It's A Long Way To The Top (If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll)
Encyclopedia
"It's a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll)" is a song by Australian hard rock
band AC/DC
. It is the first track of the group's album T.N.T.
, released in December 1975, and was written by Angus Young
, Malcolm Young
and Bon Scott
. Musically, the song is notable for combining bagpipes
with hard rock electric guitar
s, drums
, and bass guitar
; in the mid-part of the song there is a duet between the bagpipes and the electric guitar. It is composed in B-flat major.
A slightly shorter version of the song is also the first track on the international version of High Voltage, released in May 1976. This is on the original release and the 2003 remastered CD release of the album only. Other CD releases have the full version.
This song is also on the Volts
CD of the Bonfire
box set, released in 1997.
This was a signature song for Scott, who also played the side drum in Coastal Scottish Pipe Band WA in the 1960s. Current AC/DC lead vocalist Brian Johnson
does not perform it, out of respect for his predecessor.
. It featured the band's then-current lineup, along with members of the Rats of Tobruk Pipe Band, on the back of a flat-bed truck traveling on Swanston Street
in Melbourne
, Australia. Known members of the Rats of Tobruk Pipe Band at the time of the video's filming include: Alan Butterworth, Les Kenfield and Kevin Conlon. The video was dubbed with the studio track from the T.N.T.
album and is available on the Family Jewels DVD.
The video was directed by Paul Drane
. David Olney was the cameraman.
Two other videos for the song exist. One version, filmed the same day as the truck version, features the group miming the song on a stage in Melbourne's City Square
in front of an audience. The pipe players appear here as well. This version is available in the Backtracks
box set. A third version features the group simply miming the song on a soundstage, making it appear as if it were being played live. Also, a version of the group performing the song on Australian Bandstand with Scott singing live over the studio track appears on the DVD set Plug Me In
. This song was only performed live in 1976. This song was not played after Bon set the bagpipes down at the corner of a stage and they were destroyed by fans. It was performed one last time in 1979, but synthesisers were used instead of the bagpipes.
of all time, as decided by a 100-member industry panel. "It's A Long Way To The Top (If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll)" was ranked as the ninth song on the list. The song is regularly played during stoppages at AFL matches at the ANZ stadium in Sydney.
The song was also used in the 2003
movie School of Rock
during the end credits sequence when Jack Black
's character, Dewey Finn, is giving his kids an "after-school lesson" on rock.
In 2010, this song was ranked No. 3 in Triple M's
Ultimate 500 Rock Countdown in Melbourne, Australia. The top five were all AC/DC songs.
In the third episode of " Empire of Cricket", a 2009 British BBC TV documentary about the history of Cricket, "It's A Long Way To The Top (If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll)" is played over the opening credits. The programme details the history of Australian cricket and its rise to dominance.
's Corporation Lane was officially renamed "ACDC Lane
" in honour of the band (street names in the City of Melbourne cannot contain the "/
" character). This change was made in part because the music video for "It's A Long Way To The Top (If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll)" was filmed on Melbourne's Swanston Street
, near ACDC Lane. The Melbourne City Council
's vote to rename the street was unanimous. Bagpipers
played "It's A Long Way To The Top (If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll)" at the official renaming ceremony.
The song was covered during the credit sequence of the movie School of Rock
, performed by Jack Black
and the class of children he taught while masquerading as a teacher. However, the children ad-libbed their own lyrics towards the end of the song.
Billy Corgan
covered the song live as an encore on almost every show during his 2005 tour supporting his debut solo effort TheFutureEmbrace
.
A dramatic re-interpretation was released by Norwegian duo Susanna and the Magical Orchestra
(a.k.a. Susanna Wallumrød and Morten Qvenild) in late summer 2006 on their second album Melody Mountain
, which consists entirely of cover versions. Their style is slow and melancholic with only cembalo
accompaniment to Wallumrød's pure vocal, and brings out the essential sadness of the song.
The band Hanson
performed this song during some of the shows on the "Walk around the World" tour, often inviting the opening acts back on stage to sing together.
Melbourne Ukulele Kollective frequently play the song live, the most notable performances being during ABC-TV
's Spicks and Specks in 2004; and during the Australia Day flag-raising ceremony and people's march in 2009.
On the 34th anniversary of the filming of the music video, it was recreated as part of the SLAM (Save Live Australian Music) rally, to protest liquor licensing laws which threaten live music. About ten thousand protesters marched down Swanston Street and up Bourke Street to the Victorian Parliament House, accompanied by the RocKwiz band on a flatbed truck playing the song.
Hard rock
Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...
band AC/DC
AC/DC
AC/DC are an Australian rock band, formed in 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Commonly classified as hard rock, they are considered pioneers of heavy metal, though they themselves have always classified their music as simply "rock and roll"...
. It is the first track of the group's album T.N.T.
T.N.T. (album)
T.N.T. is the second studio album by Australian hard rock band AC/DC, released in December 1975. Seven of the album's nine songs were written by Angus Young, Malcolm Young and Bon Scott...
, released in December 1975, and was written by Angus Young
Angus Young
Angus McKinnon Young is a Scottish-born Australian musician, and the lead guitarist, songwriter, and co-founder of the rock and roll band AC/DC. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame along with other members of AC/DC in 2003 and is known for his energetic performances,...
, Malcolm Young
Malcolm Young
Malcolm Young is a Scottish-born Australian guitarist, best known as a founding member, rhythm guitarist, backing vocalist and songwriter for the Australian hard rock band AC/DC. Young was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003, along with the other members of AC/DC...
and Bon Scott
Bon Scott
Ronald Belford "Bon" Scott was a Scottish-born Australian rock musician, best known for being the lead singer and lyricist of Australian hard rock band AC/DC from 1974 until his death in 1980...
. Musically, the song is notable for combining bagpipes
Bagpipes
Bagpipes are a class of musical instrument, aerophones, using enclosed reeds fed from a constant reservoir of air in the form of a bag. Though the Scottish Great Highland Bagpipe and Irish uilleann pipes have the greatest international visibility, bagpipes of many different types come from...
with hard rock electric guitar
Electric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
s, drums
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, and bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
; in the mid-part of the song there is a duet between the bagpipes and the electric guitar. It is composed in B-flat major.
A slightly shorter version of the song is also the first track on the international version of High Voltage, released in May 1976. This is on the original release and the 2003 remastered CD release of the album only. Other CD releases have the full version.
This song is also on the Volts
Volts (album)
Volts is an album by AC/DC released as a part named "Disc Four" on the Bonfire box set. Released in November 1997, the album is a compilation of some alternate versions of songs recorded for Let There Be Rock and Highway to Hell albums, and some songs previously released.A hidden track containing...
CD of the Bonfire
Bonfire (album)
-Let There Be Rock: The Movie - Live in Paris:-Volts:-Back in Black :-AC/DC: Let There Be Rock :-Volts :-References:...
box set, released in 1997.
This was a signature song for Scott, who also played the side drum in Coastal Scottish Pipe Band WA in the 1960s. Current AC/DC lead vocalist Brian Johnson
Brian Johnson
Brian Johnson is an English singer and lyricist who has been the lead singer for the rock band AC/DC since 1980. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003 along with the other members of the band....
does not perform it, out of respect for his predecessor.
Personnel
- Bon ScottBon ScottRonald Belford "Bon" Scott was a Scottish-born Australian rock musician, best known for being the lead singer and lyricist of Australian hard rock band AC/DC from 1974 until his death in 1980...
– lead vocals, bagpipesBagpipesBagpipes are a class of musical instrument, aerophones, using enclosed reeds fed from a constant reservoir of air in the form of a bag. Though the Scottish Great Highland Bagpipe and Irish uilleann pipes have the greatest international visibility, bagpipes of many different types come from... - Angus YoungAngus YoungAngus McKinnon Young is a Scottish-born Australian musician, and the lead guitarist, songwriter, and co-founder of the rock and roll band AC/DC. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame along with other members of AC/DC in 2003 and is known for his energetic performances,...
– lead guitarElectric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker... - Malcolm YoungMalcolm YoungMalcolm Young is a Scottish-born Australian guitarist, best known as a founding member, rhythm guitarist, backing vocalist and songwriter for the Australian hard rock band AC/DC. Young was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003, along with the other members of AC/DC...
– rhythm guitarRhythm guitarRhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together...
, backing vocals - Mark EvansMark Evans (musician)Mark Whitmore Evans is an Australian bass guitarist who was an early member of hard rock band AC/DC from March 1975 to June 1977. His playing featured on their albums T.N.T, High Voltage, Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap, Let There Be Rock and 74 Jailbreak...
– bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, backing vocals - Phil RuddPhil RuddPhillip Hugh Norman Rudd is an Australian drummer. He is best known for his membership of rock band AC/DC from 1975 until 1983, and again from 1994 to present. After the 1977 departure of bass guitarist Mark Evans, he became the only Australian-born member of the band...
– drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
Music video
The music video for "It's A Long Way To The Top (If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll)", was filmed on 1976 for the Australian music television program CountdownCountdown (TV series)
Countdown was a long-running popular weekly Australian music television show broadcast by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation from 8 November 1974 until 19 July 1987. It was created by Executive Producer Michael Shrimpton, producer/director Robbie Weekes and record producer and music journalist...
. It featured the band's then-current lineup, along with members of the Rats of Tobruk Pipe Band, on the back of a flat-bed truck traveling on Swanston Street
Swanston Street, Melbourne
Swanston Street is a major thoroughfare in the centre of Melbourne, Australia. It is historically one of the main streets of central Melbourne, laid out in 1837 as part of the Hoddle Grid, the layout of major streets that makes up the central business district...
in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Australia. Known members of the Rats of Tobruk Pipe Band at the time of the video's filming include: Alan Butterworth, Les Kenfield and Kevin Conlon. The video was dubbed with the studio track from the T.N.T.
T.N.T. (album)
T.N.T. is the second studio album by Australian hard rock band AC/DC, released in December 1975. Seven of the album's nine songs were written by Angus Young, Malcolm Young and Bon Scott...
album and is available on the Family Jewels DVD.
The video was directed by Paul Drane
Paul Drane
Paul "Ace" Drane is an Australian television director. He is best known as the original studio director of the Australian TV pop show Countdown from 1974 to 1976...
. David Olney was the cameraman.
Two other videos for the song exist. One version, filmed the same day as the truck version, features the group miming the song on a stage in Melbourne's City Square
City Square, Melbourne
The City Square is a pedestrian plaza and former civic centre located in the Central Business District of Melbourne, Australia. The square is currently bounded by Swanston Street, Collins Street, Flinders Lane and the Westin Hotel. Melbourne Town Hall and St Paul’s Cathedral are prominent...
in front of an audience. The pipe players appear here as well. This version is available in the Backtracks
Backtracks (AC/DC album)
Backtracks is a box set by Australian hard rock band AC/DC. It was announced on 29 September 2009 and was released on 10 November 2009. This is a collection of the band's studio and live rarities together in one boxset. There are two editions; a Deluxe Edition and a Standard Edition...
box set. A third version features the group simply miming the song on a soundstage, making it appear as if it were being played live. Also, a version of the group performing the song on Australian Bandstand with Scott singing live over the studio track appears on the DVD set Plug Me In
Plug Me In
Plug Me In is a DVD box set released on 16 October 2007 by AC/DC. It includes rare performances of the band. The standard set contains one disc of performances from the Bon Scott era and one from the Brian Johnson era. The three disc set includes Between the Cracks, featuring performances from both...
. This song was only performed live in 1976. This song was not played after Bon set the bagpipes down at the corner of a stage and they were destroyed by fans. It was performed one last time in 1979, but synthesisers were used instead of the bagpipes.
Popularity
In May 2001, Australasian Performing Rights Association (APRA) celebrated its 75th anniversary by naming the Best Australian SongsAPRA Top 30 Australian songs
APRA's Top 30 Australian songs between 1926 and 2001 was a list created by the Australasian Performing Right Association to celebrate its 75th anniversary...
of all time, as decided by a 100-member industry panel. "It's A Long Way To The Top (If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll)" was ranked as the ninth song on the list. The song is regularly played during stoppages at AFL matches at the ANZ stadium in Sydney.
The song was also used in the 2003
2003 in film
The year 2003 in film involved some significant events. Releases of sequels took place with movies like The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, 2 Fast 2 Furious, Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle, The Matrix Reloaded, The Matrix Revolutions, Pokémon Heroes, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines,...
movie School of Rock
School of Rock
School of Rock, also called The School of Rock, is a 2003 American musical comedy film directed by Richard Linklater, written by Mike White, and starring Jack Black...
during the end credits sequence when Jack Black
Jack Black
Jack Black , is an American actor and musician, notably of Tenacious D.Jack Black may also refer to:* Jack Black , late 19th - early 20th Century author and hobo* Jack Black , drummer for 1970s UK punk band The Boys...
's character, Dewey Finn, is giving his kids an "after-school lesson" on rock.
In 2010, this song was ranked No. 3 in Triple M's
Triple M
The Triple M Network is an active rock radio network in Australia owned by media company Austereo, who also own the Today Network.- History :...
Ultimate 500 Rock Countdown in Melbourne, Australia. The top five were all AC/DC songs.
In the third episode of " Empire of Cricket", a 2009 British BBC TV documentary about the history of Cricket, "It's A Long Way To The Top (If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll)" is played over the opening credits. The programme details the history of Australian cricket and its rise to dominance.
Connection to ACDC Lane
On 1 October 2004 Melbourne, AustraliaMelbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
's Corporation Lane was officially renamed "ACDC Lane
ACDC Lane, Melbourne
ACDC Lane is a street in Melbourne, Victoria. It is a short, narrow laneway, running south from Flinders Lane between Exhibition Street and Russell Street in the central business district of Melbourne....
" in honour of the band (street names in the City of Melbourne cannot contain the "/
Slash (punctuation)
The slash is a sign used as a punctuation mark and for various other purposes. It is now often called a forward slash , and many other alternative names.-History:...
" character). This change was made in part because the music video for "It's A Long Way To The Top (If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll)" was filmed on Melbourne's Swanston Street
Swanston Street, Melbourne
Swanston Street is a major thoroughfare in the centre of Melbourne, Australia. It is historically one of the main streets of central Melbourne, laid out in 1837 as part of the Hoddle Grid, the layout of major streets that makes up the central business district...
, near ACDC Lane. The Melbourne City Council
City of Melbourne
The City of Melbourne is a Local Government Area in Victoria, Australia, located in the central city area of Melbourne. The city has an area of 36 square kilometres and has an estimated population of 93,105 people. The city's motto is "Vires acquirit eundo" which means "She gathers strength as she...
's vote to rename the street was unanimous. Bagpipers
Bagpipes
Bagpipes are a class of musical instrument, aerophones, using enclosed reeds fed from a constant reservoir of air in the form of a bag. Though the Scottish Great Highland Bagpipe and Irish uilleann pipes have the greatest international visibility, bagpipes of many different types come from...
played "It's A Long Way To The Top (If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll)" at the official renaming ceremony.
Recorded cover versions
Performed by:- Jack BlackJack BlackJack Black , is an American actor and musician, notably of Tenacious D.Jack Black may also refer to:* Jack Black , late 19th - early 20th Century author and hobo* Jack Black , drummer for 1970s UK punk band The Boys...
School of RockSchool of Rock (soundtrack album)- Awards :The soundtrack was nominated for the Grammy Awards of 2004 for Best Compilation Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media.-Charts:...
Motion PictureSchool of RockSchool of Rock, also called The School of Rock, is a 2003 American musical comedy film directed by Richard Linklater, written by Mike White, and starring Jack Black...
(2003) - Pat BoonePat BooneCharles Eugene "Pat" Boone is an American singer, actor and writer who has been a successful pop singer in the United States during the 1950s and early 1960s. He covered black artists' songs and sold more copies than his black counterparts...
In a Metal Mood: No More Mr. Nice GuyIn a Metal Mood: No More Mr. Nice GuyIn a Metal Mood: No More Mr. Nice Guy is a 1997 album by Pat Boone in which Boone, after critisizing groups like Duran Duran for their James Bond theme and number one hit A View To A Kill because of their lyric "Dance Into the Fire" being devil worshipping and unholy, covers hard rock and heavy...
(1997) - Dead MoonDead MoonDead Moon was a United States punk rock band from 1987 to 2006, formed in Portland, Oregon. Fronted by singer/guitarist Fred Cole, the band also included bassist Toody Cole, Fred's wife, and drummer Andrew Loomis. Veterans of Portland's independent rock scene, Dead Moon combined dark and lovelorn...
Destination X (1999) - Dropkick MurphysDropkick MurphysDropkick Murphys are an Irish-American punk rock band formed in Quincy, Massachusetts in 1996. The band was initially signed to independent punk record label Hellcat Records, releasing five albums for the label, and making a name for themselves locally through constant playing and yearly St....
The Singles Collection, Vol. 2 (2005) - Electric A Tribute to AC/DC (2006)
- John FarnhamJohn FarnhamJohn Peter Farnham, AO, formerly billed as Johnny Farnham , is an English-born Australian pop singer. He was a teen pop idol from 1964 to 1979, and has since forged a career as an adult contemporary singer. His career has mostly been as a solo artist although he briefly replaced Glenn Shorrock as...
Age of Reason (1990) - John Farnham & Tom Jones - Together in ConcertJohn Farnham & Tom Jones - Together In ConcertIn 2005, John Farnham and Tom Jones performed together for ten concerts in the Australian cities of Perth, Sydney, Brisbane, and Melbourne. Farnham then left the stage to let Tom perform a few solos before returning with 1972's "One" and raging through hits like "Pressure Down", "That's Freedom",...
(2005) - Iced EarthIced EarthIced Earth is an American heavy metal band from Tampa, Florida. Originally formed under the name "Purgatory" in 1984, Iced Earth has released a total of ten studio albums, one live album, three EP's, two compilations and boxsets...
(Tribute to the GodsTribute to the GodsTribute to the Gods is a tribute/cover album by heavy metal band Iced Earth. It is notable as the last Iced Earth album featuring Larry Tarnowski on lead guitar, and the last featuring singer Matt Barlow on vocals until his 2007 return, and their last album with Century Media...
(2002) - Lemmy Cover Me In '80s Metal (Fantastic Price Records, 2006)
- Local HLocal HLocal H is an American rock duo, formed by Joe Daniels and Scott Lucas in Zion, Illinois in 1987. Local H's 1996 album, As Good as Dead, includes the top 10 hit "Bound for the Floor" Author, rock critic and Rolling Stone contributor Greg Kot and the Chicago Tribune named the band its 2008 Chicago...
Pack Up The Cats B-Side - The MeaniesThe MeaniesThe Meanies are an indie Australian punk rock band, formed in 1989. The current band members include Link Meanie , Ringo Meanie and Wally Meanie . The Meanies had a hiatus in the mid-late 1990s, but began performing again in 1998...
Fuse BoxFuse Box (album)Fuse Box was an AC/DC tribute album released in Australia in 1995 by BMG. The album compiled a selection of the country's more prominent alternative rock artists from the period. Most of these songs only appear on this album, with the exception of Ed Kuepper's "Highway to Hell", which he also...
– An Alternative Tribute (1995) - Melbourne Ukulele Kollective, ABC-TVAustralian Broadcasting CorporationThe Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...
's Spicks and Specks (2006) - Motörhead Thunderbolt: A Tribute to AC/DC (1998)
- NantucketNantucket (band)Nantucket is a hard rock band that formed in Jacksonville, North Carolina in 1969. Originally known as beach music band Stax of Gold and later Nantucket Sleighride , the six-member group—Tommy Redd, Larry Uzzell, Mike Uzzell, Eddie Blair, Kenny Soule, and Mark Downing—became a huge draw in their...
Long Way to the Top (1980) - Scarlett PomersScarlett PomersScarlett Noel Pomers is an American actress and singer/songwriter who works in television, film, theatre and music. Her most recognizable roles have been as Naomi Wildman on Star Trek: Voyager and Kira Hart on the television series Reba...
A Millennium Tribute To AC/DC (2010) - Rawkus AC/DC: Hometown Tribute (2002)
- Sandra Weckert Bar Jazz (2003)
- The WigglesThe WigglesThe Wiggles are a children's group formed in Sydney, Australia in 1991. Their original members were Anthony Field, Phillip Wilcher, Murray Cook, Greg Page, and Jeff Fatt. Wilcher left the group after their first album...
The Andrew Denton Breakfast Show - Musical Challenge (2000) - Lucinda WilliamsLucinda WilliamsLucinda Williams is an American rock, folk, blues and country music singer and songwriter. She recorded her first albums in 1978 and 1980 in a traditional country and blues style and received very little attention from radio, the media, or the public. In 1988, she released her self-titled album,...
(Little HoneyLittle HoneyLittle Honey is the ninth studio album by Lucinda Williams, her tenth album overall. It was released in 2008 on Lost Highway Records and includes guest appearances by Elvis Costello, Susanna Hoffs, Matthew Sweet and Charlie Louvin...
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(Original Soundtrack (2004) - Eric FishEric FishEric Fish , singer of Subway to Sally and solo artist.-History:Eric's first musical merit was that of reaching the finale of a DDR singer/songwriter competition in 1988. The same year he founded Catriona, a folk band based in Königs Wusterhausen, together with Jan Klemm and Marek Kalbus...
Gegen den Strom (2007, as Ein langer Weg in German)
The song was covered during the credit sequence of the movie School of Rock
School of Rock
School of Rock, also called The School of Rock, is a 2003 American musical comedy film directed by Richard Linklater, written by Mike White, and starring Jack Black...
, performed by Jack Black
Jack Black (actor)
Thomas Jacob "Jack" Black is an American comedian, actor and musician. He makes up one half of the comedy and satirical rock duo Tenacious D. The group has two albums as well as a television series and a film. His acting career is extensive, starring primarily as bumbling, cocky, but internally...
and the class of children he taught while masquerading as a teacher. However, the children ad-libbed their own lyrics towards the end of the song.
Billy Corgan
Billy Corgan
William Patrick "Billy" Corgan, Jr. is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist and occasional poet best known as the frontman and sole permanent member of The Smashing Pumpkins. Formed by Corgan and guitarist James Iha in Chicago, Illinois in 1987, the band quickly gained steam with the...
covered the song live as an encore on almost every show during his 2005 tour supporting his debut solo effort TheFutureEmbrace
TheFutureEmbrace
TheFutureEmbrace is the only solo album by Billy Corgan, frontman of the alternative rock band The Smashing Pumpkins. Released in June 2005, the album's sound was markedly different than most of Corgan's earlier work, eschewing his characteristic "drums, bass, big-guitars sound" in favor of an...
.
A dramatic re-interpretation was released by Norwegian duo Susanna and the Magical Orchestra
Susanna and the Magical Orchestra
Susanna and the Magical Orchestra is the moniker of singer Susanna Karolina Wallumrød , and keyboard player Morten Qvenild . Their style of music can be described as quiet, slow pop mixed with elements from electronica and jazz...
(a.k.a. Susanna Wallumrød and Morten Qvenild) in late summer 2006 on their second album Melody Mountain
Melody Mountain
Melody Mountain is Norwegian group Susanna and the Magical Orchestra's second album, released in 2006. It is a collection of low-key cover versions from a variety of artists.-Track listing:...
, which consists entirely of cover versions. Their style is slow and melancholic with only cembalo
Harpsichord
A harpsichord is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It produces sound by plucking a string when a key is pressed.In the narrow sense, "harpsichord" designates only the large wing-shaped instruments in which the strings are perpendicular to the keyboard...
accompaniment to Wallumrød's pure vocal, and brings out the essential sadness of the song.
The band Hanson
Hanson (band)
Hanson are an American pop rock band formed in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by brothers Isaac , Taylor , and Zac Hanson . They are best known for the 1997 hit song "MMMBop" from their major label debut album Middle of Nowhere, which earned three Grammy nominations...
performed this song during some of the shows on the "Walk around the World" tour, often inviting the opening acts back on stage to sing together.
Melbourne Ukulele Kollective frequently play the song live, the most notable performances being during ABC-TV
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...
's Spicks and Specks in 2004; and during the Australia Day flag-raising ceremony and people's march in 2009.
On the 34th anniversary of the filming of the music video, it was recreated as part of the SLAM (Save Live Australian Music) rally, to protest liquor licensing laws which threaten live music. About ten thousand protesters marched down Swanston Street and up Bourke Street to the Victorian Parliament House, accompanied by the RocKwiz band on a flatbed truck playing the song.