By Starlight

Album: Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness (1995)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • In Billy Corgan's autobiography he describes his wedding day, writing that while the priest spoke he looked into his wife's eyes and thought she was a million miles away. He makes constant reference to her eyes in this song: "Dead eyes vacant as the sea."

    He didn't enjoy the wedding day, and at night when his wife had gone to bed he went out and looked up at the stars and thought he had made a mistake, hence "by starlight." He says, "I'll promise to be your one and only," and "Are you just like me," showing that he thinks she feels the same way. Corgan married Chris Fabian in 1993, and they divorced in 1997. >>>
    Suggestion credit:
    Leanne - Dublin, Ireland

Comments: 1

  • Ripu from North Shore, New ZealandHm i totally disagree with this interpretation. i allways thought it was about how maybe seeing someone and really just liking them at that moment but knowing their name or anything just knowing them by a distinctive feature (like dead eyes as vacent as the seas) and wondering if the person is just as lonely as you and just like you
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Stand By Me: The Perfect Song-Movie Combination

Stand By Me: The Perfect Song-Movie CombinationSong Writing

In 1986, a Stephen King novella was made into a movie, with a classic song serving as title, soundtrack and tone.

Modern A Cappella with Peder Karlsson of The Real Group

Modern A Cappella with Peder Karlsson of The Real GroupSong Writing

The leader of the Modern A Cappella movement talks about the genre.

Jeff Trott

Jeff TrottSongwriter Interviews

Sheryl Crow's longtime songwriting partner/guitarist Jeff Trott reveals the stories behind many of the singer's hits, and what its like to be a producer for Leighton Meester and Max Gomez.

Michael Schenker

Michael SchenkerSongwriter Interviews

The Scorpions and UFO guitarist is also a very prolific songwriter - he explains how he writes with his various groups, and why he was so keen to get out of Germany and into England.

Loudon Wainwright III

Loudon Wainwright IIISongwriter Interviews

"Dead Skunk" became a stinker for Loudon when he felt pressure to make another hit - his latest songs deal with mortality, his son Rufus, and picking up poop.

Little Big Town

Little Big TownSongwriter Interviews

"When seeds that you sow grow by the wicked moon/Be sure your sins will find you out/Your past will hunt you down and turn to tell on you."