Remember when everywhere you went, you heard these words: “The world is a vampire, set to drain.” They lived inside your mind for months, until they began to make sense. You sang them over and over and never got sick of them.

Now, a year and 7 million records later, they are about to take on new life. Billy Corgan, Rolling Stone magazine’s Songwriter of the Year, will belt out these words for all of Hilton Coliseum to hear.

On tour behind the best selling double CD of all time, Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, Corgan leads his band through Ames tonight on some of the roughest roads he’s ever traveled.

Just a few months ago, he was forced to make the biggest decision of his musical career.

After losing friend and touring keyboardist Jonathan Melvoin to a heroin overdose, Corgan fired long-time drummer Jimmy Chamberlin, who was charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance in the incident.

The Smashing Pumpkins postponed a tour for the first time in its eight-year history. Corgan had to face the media and the challenge of finding a new drummer.

But it hasn’t all been infinite sadness for Corgan and his band. They were able to find a replacement for Chamberlin in Filter drummer Matt Walker.

They rescheduled tour dates and are currently in the midst of a North American tour that will take them to over 100 cities.

Last month, the Pumpkins walked away with seven MTV Video Music Awards for their videos, “Tonight, Tonight” and “1979.” Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness has been named Album of the Year by Time, Rolling Stone and Request magazines.

Mellon Collie has gone 8 times platinum in Canada, triple platinum in Australia and New Zealand, double platinum in Ireland, and platinum in Portugal and Belgium.

“My whole thing is to try to get everything about life in,” Corgan said in press release about the discs. “Infinite sadness, yes. But also fury, ambivalence, and wonder.”

Corgan, Chamberlin, bassist D’Arcy and guitarist James Ihah worked 12-hour days in the studio for 10 months in order to perfect Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness.

With Flood, who’s worked with U2 and Nine Inch Nails, and Siamese Dream engineer Alan Moulder behind production, the Pumpkins were able to create the triumph of technique they were hoping for.

“We were lucky,” Corgan said. “A lot of people supported the idea of a double album. And, it’s hard to explain without sounding like you’re completely insane, but making it was like feeling that you’re looking at a distant horizon and knowing that, if you stay focused and true to yourself, you’ll get there.”

The Smashing Pumpkins debuted in 1991 with Gish, a fusion of hi-amp power and indelible melody. But it was Siamese Dream , released in 1993, that proved to be the Pumpkins big break.

“With that album,” Corgan explained in a press release. “Working out this strange isolation, I felt a weird sonic kingdom was created that no other band could sound like. Siamese Dream stands apart because of its extremely distinctive aural signature.”

On Nov. 26, the Smashing Pumpkins will conquer another milestone with the release of the special five-disc box, The Aeroplane Flies High. The set will contain the first five singles from Mellon Collie and their b-sides, most of which have only been available on imports.

A special bonus of five covers including The Cars’ “You’ve Got Tonight,” Missing Persons’ “Destination Unknown,” Blondie’s “Dreaming,” The Cure’s “A Night Like This” and Alice Cooper’s “Clones” will complete the list of 33 songs included in the box. Ironically, the fifth single off Mellon Collie is “Thirty-Three.”

Corgan and crew head to Hilton Coliseum tonight with special guest, Garbage. While Shirley Manson handles lead vocals, Garbage also features drummer Butch Vig, the much praised producer of Siamese Dream.

Tickets for the 7:30 p.m. show at Hilton are still available for $25.50. Call 233-1888 to charge by phone.