Highly influenced by The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix and even David Bowie he started playing guitar at the age of 12. Smith has played the 6 and 12 string guitars; 4 and 6 string bass guitars; double bass; piano; drums; violin; trumpet and trombone, in various combinations.
Robert is the third of four children born to Alex and Rita Smith. His siblings are Richard, Margaret, and Janet (who is married to Porl Thompson, the lead guitarist of The Cure).
Smith grew up in a Catholic atmosphere and went to St. Mary's high school in England as a teenager. However, he is not religious, but sometimes he feels that he wishes he was. One example of his desire for belief is in the aptly-titled Faith.
Smith has written or co-written the bulk of The Cure's music and lyrics in a career spanning 35 years. He has also been involved in other musical projects, including a stint with Siouxsie & the Banshees and his side-project with Steven Severin called The Glove. He has also contributed vocals to a number of independent projects and performances, among them the B-side of the Faith cassette which is a 30 minute track from a movie project - Carnage Visors.
Robert Smith is instantly recognizable for his image, which includes deliberately smeared red lipstick and messy black hair that some have compared to a large spider. He first used Siouxsie Sioux's lipstick while he was high on opium. Smith's image has contributed to the frequent classification of The Cure as a goth band, a moniker Smith rejects. Smith is also known for his distinctive wavering singing style.
Smith's lyrics are frequently poetic and as frequently inscrutable. Smith has stated that they are often the product of some "altered state," such as drugs or sleep.
Smith met Mary Poole in school when he was 14 years old. Smith explains that his class was asked to choose partners for an activity. He mustered the courage to ask Mary and, as he says, got lucky. They have been together since and were married in 1988. The song "Love Song" was written as a wedding present for Mary. They have agreed to remain childless.
In October 2004, he stood in as one of three guest presenters for John Peel on BBC Radio 1, a week before the DJ's untimely death.
"Just Like Heaven" is reportedly Smith's favorite pop song that The Cure has produced and easily one of the public's most popular in which he details a lost love: " found myself alone alone alone above the raging sea / that stole the only girl I loved / and drowned her deep inside of me. "
Public opinion has often been that, according to the music he writes, Robert Smith must be a deeply depressed soul. However, this quote disputes that sentiment:
" At the time we wrote Disintegration...it's just about what I was doing really, how I felt. But I'm not like that all the time. That's the difficulty of writing songs that are a bit depressing. People think you're like that all the time, but I don't think that. I just usually write when I'm depressed." -Robert Smith in a 1989 interview
Smith is the only member who has been in The Cure the whole time it has existed. When asked who their favorite lineup is, most fans will almost always mention Smith along with Simon Gallup, Porl Thompson, and Boris Williams.
Collaborations
In 2003, Robert Smith worked in collaboration with the band Blink-182 on the track "All of This" off their album Blink-182.
In 2004, Blank & Jones remixed " A Forest" featuring Robert Smith on vocals. There is an EP+ Bonus DVD with 4 audio remixes, The music video featuring Robert Smith and an interview by Blank & Jones with Robert Smith that takes place before the video shoot. That year, he also provided vocals for Junior Jack for the club hit "Da Hype". In November, he joined Placebo onstage at their Wembley arena gig to sing Placebo's "Without You I'm Nothing" and Smith's own "Boys Don't Cry." Robert Smith also co-wrote and supplied vocals for the Tweaker song "Truth Is".
In 2004, Junior Jack also did a remix of the song Da Hype on his album Trust It featuring Robert Smith.
In 2005, Robert Smith teamed up with Billy Corgan, the former lead singer of both the Smashing Pumpkins and Zwan, to do a cover of the Bee Gees' "To Love Somebody" on Corgan's first solo release, TheFutureEmbrace.
Solo discography
For more than two decades, Robert Smith has been hinting at a solo album which has never materialized. It is often believed that most of his solo writing ends up in The Cure, with such closer tracks as "Homesick", "Untitled", "Treasure", "Bare", "Going Nowhere", but Smith denied this, crediting those songs to other members:
" I didn't write "Homesick" and I didn't write the music too. It's another misconception. […] Out of the 12 songs on the CD, I think I only wrote six musically... "Untitled"... (to Simon [Gallup]) You wrote that one ? ...It was Roger [O'Donnell]. So it [(Disintegration)] couldn't have been a solo album and if I'd done on my own it wouldn't have sounded anything like The Cure anyway apart from my own voice. The Top album could have been a solo album but it's not true the way we worked in studio […] " – Robert Smith in a 1989 interview
In 2001 Robert was going to end "The Cure" and work on his solo album. He was convinced otherwise by producer Ross Robinson, who himself is a massive fan of The Cure. Ross told Robert that he "had to make at least one more Cure album, the Cure album". This is why the 2004 album is simply titled "The Cure" (says Smith in an AOL interview). Making that album reminded Smith of why he enjoys doing what he does and another Cure album is due out in April of 2006, putting the solo album on hold once more.
C Moon
Robert Smith Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Uh huh, mh hmm was that the intro?
I should have been in
Oh bo-bo-bo, yeah, yeah
C moon, C moon, C moon is she
C moon, C moon, C moon to me
Ever seems to understand
The things I wanna do? It will be L7
And I'd never get to heaven
If I filled my head with glue
What's it all to you?
C moon, C moon, C moon is she, oh
C moon, C moon, C moon to me
Bobby lived with Patty
But they never told her daddy
What their love was all about
She could tell a number
That he thought of, but she never
Was the type to let it out
What's it all about?
C moon, C moon, oh, C moon are we
I said, C moon, C moon, C moon are we
How come no one older than me
Ever seems to understand
The things I wanna do? It will be L7
And I'll never get to heaven
If I filled my head with glue
What's it all to you?
C moon, C moon, C moon is she
Oh, C moon, C moon, C moon to me
Bobby lived with Patty
But they never told her daddy
What their love was all about
She could tell her lover
That he thought but she never
Was the type to let it out
What's it all about?
C moon, C moon, C moon are we
C moon, C moon, C moon are we
What's it all about?
C moon, C moon, C moon are we c moon are we
The lyrics to the song "C Moon" by Robert Smith are open to interpretation, but they seem to touch upon themes of youthful rebellion, misunderstood desires, and hidden love.
The song begins with a playful and repetitive phrase ("Check, mm, check, mm, check it out mm-mm") followed by the observation that the singer should have been part of something. This could signify a desire to be included or involved in a certain scene or activity.
The repeated line "C moon" can be seen as a metaphor or symbol for something elusive or mysterious. It could represent an ideal or a person who is difficult to understand or reach. The singer expresses a personal connection to this enigmatic entity, suggesting that there is a unique bond between them.
The next verse explores the frustration of feeling misunderstood, particularly by older people. The singer laments that those older than him/her seem unable to comprehend the desires and aspirations he/she holds. The reference to being "L7" may also mean being square or uncool, as L7 is a term used to describe a boring person.
The following section introduces the story of Bobby and Patty, a couple in a hidden relationship. They keep their love secret from Patty's father, indicating a sense of taboo or forbidden love. There is also a hint at telepathic communication between the two, as Patty can tell what Bobby is thinking without him explicitly expressing it.
The repetition of the question "What's it all about?" throughout the song suggests a contemplation of the meaning and purpose behind these experiences. It could reflect a sense of existential questioning and a desire to understand the complexities of love and life.
Ultimately, the song leaves the interpretation open-ended and invites listeners to reflect on their own understanding of the themes presented. It invites us to contemplate the challenges of youth, the search for connection, and the mysteries of love.
Line by Line Meaning
Check, mm, check, mm, check it out mm-mm
Take a moment to observe and pay attention
Uh huh, mh hmm was that the intro?
Confirming if that was the beginning
I should have been in
I feel like I should be a part of something
Oh bo-bo-bo, yeah, yeah
Expressing excitement or enthusiasm
C moon, C moon, C moon is she
She embodies the essence of the moon
C moon, C moon, C moon to me
I personally relate to and connect with the moon
How come no one older than me
Why do people older than me
Ever seems to understand
Never seem to comprehend or grasp
The things I wanna do? It will be L7
My desires or plans may seem unconventional or rebellious
And I'd never get to heaven
If I adhere to societal norms or restrictions
If I filled my head with glue
If I consumed myself with mindless or unproductive thoughts
What's it all to you?
Why does it matter to you? What is your opinion?
Bobby lived with Patty
A person named Bobby was in a relationship with Patty
But they never told her daddy
But they kept their relationship hidden from her father
What their love was all about
The true nature or meaning of their love
She could tell a number
She had a special ability to perceive or guess a number
That he thought of, but she never
That he was thinking of, but she never revealed
Was the type to let it out
She was not inclined to disclose or express it
C moon, C moon, oh, C moon are we
We are like the moon, we share its qualities
I said, C moon, C moon, C moon are we
I reiterate, we are like the moon
C moon, C moon, C moon is she
She possesses the characteristics of the moon
Oh, C moon, C moon, C moon to me
Oh, I personally connect with and relate to the moon
What's it all about?
What is the meaning or purpose of it all?
C moon, C moon, C moon are we
We are like the moon, we embody its essence
C moon, C moon, C moon are we
We are like the moon, we share its qualities
What's it all about?
What is the meaning or purpose of it all?
C moon, C moon, C moon are we
We are like the moon, we embody its essence
C moon, C moon, C moon are we
We are like the moon, we share its qualities
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Linda McCartney, Paul McCartney
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
vesodoc
It's great! Good Old Robert having such fun in the studio in his own home !!! There's hope for all of us....This guy will be producing music for many years on...hopefully!!! Cheers, Robert! You rule!!!!
Poetry Mystery Box
This is what happens when 2 artists can vibrate in the same frecuency... <3
matteo quitadamo
Grande Robert Smith!!!
pauline
Great cover, could be an actual Cure song
Stephen Birks
Wonderful !
theblehedgehog
i always liked to see a good cover of this songs, thanks
Paulo Roberto
Great!! :D Bob Smith is a genius!!
Paulo Roberto
I know, my dear, I know!! I said he is a genius because the cover he did.
Paolo Olianas
This is a McCartney's Song!
Obviously Diego
oohh I see, :P