The Story Behind Mayonaise by The Smashing Pumpkins: When a Broken Guitar Created Magic

When The Smashing Pumpkins released Siamese Dream in 1993, few could have predicted that its ninth track, sporting an intentionally misspelt title, would become one of the band’s most cherished songs.

The Smashing Pumpkins Siamese Dream (Deluxe Edition) Album Artwork

Mayonaise—that missing ‘n’ is rather important to the story—emerged from a fascinating combination of technical limitations, creative collaboration, and pure serendipity.

The Smashing Pumpkins Mayonaise Song Meaning: Origins and Inspiration

James Iha, often overshadowed in the band’s history, played a crucial role in the song’s creation.

“I came up with those chords and did a demo of it,” Iha recalled in later interviews.

“It was an instrumental demo of the song. I played it for Billy, and he liked it.”

This collaborative foundation would prove essential to the track’s eventual success.

The recording took place at Triclops Sound Studios between December 1992 and March 1993, during what many consider some of the most intense studio sessions in alternative rock history.

While Corgan famously recorded most of Siamese Dream’s guitar and bass parts himself, Mayonaise stands as a remarkable example of the band’s collaborative potential.

How The Smashing Pumpkins Created Mayonaise’s Signature Sound

Perhaps the most fascinating aspect of Mayonaise is its signature sound—a high-pitched whistle that appears throughout the track.

This distinctive element wasn’t the result of expensive equipment or studio wizardry but rather a malfunctioning, cheap guitar that Corgan had purchased for roughly £50 ($65 at the time).

“The origin of the squealing high note was, I bought this guitar for £50, and it was such a cheap guitar that every time I’d stop playing, it would make that whistle,” Corgan explained.

Rather than seeing this as a defect, the band incorporated the whistle into the song’s structure, writing specific stops to showcase the unusual sound.

For many fans, this unintentional sonic quirk adds to the song’s magic.

One listener, commenting on the track’s raw and imperfect nature, wrote: “That whistling sound? It makes the song feel alive—like it’s breathing. It’s one of those things that makes music feel more human.”

The Smashing Pumpkins Mayonaise Lyrics Explained: A Deep Dive

The lyrics of Mayonaise represent some of Corgan’s most introspective writing.

The song opens with the narrator feeling “fool enough to almost be it, cool enough to not quite see it,” establishing themes of self-doubt and identity that run throughout the track.

Many listeners have connected deeply with these words, finding their own struggles mirrored in the song’s wistful delivery.

A fan shared: “I first heard this song at 16, stuck between who I wanted to be and who everyone thought I should be. That last line—’I just want to be me’—hit like a ton of bricks.”

Another interpretation suggests that the mention of “June” in the lyrics isn’t about the month, but a specific person.

Corgan later confirmed this, stating that June represented someone from his past rather than a simple time reference.

Meanwhile, the bridge section’s “Mother, weep the years I’m missing” speaks to his complicated relationship with childhood and family dynamics, a theme that would recur throughout the band’s catalogue.

For some fans, Mayonaise is a coming-of-age anthem, capturing that awkward transition from adolescence to adulthood.

“It’s about realising you don’t have it all figured out, but pushing through anyway,” one listener explained.

Why Did The Smashing Pumpkins Spell Mayonaise Without an ‘N’?

After years of speculation about the missing ‘n’ in the title, Billy Corgan finally revealed the truth in October 2022.

During the band’s 1992 Japanese tour supporting Gish, they discovered that their record company had mistranslated lyrics from Rhinoceros as “mayonnaise seas” in a fan booklet.

The band found this mondegreen (misheard lyrics) so amusing that they used Mayonaise as a temporary title during recording—and it stuck.

What Makes Mayonaise by The Smashing Pumpkins a Fan Favourite?

While never released as a single during the album’s initial run, Mayonaise has grown in stature over the decades.

In 2012, Rolling Stone readers voted it their favourite Smashing Pumpkins song by “a significant margin,” surpassing even mainstream hits like 1979 and Tonight, Tonight.

For many fans, its emotional weight and nostalgia make it a track they return to during pivotal life moments.

One fan described how the song helped them through a divorce, saying: “When I was 24 and my life was falling apart, this song reminded me I could rebuild. That last refrain, ‘When I can, I will’—I clung to it like a lifeline.”

In April 2023, the song’s cultural impact expanded further when it featured prominently in the final episode of the Netflix series Beef, introducing it to a new generation and sending it to #5 on both Billboard’s LyricFind Global and US charts.

The Smashing Pumpkins Mayonaise Legacy: From Album Track to Cultural Touchstone

On 20th November 2023, the song finally received an official single release as part of Siamese Dream’s 30th-anniversary celebrations.

The special edition 12-inch maxi-single (catalogue number MMLP-A007) features the album version alongside the live acoustic recording from Vieuphoria.

For many, Mayonaise encapsulates what made The Smashing Pumpkins unique—their ability to turn imperfection into beauty, their deeply personal yet universal lyricism, and their willingness to embrace emotional vulnerability in a genre often known for posturing.

Thirty years on, it remains one of alternative rock’s most beloved tracks, consistently drawing in new listeners while maintaining its special place in the hearts of longtime fans.

Final Thoughts

Whether it’s the serendipitous whistling guitar, the deeply personal lyrics, or the relatable themes of self-discovery, Mayonaise continues to resonate across generations.

As one fan put it: “This song doesn’t just make you feel something—it reminds you of who you were when you first heard it.”

The Smashing Pumpkins Mayonaise Lyrics

Verse 1
Fool enough to almost be it
Cool enough to not quite see it
Doomed
Pick your pocket, full of sorrow
And run away with me tomorrow
June

Bridge
We’ll try and ease the pain
But somehow, we’ll feel the same
Well, no one knows
Where our secrets go

Verse 2
I send a heart to all my dearies
When your life is so, so dreary
Dream
I’m rumored to the straight and narrow
While the harlots of my perils
Scream

Chorus 1
And I fail
But when I can, I will
Try to understand
That when I can, I will

Verse 3
Mother, weep the years I’m missing
All our time can’t be given
Back
Shut my mouth and strike the demons
That cursed you and your reasons
Out of hand and out of season
Out of love and out of feeling

Chorus 2
So bad
When I can, I will
Words defy the plans
When I can, I will

Verse 4
Fool enough to almost be it
And cool enough to not quite see it
And old enough to always feel this
Always old, I’ll always feel this
No more promise, no more sorrow
No longer will I follow
Can anybody hear me?
I just want to be me