Smashing Pumpkins' Billy Corgan: 'I'm Disappointed in America; We've Lost Our Moral Compass'

Billy Corgan, founder and frontman of rock band The Smashing Pumpkins, held nothing back when discussing his feelings about the current state of the country on Piers Morgan Tonight June 20. 

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As part of the promotional tour for his band's newest album, Oceania (out now), Corgan stopped by the CNN program and quickly launched into a mini-rant. Asked broadly about his views, Corgan stated, “I’m very disappointed in my country right now because I think we’ve lost our moral compass. ... At some point, we have to get out of this paternalistic churn we’re in where we want Daddy to come save us and the banks to come and save us. We need to get back to a level of social responsibility that we haven’t seen for a long time.”

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The singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist was raised as a democrat in a liberal lower-middle class household, he revealed, adding that he can relate to the hardships of today's working class. “I know the working class of this country is what this country is all about," said Corgan. "That’s what I grew up in -- that’s my people.”

When it comes to the two major political parties, Corgan says he's not impressed with either, but recalling a story about his Italian immigrant grandmother, Connie, Corgan said he remembers her "sitting in the front of the TV when Reagan was nominated…and [she was] crying and saying ‘he’s going to bring this country back.’ So I had that experience.”

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Corgan continued to convey his displeasure with the country, adding, “I don’t see the vigorous democracy that I was raised to believe in, and I don’t understand where that went.” 

Oceania, the band’s ninth album, was recently released June 20.

Twitter: @THRMusic