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
End
The Cure Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I never tried to stop you
Know there's a reason
For all of this you're feeling
Love its not my call
You couldn't ever love me more
You couldn't love me more
You couldn't love
Me I don't show much
Its not that hard to hide you
See in a moment
I can't remember how to
Be all you wanted
I couldn't ever love you more
I couldn't love you more
I couldn't love
You want me to cry and play my part
I want you to sigh and fall apart
We want this like everyone else
Stay if you want to
I always wait to hear you
Say there's a last kiss
For all the times you run this
Way its not my fault
You couldn't ever love me more
You couldn't love me more
You couldn't love
Love me more
Couldn't ever love me more
I couldn't love you more
I couldn't love
You want me to lie not break your heart
I want you to fly not stop and start
We want us like everything else
Maybe we didn't understand
Not just a boy and a girl
Its just the end of the
end of the world
Me i don't say much
Its far too hard to make you
See in a moment
I still forget just how to
Be all you wanted
I couldn't ever love you more
I couldn't love you more (x4)
The lyrics of the song "End" by The Cure tells a story of a couple who are near the end of their relationship. The song starts by the singer encouraging their partner to go if they want to even though they never tried to stop them. The singer acknowledges that there's a reason behind their partner's feeling and understands that love is not their call. Although their partner couldn't love them more, the singer still couldn't love their partner the same way.
The chorus changes the perspective of the song, with the singer confessing that they don't show much love and that it's not hard to hide it from their partner. They also admit that they can't remember how to be everything their partner wanted despite the partner's demands. The singer acknowledges their partner's need for an emotional response, but they can't bring themselves to do it. The chorus repeats the idea that their partner couldn't love them more like they required.
The second verse switches back to the singer's perspective, with them asking their partner to stay and waiting to hear their last kiss. The singer understands that their partner couldn't love them more, but they can't reciprocate it. Although their partner wants them to lie to not break their heart, the singer wants their partner to fly and not stop and start. The song ends with the singer admitting that maybe they didn't understand what was expected of them in their relationship and that they're just another couple at the end of the world.
Line by Line Meaning
Go if you want to
You are free to leave
I never tried to stop you
I won't beg you to stay
Know there's a reason
There is a purpose behind your departure
For all of this you're feeling
Emotions are overwhelming you
Love its not my call
I can't control how you feel
You couldn't ever love me more
You have already given all your love to me
You couldn't love me more
Your love for me is already at its highest
You couldn't love
You have no more love to give
Me I don't show much
I am not very expressive
Its not that hard to hide you
I can easily conceal my feelings for you
See in a moment
Sometimes it only takes a split second
I can't remember how to
I don't know how to be what you want me to be
Be all you wanted
I am unable to fulfill your desires
I couldn't ever love you more
My love for you has reached its limit
You want me to cry and play my part
You want me to pretend to be heartbroken
I want you to sigh and fall apart
I want you to be honest about your emotions
We want this like everyone else
We all desire a certain outcome
Stay if you want to
You are welcome to stay
I always wait to hear you
I am eager to listen to you
Say there's a last kiss
Let's say goodbye with a final kiss
For all the times you run this
For all the times you've walked away
Way its not my fault
I am not to blame for your actions
Love me more
Please show me more love
Couldn't ever love me more
You have already given all your love to me
I couldn't love you more
My love for you has reached its limit
You want me to lie not break your heart
You want me to deceive you to avoid hurting you
I want you to fly not stop and start
I want you to pursue your dreams without hesitation
We want us like everything else
We want our relationship to work out like others do
Maybe we didn't understand
Perhaps we didn't comprehend each other
Not just a boy and a girl
Our relationship is not that simple
Its just the end of the end of the world
Our break-up feels like the end of the world
Me I don't say much
I am not very talkative
Its far too hard to make you
It's difficult to make you understand me
See in a moment
Sometimes it only takes a split second
I still forget just how to
I am still unsure how to be what you want me to be
I couldn't love you more (x4)
My love for you has reached its limit and won't increase
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ROBERT JAMES SMITH, SIMON GALLUP, ROGER O'DONNELL, PERRY BAMONTE, JASON TOOP COOPER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Dustin Welch
I think I've reached that point
Where giving up and going on
Are both the same dead end to me
Are both the same old song
I think I've reached that point
Where every wish has come true
And tired disguised oblivion
Is everything I do
Please stop loving me
Please stop loving me
I am none of these things
I think I've reached that point
Where all the things you have to say
And hopes for something more from me
Are just games to pass the time away
Please stop loving me
Please stop loving me
I am none of these things
I think I've reached that point
Where every word that you write
Of every blood dark sea
And every soul black night
And every dream you dream me in
And every perfect free from sin
And burning eyes
And hearts on fire
Are just the same old song
Please stop loving me
Please stop loving me
I am none of these things
I am none of these things
I am none of these things
Rand Johnson
This song still blows me away. Of all of the songs in the Cure's canon, this one always impressed me. It's swirling and cathartic shoegaze with an attitude. The production is fantastic: the pre-echo and reverse reverb on the emotive vocals, the beautiful splash of the crash cymbals, the reverse effect on the flanging, wah-ing, panning guitar solo, the punching springing bass, and the lyrics... "Please stop loving me; I am none of these things." A very obvious plea for fans to stop idolising him. With songs like this, it's a dodgy request.
Celt 5971
+Rand Johnson Great song. thorough analysis. Could not have expressed it any better myself.
Version Layer
+Rand Johnson I always felt it, and still do today.
You Joker
+Rand Johnson "In one sense, it's me addressing myself. It's about the persona I sometimes fall into into. On another level, it's addressed to people who expect me to know things and have answers, and it has a broader idea, to do away with the way you fall into a path, it just becomes habitual even though it's not really the way you want to be...I had it in the back of my mind when I wrote the songs that when it comes to performing on the tour, it would remind me each night that I'm reducible to what I'm doing. I do need reminding because it's got to the stage where I could happily fall into the rock star trap...our success has reached the kind of magnitude where it's insistent and insiduous. It achieves everything I wanted it to."
- Robert Smith.
EDGE
that's what your mom said
Ron Fiasco
Rand Johnson perfectly put.
Joe Who
No doubt about it, this album is a masterpiece & The Cure are one of the greatest & most creative rock bands of all time
hi
Agreed this album is a masterpiece and they are the greatest band
Dustin Welch
I think I've reached that point
Where giving up and going on
Are both the same dead end to me
Are both the same old song
I think I've reached that point
Where every wish has come true
And tired disguised oblivion
Is everything I do
Please stop loving me
Please stop loving me
I am none of these things
I think I've reached that point
Where all the things you have to say
And hopes for something more from me
Are just games to pass the time away
Please stop loving me
Please stop loving me
I am none of these things
I think I've reached that point
Where every word that you write
Of every blood dark sea
And every soul black night
And every dream you dream me in
And every perfect free from sin
And burning eyes
And hearts on fire
Are just the same old song
Please stop loving me
Please stop loving me
I am none of these things
I am none of these things
I am none of these things
Joshua Schooping
The threshold of repentance.