The Smashing Pumpkins - Bullet With Butterfly Wings
The official video for "Bullet With Butterfly Wings" by The Smashing Pumpkins is a powerful visual counterpart to one of the most iconic alt-rock anthems of the 1990s. Directed by Samuel Bayer — who also directed Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” — the video immerses viewers in a dystopian, industrial landscape that feels both timeless and apocalyptic. Covered in mud and surrounded by bleak ruins, a crowd of anonymous laborers toils in the background as the band performs amidst decay and despair. Billy Corgan's intense delivery of the famous line “Despite all my rage, I am still just a rat in a cage” resonates even more in this desolate setting, turning personal anguish into a universal outcry.
The video's tone perfectly mirrors the raw energy and existential frustration of the song, which was the first single from Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, a double album that defined an era for alternative rock. The contrast between vulnerability (“the world is a vampire…”) and defiance is reinforced not only by the music, but also by the haunting visuals. It’s not just a music video—it’s a gritty, symbolic reflection of alienation, loss of identity, and the struggle for meaning in a world that often feels broken. A perfect encapsulation of '90s angst, artfully captured.