Ten The Cure’s songs you should (but probably don’t) know.

Beyond radio acclaimed tracks, the goth’s gods have some hidden gems in their discography.

Disclaimer Announcement: This is a very trick kind of list. For die-hard fans, there are no unknown tracks. For the general public, most of their tracks are unknown. Also because of the concept: what is a song that you “should hear”? Is it their best songs? Their most innovative songs? The songs that defined them as artists? So this is a very subjective list, it may contain some songs that some fans consider that are already too well-known, also it may not contain some of their best songs. The point is to try to put a spotlight on songs that somehow are too good the be kept under the radar.

Don’t agree with the list? Well probably neither do we, we had 30 songs in our first draft (see playlist), put 15 aside as we started writing the post. So, leave a comment, speak your mind and let us know how to improve and (maybe) do a second list.

1) A Few Hours After This (1985):

Recorded during the 'The Head on the Door' sessions and released only as B side for the 12 inch single of 'In Between Days', this song was very rare at its release. Luckily it was included in the cassette version of their compilation album 'Standing on a Beach' one year later.

Running short of two and a half minutes, 'A Few Hours After This' is a very different beast from their typical songs, there are only a few keyboards, playing double bass, a string arrangement, an occasional organ and a very simple and sparse tambourine. The result is both heartbreaking and epic.

2) Cut Here (2001):

Written as a homage to his friend Billy Mackenzie, the lead singer of the new wave band Associates, who committed suicide in 1997, 'Cut Here' is, with its confessional tone, one of the most beautiful and heartbreaking love songs.

The lyrics could apply to any kind of relationship, a friend, a romantic partner a relative, and it is painfully true to the mistakes commonly made by everyone regarding loved ones. The way Smith simply repeats “I miss you” six times and then just add “too much” is almost a cry of despair, it's the acknowledgment of a bitter reality created by small, thoughtless decisions.

As we get older and time start to drift apart from our loved ones from us, this song gets even more relevant, a reminder that we “keep on making the same mistake(s), keep on aching the same heartbreak(s)”.

3) Push (1985):

'Push' is pure exhilaration, dueling guitars, fast melodic bassline, its two and half minutes intro pulls you to a feeling of excitement, an uncommon feeling for a The Cure’s song.

As Smith enthusiastically commands “Go go go push him away / no no no don't let him stay”. 'Push' is a song about freedom, about letting yourself go of everything that holds you back, about, despite everything around you maybe be still the same (“Exactly the same clean room / exactly the same clean bed”), you have outgrown your shackles (“but I've stayed away too long this time / and I've got too big to fit this time”).

4) Another Journey by Train (1980):

There’s not much to say about this song other than it’s an instrumental remake of their previous single, but somehow, this 'A Forest' B side, is far better than the original. Not to be missed.

5) A Sign from God (1997):

It is incredible the weight that labels have on our perception. Between 'Wild Mood Swings' and 'Bloodflowers', the band went through a semi-hiatus with line-up changes and some experimentation during the process.

One of these experiments was some sessions with Robert Smith, drummer Jason Cooper and long-time Bowie collaborator, guitarist Reeves Gabrels.

Two songs were recorded 'Wrong Number' released as a The Cure song in the compilation album 'Galore', the other was 'A Sign from God' released on the soundtrack of the movie Orgazmo but credited to COGASM (from COper, GAbriel and SMith), this fact makes this song to be disregarded as a The Cure song by many people.

'A Sign from God' is the weakest of the two songs, but it’s a good song nonetheless and should be listened, at least once, by everyone.

Ready for five more?

Go for part II.

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