3 Pop Gems by The Cure That Prove Robert Smith Is Happier Than You Think

The Cure is best known for its dark aesthetics and sorrowful music, with the band’s 1982 album Pornography often cited as a landmark release in gothic rock. Yet pop instincts lay beneath the post-punk dirge of Pornography, and before the 80s were over, The Cure would become a stadium band thanks to the timeless songwriting of Robert Smith.

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The band’s music is far too complex to be placed narrowly into a single genre or subculture. And you can see its diversity in the range of artists Smith’s songs have inspired: Nine Inch Nails, The Smashing Pumpkins, and Olivia Rodrigo, to name a few. All of whom have found pop success by blending melancholy with catchy melodies.

So let’s look at three pop gems by The Cure that reveal a lighter side to Smith, proving he’s much happier than his reputation might suggest.   

“Friday I’m In Love”

The Cure’s 1989 masterpiece Disintegration is now older than Robert Smith was when he recorded it. I mention age because Smith was approaching 30 and thought it might be his last chance at making something profound. When Wish arrived three years later, the anxiety that fueled his greatest work gave way to contentment. “Friday I’m In Love” finds Smith at peace, though the fragility in his voice reveals everything that can and probably will go wrong during the week. Still, every note in this gorgeous tune stands as a bulwark against despair.

“Just Like Heaven”

When Smith strummed the initial chords of what became “Just Like Heaven”, he thought it sounded too close to “Another Girl, Another Planet” by The Only Ones. But while recording in France, the band created a new arrangement by adding individual instruments as the song progressed. The guitar hook and vocal melody now define the quintessential Cure sound. Smith wrote about a trip to Beachy Head in East Sussex, England, with his partner Mary Poole. It’s about the fleeting moments of joy and how it’s all still worth it, regardless of the lonely moments between. Smith and Poole have been married since 1988.

“Lovesong”

Smith wallowed in an abyss of depression while making Disintegration. He event went long periods during the recording sessions where he didn’t speak. But “Lovesong” offsets the hazy chaos of “Fascination Street” and the nightmarish prankster of “Lullaby”. The lyrics are tender, but still, the relationship feels tenuous. Eerie music surrounds his voice like deep waves of despair. But often one must muddle through the darkness to find the light. Hope and light were durable enough to survive the emotional abyss after all.

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