What does Lullaby mean?

The Cure: Lullaby Meaning

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Album cover for Lullaby album cover

Song Released: 1989


Lullaby Lyrics

On candystripe legs spiderman comes
On candystripe legs spiderman comes
Softly through the shadow of the evening sun
Softly through the shadow of the evening sun
Stealing past the windows of the blissfully dead
Stealing past the windows of...

  1. anonymous
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    Jun 25th 2014 !⃝

    Okay. People it can mean whatever you want to drug addiction to molestation to just a pure nightmare. Interpretation one: it can be about someone getting raped like when he says "his arms around me, or it's much too late to get away" to the uncomfortableness and awkwardness of when the rape is happening by him saying:" and I feel like I'm being eaten by a thousand shivering furry holes. The Spiderman is always hungry".
    Interpretation two: drug addiction. Like when he says "when you struggle like that you make me want to love you more". The Spiderman is probably a hatred version of himself who wants the drug while his other self is trying to go through a rehab phase but can't because as it says "the Spiderman is always hungry"
    Interpretation three: it can also be about just a simple random nightmare. You know that nightmare where you get and you eventually wake up and your like "what was that all about". especially the video shows a great out look on what Robert Smith's beautiful mind is up to.
    Whether you have a different interpretation or not we can all agree on one thing Robert smith/the cure is an amazing band along with their music and metaphorical lyrics along with weird videos that just makes you feel tingly inside

  2. anonymous
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    May 15th 2014 !⃝

    Woah woah woah everybody. This is such a cool creepy song about a nightmare and being eaten by a giant spider, then your ruin it all by saying it's about drugs and sex and all that horrible stuff! No, I reckon it is just about a nightmare, that's all. This is such an amazing song, it's sort of creepy but not in a really scary way, just a sort of really comforting, lulling-you into it beautiful dream sort of song. There's a great review for it on all music.com.

  3. anonymous
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    Aug 18th 2013 !⃝

    I believe too many people are reading way too deep into this one. It's about a nightmare, simple as that. Not drugs, not addiction, not sex, and especially not  molestion!

    I could believe his father telling him the bedtime stories part. And if that's the case I can see how Robert Smith has the talented imagination he has. Kudos to him. I believe he has written some of the darkest, most beautiful, music to date. And still enjoyable. Songs stick to you, this one included.

    Great song at Halloween.

  4. anonymous
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    Jun 23rd 2012 !⃝

    You are all reading to far into it it's not about child abuse it's the stories his father told him when was young it's the fear and stress of nightmares it's a brilliant song my favourite by far

  5. anonymous
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    May 10th 2012 !⃝

    Smith has stated, in interviews, it is about lullabies his Father use to tell he and his sister. I am sure that was the genesis for the song. However, there is no doubt by the lyrics, it is clearing a song about child molestation and the fears and horrors which not only surround it, but the ability, as a child, not to be able to deal with it.

  6. oo.HG.oo
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    Jan 1st 2012 !⃝

    You can lullaby means right?
    Well first of all...the storyteller..is his brain...and spiderman is just heroin..he is hearing a sweet lullaby every time he is using..that's why that song has that title..that's why his mind is so scared of the heroin..he knows "there is nothing he can do", heroin wins.."quietly he laughs and shaking his head"..he is stoned.."be still be calm be quiet now my precious boy don't struggle like that or i will only love you more for it's much too late to get away or turn on the light the spiderman is having you for dinner tonight" he is hearing his creepy inside voice...
    by the end..

    "and i feel like i'm being eaten
    by a thousand million shivering furry holes" that's so fucked up..but it's reality...tripping feelings..
    "and i know that in the morning i will wake up
    in the shivering cold" finally he will wake up...freezing to his guts..cause heroin was keeping him warm..hallucinated...he was hearing a lullaby..

    "and the spiderman is always hungry..."
    and it's time for his dose again...

  7. anonymous
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    Dec 5th 2011 !⃝

    It's not about molestation or sex. The spider is a metaphor for time. Life is slowly draining him to his inevitable demise. It's about growing old. It's a common theme in his songwriting. It's his fear of death and time running out.

  8. anonymous
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    Nov 10th 2011 !⃝

    I think this song means something he went through.

  9. anonymous
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    Jan 31st 2011 !⃝

    This song was written about Robert James Smith being molested as a child. Even though The Cure lyrics can be interpreted in many ways, this song was about someone close to him molesting him.

  10. anonymous
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    Apr 13th 2010 !⃝

    It's about lullabies his father told him when he was a child they always had bad endings and always gave him nightmares

  11. anonymous
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    Feb 3rd 2010 !⃝

    It's about lullabies his father told him.

  12. anonymous
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    Mar 1st 2009 !⃝

    Either way it goes it's about addiction, being trapped, or fear.

  13. Berserkier
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    May 13th 2008 !⃝

    I've always thought of the Spider Man as a personification of an addiction to sex.

  14. Modlovecat
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    Jul 16th 2005 !⃝

    This is based on a recurring nightmare Robert Smith had as a child where he was eaten by a giant spider.

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