afraid to give in to love and that u should trust ur partner's love completely and love him back and all that good stuff. this video is so freaking cool too! i want to meet billy!
    Ethilienon May 16, 2002   Link
  • +1
    General CommentGreat Song...period
    TheSwej16on May 22, 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!

Back to top