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
The Baby Screams
The Cure Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Give me a sign
Waiting for the sun to shine
Pleasure fills up my dreams
And I love it
Like a baby screams
Its so useless
How can you be proud
Into the ground fills up my dreams
And I love it
Like a baby screams
Couldn't ask for more you said
Take it all
And strike me
Strike me dead
Waiting again
Waiting
Like I waited before
Waiting again
Waiting here for nothing at all
Heaven fills up my dreams
And I love it
Like a baby screams
Couldn't ask for more you said
Couldn't ever let it end
Take it all
Take it all
And strike me dead
Heaven
Heaven
The lyrics of The Baby Screams are open to interpretation and can have multiple meanings depending on how one views them. The opening line, "Heaven, give me a sign," implies a sense of longing or desperation for something positive to happen or to feel good again. The reference to "waiting for the sun to shine" adds to this idea of waiting for a brighter future. However, soon after, the lyrics take a darker turn as the singer admits that pleasure fills up their dreams, much like how a baby screams. This suggests that the pleasure is overwhelming and uncontrolled like a scream, which although it feels good, is useless and has no purpose.
The second verse seems to be directed towards a particular person, as evidenced by the line "couldn’t ask for more you said." This suggests that someone promised the singer the world, but in the end, they realize it was all just empty promises. The line "waiting here for nothing at all" signifies that even though the singer is waiting for something to happen, they know deep down that they will never get what they want. The chorus repeats itself, reinforcing the idea that pleasure is so overwhelming that it is like an infant’s scream. It feels good but ultimately is useless and has no real purpose.
Line by Line Meaning
Heaven
The singer is referencing to the concept of heaven, possibly seeking guidance, comfort or some divine intervention.
Give me a sign
The singer is asking for a sign, a clear indication or guidance, probably from heaven.
Waiting for the sun to shine
The singer is waiting for a blissful moment of happiness or success to happen.
Pleasure fills up my dreams
The artist is filled with a sense of joy and satisfaction that he/she only experiences in his/her dreams.
And I love it
The artist is truly contented and thrilled by this feeling of pleasure.
Like a baby screams
The singer is comparing his/her feelings of pleasure and happiness to that of a baby's scream, which is pacifying and comforting.
Its so useless
The singer realizes that this feeling of pleasure, similar to a baby's scream, may be fleeting and transitory.
How can you be proud
The artist is questioning the notion of pride and how it could be maintained in light of fleeting pleasures.
When you're sinking into the ground
The artist feels that pride is difficult to maintain as one gradually loses their footing or their position in life.
Into the ground fills up my dreams
The artist is consumed by sadness, possibly indicating some form of depression or loss.
Waiting again
The singer is still anticipating a moment of happiness and success.
Waiting like I waited before
The artist is experiencing a sense of déjà vu, similar to a previous instance of waiting.
Waiting here for nothing at all
The singer realizes that waiting may be futile and meaningless.
Couldn't ask for more you said
The singer may have been previously promised something, which he/she understandably cherishes.
Take it all
The singer wants to embrace this thing that he/she was promised wholeheartedly.
And strike me
The artist is willing to endure anything to attain this thing that he/she desires.
Strike me dead
The artist feels that this thing he/she wants is worth dying for.
Heaven fills up my dreams
The singer is still hoping and dreaming of some form of divine intervention or guidance.
And I love it
The singer still loves this idea of heaven and the hope that it brings.
Like a baby screams
The artist's love for this idea of heaven is compared to that of a baby's scream, which is comforting and soothing.
Couldn't ask for more you said
The artist still holds onto what he/she was promised before, possibly as a form of hope.
Couldn't ever let it end
The artist would do anything to keep that which he/she desires within grasping distance.
Take it all
The singer reiterates his/her willingness to embrace this thing that he/she cherishes wholeheartedly.
Take it all and strike me dead
The artist is willing to endure death and anything else that may come with it, just to attain that which he/she desires.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Robert James Smith
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind