"The Walk" was something of a commercial breakthrough for the group with regard to their singles output, peaking at #12 to give them their first entry into the UK top 20. It was also the first of their 17 consecutive Irish top 20 hits between 1983 and 1992.
Remixes of the song also appear on The Cure's remix album Mixed Up and the remixed compilation album Future Retro.
Released June 27, 1983
Format 7" , 12"
Genre New Wave
Length 3:33
Label Fiction Records
Producer Steve Nye
The Walk
The Cure Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Then ran until I burst
I passed the howling woman
And stood outside your door
We walked around the lake
And woke up in the rain
And everyone turned overTroubled in their dreams again
Visiting time is over
And so we walk away
And both play dead then cry out loud
Why we always cry this way?
I kissed you in the water
And made your dry lips sing
I saw you look
Like a Japanese baby
In an instant I remembered everything, everything, everything
I called you after midnight
Then ran until my heart burst
I passed the howling woman
And stood outside your door
I kissed you in the water
And made your dry lips sing
I saw you look
Like a Japanese baby
In an instant I remembered everything, everything, everything
Take me for a walk
Take me for a walk
Let's go in the water
Take me for a walk
The lyrics to The Cure's song The Walk describe a romantic encounter between two people. The singer calls the person they are interested in after midnight and runs to their house. They then walk around a lake and end up in the rain, where they see other people troubled in their dreams. As visiting time comes to an end, they both walk away pretending to be dead but cry out loud, wondering why they always cry that way. The singer then kisses their love interest in the water and remembers everything. The song ends with them asking to be taken for a walk.
The lyrics of The Walk are rich in symbolism and metaphor. The act of calling the person they are interested in after midnight represents a desire for connection beyond the conventional, while running to their doorstep symbolizes a certain urgency. Walking around the lake and waking up in the rain could be seen as symbolic of change or a new beginning, while the act of kissing in the water and making lips "sing" suggests an intimate connection. The appearance of the Japanese baby could symbolize newness or innocence.
Line by Line Meaning
I called you after midnight
I reached out to you in the middle of the night
Then ran until I burst
I hurried to see you as fast as I could
I passed the howling woman
I encountered a distressed woman but didn't dwell on it
And stood outside your door
I arrived at your house and waited for you to come out
We walked around the lake
We strolled together by the lake
And woke up in the rain
We slept outside and got wet in the rain
And everyone turned over
Everyone around us was disturbed in their sleep
Troubled in their dreams again
They must have been having recurring disturbing dreams
Visiting time is over
Our meeting time has come to an end
And both play dead then cry out loud
We pretend to be unaffected but really we're both emotional
Why we always cry this way?
We keep experiencing these intense feelings but don't understand why
I kissed you in the water
We shared a romantic moment in the water
And made your dry lips sing
I made you feel something wonderful
I saw you look
I noticed your expression
Like a Japanese baby
You looked innocent and precious
In an instant I remembered everything, everything, everything
All my memories of us came back in a flash
Take me for a walk
Let's go for a walk together
Take me for a walk
I want to spend more time with you
Let's go in the water
Let's get back in the water and enjoy each other's company
Take me for a walk
I want to be with you and feel happy again
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Robert James Smith, Laurence Andrew Tolhurst
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@bloodrose2034
I called you after midnight
Then ran until I burst
I passed the howling woman
And stood outside your door
We walked around the lake
And woke up in the rain
And everyone turned over
Troubled in their dreams again
Visiting time is over
And so we walk away
And both play dead then cry out loud
Why we always cry this way?
I kissed you in the water
And made your dry lips sing
I saw you look
Like a Japanese baby
In an instant I remembered everything
I called you after midnight
Then ran until my heart burst
I passed the howling woman
And stood outside your door
I kissed you in the water
And made your dry lips sing
I saw you look
Like a Japanese baby
In an instant I remembered everything
Take me for a walk
Take me for a walk
Let's go for a walk
Take me for a walk
@Del-Lebo
Really miss this sound! 58 years old, worked in a record store in Christown mall in Phx AZ from 1981to 1987! lucky lad!
@pamelacorrigan
Great, It reminds me of Skinny-Dipping in Jersey, (Channel Islands UK) in 1983. "I kissed you in the water"
@TWX1138
Was that the Tower Records location?
House my family had when I was born was walking distance to Christown, and I spent a lot of time in the eighties as a small child walking over whenever Mom wanted to get out of the house. I was too young to go into the record store but I remember it being there.
@Del-Lebo
@TWX1138 no, in the Christown mall it was a musicland record store. By the movies and pizza de amore
@TWX1138
@@Del-Lebo Ah. It's been too long for me to remember much more than the Miracle Mile Deli, the Walgreens, and the Miller's Outpost.
@scott80ca
That synth line is the bomb. Still sounds fresh after all these years.
@harro9689
I’ve always thought it was the most hilarious sounding keyboard/synth riff I’ve ever heard in modern pop music. But can’t deny it makes the song memorable.
@adamantiuscloudcat1799
Reminds me New order the beach for some reason
@gunnyakdo1653
Blue monday kinda
@zoeherriot
@@gunnyakdo1653 Peter Hook is convinced they ripped him off, but the Walk was written 5 months before Blue Monday, so there's that.