A look at The Cure’s most listened to songs reveals that ordinary people prefer their brighter side. ‘Friday I’m In Love’ and ‘Just Like Heaven’ are his most celebrated pieces. ‘Boys Don’t Cry’ couldn’t be more bouncy thanks to its iconic riff. An arsenal of soundtracks and references in popular culture have established these songs in the imagination of several generations.
However, in his return to studio albums after 16 years of waiting, Robert Smith has opted for his more gothic side. ‘Alone’ was the first preview of ‘Songs of a Lost World’, an album marked by the death of several family members and we can already say that it is one of the best recordings in the history of The Cure.
Like other great compositions of his career, ‘Alone’ has a very long instrumental intro. For 3 and a half minutes we only hear drums, electric guitars and, above all, a simple but beautiful keyboard line close to the territories of Angelo Badalamenti. The best thing there is not the piano that drips from time to time, but that final synth note in the chord wheel, which flies and takes you with it to another place.
The lyrics begin with a reference to the poem titled ‘Dregs’ by Ernest Dowson, published posthumously in 1902, as the author of decadentism died in 1900 before his 33rd birthday. It was a poem about alcohol addiction (“dregs” are “dregs, residue”), which talked about death and the feeling of loss.
There was a line in there that said “this is the end of every song a man sings,” which Smith adapts into “this is the end of every song we sing.” An ending that is a beginning for the album, not exactly in its most optimistic expression because “hopes and dreams have vanished.”
If towards the end Robert Smith wonders about the fate of the world that has been stolen from us and that was only “a dream,” the bulk of the text laments “we were sure we would never change,” only for suddenly “everything stops.” ”.
The artist has explained that he has given many thoughts to the return of The Cure and there is no need for him to swear. However, since he was able to create ‘Alone’, he knew that the album was on the way and that it would also open with this piece. A portrait of the “loneliness” that their most sinister fans have already appreciated, and that luckily seems to have a counterpoint in a future, more optimistic album by The Cure.
