Cure lead singer Robert Smith wrote this as a wedding present for his fiancée, Mary Poole, shortly before they got married in 1988. Smith has remained steadfast in his devotion to Mary, whom he met at school when he was 14. He credits her with saving his life by pulling him out of the abyss when he went through some self-destructive periods.
The lyrics were inspired by the constant touring Smith had to go through with The Cure. He wanted his wife to know that no matter how much he had to travel and perform, he would always love her.
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Suggestion credit:
Sid - Bryson City, NC
This contains a hidden lyric from another song. Robert Smith half-sings/speaks "Fly me to the moon" after the second chorus, before the middle guitar solo. The Cure often performed their song "
Why Can't I Be You?" and Smith sang lyrics from other songs during extended breaks, including the classic "Fly Me To The Moon."
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Suggestion credit:
Richard - Alva, OK
In the US, this was by far the biggest hit for The Cure. In the UK, "Friday I'm In Love" did better, hitting #6.
Musicians often develop a nonverbal communication when they get in a groove, but while recording the Disintegration album, they had no choice: Robert Smith refused to speak during the sessions. It's an idea he had to create a certain atmosphere, which he later blamed on the acid he was taking. He still communicated, just with written notes instead of talking.
311 did a popular cover that was featured on the soundtrack of the Adam Sandler/Drew Barrymore movie
50 First Dates (it plays in the closing credits). 311 got involved with the soundtrack after Sandler attended one of their shows and hung out with the band. He wanted the soundtrack for the movie to include many songs from the '80s that he grew up with, redone in a tropical style since the movie takes place in Hawaii. 311's song "
Amber" was also used in the film, and Nick Hexum helped produce five other songs on the soundtrack.
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Jules - W. Bloomfield, MI
The 311 version made #59 US in 2004. In our
interview with the band's lead singer Nick Hexum, he explained that Adam Sandler suggested they cover the song for
50 First Dates. Before forming 311, Hexum and Tim Mahoney were in a cover band, and they played a lot of Cure songs. Talking about putting the 311 treatment on the song, Hexum said, "We really turned it on its side, to have the dreamy reggae and the half-time feel. It's actually the exact same tempo - beats-per-minutes wise - but it feels very different from the original, with the reggae."
Tori Amos covered this and has sung it at her concerts.
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Marissa-Elena - Montebello, CA
A Perfect Circle sampled this on their song "Diary of a Madman" - or, as it's also been called, "Diary of a Lovesong."
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Suggestion credit:
Aimee - Auckland, New Zealand
Adele recorded this on her 2011 album 21. She explained to The Sun why she covered it: "My first gig was the Cure in Finsbury Park, which my mum took me to as she's their biggest fan."
Adele was suffering from some vocal difficulties when she recorded the song. "My voice had gone, which I was a bit kind of paranoid about, but it actually suits the song really, really well," she said.
The music video, directed by Tim Pope, features Robert Smith singing the tune in a cave. They wanted to shoot the clip at The Cave Of Souls in Somerset, but couldn't secure permission in time. Instead, they had to settle for a dressed-up soundstage. Pope said the cave is meant to be where the band ends up after getting devoured by the giant spider in the "
Lullaby" video.
The visual didn't meet Smith's expectations. "I was disappointed with the video," he told Select Magazine in 1991. "The idea was of a fairy cave going on forever, but it looked very cramped and posed. The opening shot is terrible, this lingering shot of a huge phallus that makes no pretensions to be a stalagmite at all."
This was used in these TV shows:
Defiance ("The Serpent's Egg" - 2013, "A Well Respected Man" - 2013)
The Vampire Diaries ("A View To A Kill" - 2013)
Unforgettable ("Lost Things" - 2011)
CSI: Miami ("Stiff" - 2011)
The Sopranos ("Pie-o-My" - 2002)
Queer As Folk ("Sick, Sick, Sick" - 2002)
And these movies:
All My Life (2020)
Disobedience (2017)
Now Add Honey (2015)
Starter For 10 (2006)
