Lullaby (The Cure song)

"Lullaby"
Single by The Cure
from the album Disintegration
B-side "Babble", "Out of Mind"
Released 10 April 1989
Format 7", 12"
Length 4:10
Label Fiction
Songwriter(s) Roger O'Donnell, Boris Williams, Simon Gallup, Robert Smith, Lol Tolhurst and Porl Thompson
Producer(s) Robert Smith
Dave Allen
The Cure singles chronology
"Hot Hot Hot!!!"
(1988)		 "Lullaby"
(1989)		 "Fascination Street"
(1989)

"Hot Hot Hot!!!"
(1988)		 "Lullaby"
(1989)		 "Fascination Street"
(1989)
Music video
"Lullaby" on YouTube

"Lullaby" is a 1989 single by The Cure from their album Disintegration. The song is the highest charting single by the band in their home country, reaching number five in the UK charts. Additionally, the music video won the British Video of the Year at the 1990 Brit Awards.

Background

The meaning of "Lullaby" has been speculated by fans, including as a metonymy for addiction or depression,[1] and Smith has offered multiple explanations as to its theme or content, such as childhood nightmares or abuse.[1] Tim Pope, a long-time collaborator of The Cure on many of its music videos, interprets "Lullaby" as an allegory for lead singer Robert Smith's druggy past.[2]

Music video

The music video for "Lullaby" was filmed at a sound stage in London, England.[3] It features Robert in bed, in a dream sequence, and the rest of the band playing tin soldiers who sporadically appear throughout the music video for a few seconds.[3] The music video, during which Smith plays both the cannibalistic "spiderman" mentioned in the lyrics and his intended victim, concludes with Smith being swallowed by what appears to be a giant spider.[3]

The music video, directed by Tim Pope and edited by Peter Goddard,[4] won British Video of the Year at the 1990 Brit Awards.[1]

Reception

Upon its release, "Lullaby" became The Cure's highest-charting hit in their home country when it reached number five. It remains their only single to reach the top 5 in the UK. In Ireland, "Lullaby" became the band's third top 10 hit and highest-charting single, reaching number three.[5] The song also reached the top 10 in Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, and Norway. In North America, the song was released as the second single from Disintegration instead ("Fascination Street" was the first), but did not match its predecessor's level of success, only reaching number 72 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 23 on the Billboard Modern Rock Chart.

Track listing

The US-only single "Fascination Street" included the B-sides from the UK release of "Lullaby". Therefore, the US release needed some new B-sides. The two live cuts, "Homesick" and "Untitled", are from the limited edition live album Entreat, which was recorded during the Disintegration Tour.

The song was remixed for single release, giving it more of an electronic feel.

7": Fiction / FISC 29 (UK)

  1. "Lullaby" (remix) – 4:08
  2. "Babble" – 4:16

7": Elektra / 7-69249 (US)

  1. "Lullaby" (remix)
  2. "Homesick" (live version)
  • also released on cassette (9 46924-9)

12": Fiction / ficx 29 (UK)

  1. "Lullaby" (extended remix)
  2. "Babble"
  3. "Out of Mind"

12": Elektra / 0 66664 (US)

  1. "Lullaby" (extended remix)
  2. "Homesick" (live version)
  3. "Untitled" (live version)

CD: Fiction / ficcd 29 (UK)

  1. "Lullaby" (remix)
  2. "Babble"
  3. "Out of Mind"
  4. "Lullaby" (extended remix)
  • gatefold 3" CD

CD: Elektra / 9 66664-2 (US)

  1. "Lullaby" (remix)
  2. "Lullaby" (extended remix)
  3. "Homesick" (live version)
  4. "Untitled" (live version)

Personnel

Charts

Other versions

The song has been sampled by various artists, including Just Jack in the song "Snowflakes" for his 2002 album The Outer Marker, Rachel Stevens in the song "All About Me" from her 2005 album Come and Get It, Sono in the song "Someday" from the 2007 album Panoramic View, and by metalcore outfit Motionless In White, in the song "Black Damask (The Fog), for their 2012 album Infamous. It was also sampled by hip hop artist Akala in the song "I Don't Know" on his 2007 album Freedom Lasso. It has been covered by British post-punk revival band Editors on the compilation Radio 1: Established 1967, and by Jimmy Page and Robert Plant while on tour in 1995 (with Porl Thompson as support musician). Editors' version reappeared on Pictures of You – a tribute to Godlike Geniuses The Cure, which came with the 28 February 2009 issue of NME. "'Lullaby' is the greatest dark pop song... possibly of all years," said bassist Russell Leetch.

Faithless's 2006 album To All New Arrivals features "Lullaby" within the track "Spiders, Crocodiles, and Kryptonite", where Robert Smith has re-recorded the vocals.[25]

The track was used as the backing to the trailer to the TV show The Secret Circle and was featured in the British TV shows Misfits, Fresh Meat, Being Human, as well as Episode 7 of American Horror Story: Hotel.

"Lullaby" by The Cure is featured as the title of Chapter 6 in the 2015 novel "Dying in June," by Amy Magness.[26]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Forman, Bill (25 April 2012). "Nightmares of The Cure's Robert Smith". Grammy.com.
  2. ↑ Sandall, Robert (May 1989). "Disintegration: A Classic Interview with Robert Smith of The Cure in 1989". Q.
  3. 1 2 3 O'Donnell, Roger. "Disintegration". Roger O'Donnell. Archived from the original on 2013-08-16.
  4. ↑ "The Cure – Lullaby". Tim Pope.
  5. ↑ "Search the Charts". Retrieved 3 April 2018.
  6. ↑ "Australian-charts.com – The Cure – Lullaby". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
  7. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – The Cure – Lullaby" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
  8. ↑ "Ultratop.be – The Cure – Lullaby" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
  9. ↑ "Lescharts.com – The Cure – Lullaby" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
  10. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – The Cure – Lullaby". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
  11. ↑ "The Irish Charts - All there is to know". Retrieved 13 March 2018.
  12. 1 2 "I singoli più venduti del 1989" (in Italian). Retrieved 13 March 2018.
  13. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – The Cure – Lullaby" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
  14. ↑ "Charts.nz – The Cure – Lullaby". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
  15. ↑ "Norwegiancharts.com – The Cure – Lullaby". VG-lista. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
  16. ↑ Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
  17. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – The Cure – Lullaby". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
  18. ↑ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
  19. ↑ "The Cure Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
  20. ↑ "The Cure Chart History (Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
  21. ↑ "The Cure Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
  22. ↑ "Jahreshitparade Singles 1989" (in German). Retrieved 22 September 2018.
  23. ↑ "Top 100 Singles - Jahrescharts 1989" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 22 September 2018.
  24. ↑ "Jaaroverzichten 1989" (in Dutch). MegaCharts. Retrieved 22 September 2018.
  25. ↑ "Faithless feat. Robert Smith's Spiders, Crocodiles & Kryptonite sample of The Cure's Lullaby". WhoSamped.
  26. ↑ Magness, Amy (2015). Dying in June. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. ISBN 1515040836.
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