The Cure's full lineup history is as follows: Robert Smith (vocals, guitar 1976-present), Lol Tolhurst (drums, keyboards 1976-1989), Michael Dempsey (bass 1976-1979), Porl Thompson (guitar, keyboards 1976-1978, 1983-1992, 2005 -2010), Simon Gallup (bass, keyboards 1979-1982, 1985-present), Matthieu Hartley (keyboards 1979 -1980), Andy Anderson (drums 1983-1984), Phil Thornalley (bass 1983-1984), Boris Williams (drums 1984-1994), Roger O'Donnell (keyboards 1987 -1990, 1995-2005, 2011-present), Perry Bamonte (guitar, keyboards 1990-2005), Jason Cooper drums 1995-present) and Reeves Gabrels (guitar 2012-present)
Just as the group's lineup has changed, the band's sound has evolved throughout the years, starting off as a post-punk band similar to Wire and Gang of Four before morphing into a gothic rock band in the early 80's, to a synthpop group in the mid-80's and a power-pop-alternative band in the early 90's. The Cure has always been an alternative and very independent band which was evident from the early days. Shunning the anarchistic tendencies of many punk bands after their formation in 1976 , The Cure's first release was Killing an Arab, based on material from French writer Albert Camus' "L'Etranger" (translated into English as The Stranger or The Outsider). This track courted controversy because of its theme (misinterpreted as racist, it was in fact, about the futility of killing any ethnicity), but it started to secure a small following, which grew following the release of debut album Three Imaginary Boys and non-LP single Boys Don't Cry in 1979, the latter of which would become one of The Cure's most famous songs. At that time, The Cure embarked on tour as the support for Siouxsie & the Banshees' Join Hands Tour. After the sudden departure of guitarist John McKay, Robert was recruited as guitarist for the Banshees as the band 'felt he was the only person capable of taking on the task.' As a result, Robert completed the tour playing two sets a night with The Cure and Siouxsie and the Banshees.
Following this, The Cure moved from their punk leanings into the portentous post-punk territory, releasing three albums of doom-laden rock in three years, Seventeen Seconds, Faith and Pornography, the latter of which charted inside the UK top 10, though the band were repeatedly dogged by the "Second-class Joy Division" tag. Following their third set of line-up changes, the group released Japanese Whispers, a compilation of three singles and their b-sides. Through their desire to escape the Joy Division description, the singles were a poppier effort, featuring danceable tracks like Let's Go To Bed alongside pop songs like Love Cats. Following the commercial disappointment of follow-up album The Top in 1984, The Cure returned to form with 1985's The Head On The Door. Featuring the singles In Between Days and Close To Me, The Head on the Door was distant from the band's punk roots, having more in common with successful alternative bands like The Smiths and Echo & The Bunnymen than their gloomier roots.
Two years later, the eighth studio album Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me was a more stadium-sized effort, though featuring audacious pop songs like Why Can't I Be You, it was seemingly caught between two styles. However, it was the band's ninth effort (following the departure of last surviving founder member other than Robert Smith, Lol Tolhurst), Disintegration, that would be their greatest success, both critically and commercially. Disintegration spawned hit singles like Lullaby (no.5 in the UK), Love Song (an impressive no. 2 in the USA), Pictures of You, and Fascination Street. The album itself was a culmination of The Cure's directions through the eighties, featuring the poppier side combined with the more tender aspects, as well as the gloomier facets.
Following this, a remix compilation named Mixed Up was released in 1990, featuring one new track, Never Enough, and two years later tenth studio album Wish surfaced, which was a hit mainly from the momentum gained by Disintegration, though it also featured their most famous pop song, Friday I'm In Love (no.6 in the UK and no.18 in the US). During the years following this, the band became distracted and discouraged by the lawsuit launched by former member Lol Tolhurst, who felt he had been deprived of royalties. As a result, the 1996 album Wild Mood Swings felt unfocused, and was a critical and commercial failure, though the single Mint Car was a moderate hit.
In 1997, The Cure released the compilation Galore, featuring new song Wrong Number. Three years later, at the release of original album Bloodflowers, Robert Smith announced it would be the last album for the band, the album itself being a return to the gloomier rock of Pornography and Faith. Resultantly, another hits compilation was released in 2001. However, in 2004, the band surprised all by returning with a self-titled album, their twelfth studio album, which was a surprise hit, reaching the US Top 10, its lead single - The End of the World - becoming a modest hit on Modern Rock radio, and receiving a relatively warm reception from the press.
In May 2005, Smith fired Roger O'Donnell and Perry Bamonte from the band, along with Bamonte's brother Daryl, who had been The Cure's tour manager for many years. The remaining members of the band (Robert Smith, longtime bassist Simon Gallup and Jason Cooper) made a few appearances as a trio before it was announced that founding member Porl Thompson would be returning to The Cure.
In early 2007 the band toured Asia and Oceania, but a planned North American tour in Autumn 2007 was delayed until Spring 2008 so the band could continue recording their next album.
The band released their thirteenth album 4:13 Dream on 27 October 2008. Four singles and a remix EP called "Hypnagogic States" were releases on the 13th of each month preceding the album's release.
In 2009, Robert Smith won the Godlike Genius award at the NME Awards. On April 19, 2009, the band performed at the Coachella Festival in California.
During 2010, Robert Smith contributed songs to the soundtrack of the Tim Burton film "Alice in Wonderland" and provided guest vocals on the songs "Not in Love" by Crystal Castles and "Come to Me" by 65daysofstatic.
Between 31 May 2011 and 1 June 2011, the band performed three concerts at the Sydney Opera House performing the entirety of one of their first three albums on each night. Porl Thompson did not perform with the band at any of the concerts, but Roger O'Donnell performed with the band for the "Seventeen Seconds" and "Faith" concerts, and co-founding member Lol Tulhurst performed with the band for the first time since 1988 for the "Faith" concert. As of 2011, O'Donnell has returned to the lineup officially. In 2012, the band added former Tin Machine guitarist Reeves Gabrels to the lineup.
In 2013 The Cure started The Great Circle Tour, headlining festivals in Japan, South Korea and North America. In 2014 Robert Smith announced the upcoming release of a new album, to be called 4:14 Scream, featuring 14 songs recorded during the 4:13 Dream sessions and also an accompanying double album 4:26 Dream containing all the tracks from those sessions.
The Cure official website: www.thecure.com
The Cure official Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/thecure
The Cure on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/thecure?ref=ts
The Cure - Disintegration Microsite: http://www.thecuredisintegration.com/bin/thecure
Anniversary
The Cure Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Above this same awakening world
I held you
You never wanted me to know
Another year ago today
Before this same awakening world
I held you
I never meant to let you go
There was a moment
There always is
When time stood still
And always was this
One endless moment
You turn in pain
And I always let you go
Over and over again
A year ago tonight we lay
Below this same remembering sky
I kissed you
You never wanted me to know
Another year ago tonight
Behind this same remembering sky
I kissed you
I never meant to let you go
Another moment
There always is
As time stands still
And always is this
One endless moment
You tell me all
And I hold you and I kiss you
And I never let you go
I never let you go
The song "Anniversary" by The Cure is a poetic reflection of a past relationship. The song starts off with the singer acknowledging that it has been a year since they last stood with their partner, looking upon the world as it awakes. The singer emphasizes the connection they had with their partner, holding them affectionately in their arms during that moment. However, the relationship ended, and the singer never intended to let their partner go. There is always a moment when time stood still, and in that moment, they would turn towards each other in pain, and the singer always let their partner go.
The second half of the song reflects on another moment, a year ago tonight when they lay under the same sky, and the singer kissed their partner. The same pattern follows, the singer never intended to let their partner go, but they did. Yet, in another moment, the singer would hold their partner, knowing everything about them and never letting them go again.
The song is a poignant expression of the bittersweet nature of relationships that end, yet the nostalgia and memories that remain. The lyrics speak to the universal experience of holding onto someone too tightly or, conversely, letting them go too easily. The perpetual cycle of turning towards each other and then away from each other is an eternal theme in human relationships.
Line by Line Meaning
A year ago today we stood
One year ago today, we were standing together
Above this same awakening world
Above the world as it was awakening
I held you
I was holding you in my arms
You never wanted me to know
You didn't want me to find out
Another year ago today
A year before that very day
Before this same awakening world
Before the same world started to awaken
I held you
I was holding you in my arms
I never meant to let you go
I didn't want to let you go
There was a moment
There was a time
There always is
There always will be
When time stood still
A moment when time stopped moving
And always was this
This was always the case
One endless moment
A moment that felt like it lasted forever
You turn in pain
You turned around while in pain
And I always let you go
I always ended up letting you leave
Over and over again
Repeatedly
A year ago tonight we lay
We were lying together one year ago tonight
Below this same remembering sky
Under the same sky we remember
I kissed you
I kissed you passionately
You never wanted me to know
You didn't want me to find out
Another year ago tonight
A year ago tonight, one year in the past
Behind this same remembering sky
Under the same sky we remember, in the past
I kissed you
I kissed you passionately
I never meant to let you go
I didn't want to let you go
Another moment
Another time
There always is
There always will be
As time stands still
When time seemingly stops
And always is this
This is always the case
One endless moment
An eternally long moment
You tell me all
You tell me everything
And I hold you and I kiss you
I embrace and kiss you with passion
And I never let you go
I never wanted to let you go
I never let you go
I never let you get away
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JASON TOOP COOPER, PERRY BAMONTE, ROBERT JAMES SMITH, ROGER O'DONNELL, SIMON GALLUP
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind