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
Screw
The Cure Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When you screw up your face
When you throw out your arms
And keep changing your shape
T-turn, turn, the taste in your mouth
T-turn, turn, the taste on your tongue
The film on your eyes of the way I've become
What do I do when you screw up your eyes?
What do I do when you screw up your face?
What do I do when you throw out your arms
Fall on the floor and keep changing your shape?
J-jump, jump right into your mouth?
J-jump, jump around on your tongue?
And the film on your eyes of the way I've become
Makes me sick at the way that I try
Anything in the world to impress that
I'm doing this only for you
This only for you
Only for you
The lyrics to The Cure's song "Screw" seem to be exploring a theme of self-doubt and the lengths we go to in order to impress others. The opening lines describe physical actions that can be interpreted as signs of frustration and confusion - "when you screw up your eyes, when you screw up your face, when you throw out your arms and keep changing your shape". It's as if the persona is trying to make sense of something but finding it difficult to do so.
The refrain "What do I do?" suggests a sense of helplessness and uncertainty. This is followed by more imagery of physical actions that could be construed as attempts to find some kind of release or escape - "Fall on the floor and keep changing your shape, jump right into your mouth, jump around on your tongue". The film on the eyes mentioned later in the lyrics could be a metaphor for how the persona is seen by others or how they see themselves. The fact that it "makes me sick at the way that I try/Anything in the world/To impress that I'm doing this/Only for you" reinforces the impression of a person who is struggling to maintain a façade of confidence or talent in order to please someone they care about.
Overall, the lyrics to "Screw" are somewhat cryptic but suggest a deep sense of uncertainty and anxiety. They also showcase Robert Smith's characteristic use of vivid imagery and poetic language.
Line by Line Meaning
When you screw up your eyes
When you refuse to see things clearly or in a positive manner.
When you screw up your face
When you react negatively or in a disapproving manner.
When you throw out your arms
When you act in a dramatic or exaggerated way to seek attention.
And keep changing your shape
When you alter yourself to fit other people's expectations or opinions.
Taste the taste in your mouth
Be aware of the regret or distaste resulting from your actions.
Taste the taste on your tongue
Experience the repercussions of your decisions.
On the film on your eyes of what I've become
Perceiving how the other person has changed because of your actions or choices.
What do I do when you screw up your eyes?
Unsure of how to react to the other person's pessimism or negativity.
What do I do when you screw up your face?
Uncertain of how to respond to the other person's disapproval or criticism.
What do I do
Seeking a way to improve the situation.
When you throw out your arms
When you act in a dramatic or exaggerated manner trying to capture the other's attention.
Fall on the floor
Reveals an act of desperation or loss of composure.
And keep changing your shape?
Indicating an inability or unwillingness to remain true to oneself.
Jump right into your mouth?
Succumbing to or becoming the victim of impulsive and excessive behavior.
Jump around on your tongue?
Becoming absorbed or caught up in the other person's whims, desires or expectations.
And the film on your eyes of the way I've become
Seeing how the other person has changed as a result of one's actions or behavior.
Makes me sick at the way that I try
Feeling disgusted or disappointed with oneself for trying too hard to impress the other person.
Anything in the world
Willing to do everything or anything for the other person.
To impress that I'm doing this
Wanting to gain favor or approval from the other person by any means necessary.
Only for you
Only for the sake of pleasing or impressing the other person.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Robert James Smith
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind