The Cure CD Cover

Just Like Heaven by The Cure

I was influenced to create this design for a CD pack by a photograph taken from the photographer Eleanor Hardwick. I think the smoke effect is very effective and it senses a feeling of mystery.

I think the song is about a guy who is reflecting memories about a girl he loves. It opens up with a memory of her asking him to do something that she enjoys, and she then asked him to show her how he does it. "Spinning on that dizzy edge I kissed her face and kissed her head" is refering to both of them not taking risk. The guy (who is probably Robert Smith) isn't willing to take the same risk that she is. The risk could be getting married, or becoming more involved in a relationship, or it may very well just be dancing on a cliff, like the music video depicts. I am thinking that the far away line involves risk, but could be a reference to the Cure touring. It is difficult for bands and their supposed girlfriends to stay happy when one of the people in the relationship is in fact touring. He is staying away from the cliff, even though he knows she loves him. After not taking the risk, the guy is fantasying about the girl. He could have taken the risk, but he didn't so he sits there alone. Like the classic saying, "There are plently fish in the sea," in the case of this song, she is one of the fish, and she got "swept away by the ocean" by either some other guy, or maybe by time...which would mean she is dead. The guy blew his opportunity of hooking up with his "dream" girl, by choosing not to take the risk. He realizes he made the mistake, but it had been far too long, and she has been swept away. He realizes she is the only girl that he ever did love, and now she is gone. However, rather than being completly down about it, he chooses to reflect on the good times they had by repeating the "Soft and only" part toward the end, however, the "Lost and lonely" couplet shifted from refering to her to referring to him. She was lost and lonely, but now he is. All he can do now and reflect on his memories, and his memories of his time shared with her is just like heaven.

The Image to the right was taken by photographer Eleanor Hardwick, I was inspired by this photograph and attempeted to adapt it into my own idea.