LogFAQs > #955643207

154. The Cure Close to Me (1985)
from the album The Head on the Door

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pb-rihW_SwU

Key lyrics:
But if I had your faith
Then I could make it safe and clean

Close to Me falls closer to the pop rock side of The Cures oeuvre, though something about it is just upsetting enough to fall in perfectly with their gothic imagery. The keyboards are peppy, the rhythm playful on an instrumental level, this might be their lightest song. But even before the vocals begin, quiet panting pervades the song. When Robert Smith actually starts singing, he sounds desperately out of breath. Its as though he has escaped a horrid nightmare, the music representing peace in his waking world as the terror persists. Whatever haunted his dreams still looms, and this waking peace is only a brief respite.

The unease is subtly reinforced by the music though it is light, it never quite escapes its repetitive loop. Taken with the lyrics, the peppiness could easily be taken as manic anxiety key to this working as both a pop hit and a slightly unnerving Cure song. As such, this works to reinforce my positive moods and also comfort me during stressful times. Through most of their career, The Cure only turned to pop when they could cleverly subvert it. Close to Me is minimal and catchy, yet the shadows linger just out of view.

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My top 100 games (with write-ups): https://foolfantastic.com/top-100-video-games-project/