Lyrically Speaking: delving into the anxious world of ‘A Forest’ by The Cure
Though their early sound was often dominated by jangly guitars and pop sensibilities, The Cure have often been looked back on as part of the goth rock subculture. Aside from Robert Smith’s unwavering commitment to black eyeliner, there is perhaps no finer example of their gothic leanings than their iconic and eerie 1970 single, ‘A Forest’.
‘A Forest’ featured pulsing drums, tentative twangs, and an overwhelmingly moody atmosphere, one which reflects the isolation and anxiety in Smith’s lyricism. Preempting the release of their second album, the speedily-written Seventeen Seconds, the song earned The Cure their first top 40 hit in the United Kingdom, despite, or perhaps because of, its eerie ambience and contemplative themes.
Smith’s own words surrounding the song’s meaning have often been contradictory. He has previously suggested that it was inspired by a nightmare he had during childhood and told Rockstar, stating: “I try to capture that feeling of extreme fear I was being taken by and how – maybe in other ways – this type of unpleasant feeling can still be felt by anyone.” However, since then, he has also stated that it is merely about its namesake – a forest.
The frontman opens the song with the words, “Come closer and see, see into the trees, find the girl while you can,” a line that immediately introduces us to the imagery that will permeate his lyrics. He places us in the forest’s depths and implores us to find the unnamed girl while we still can, immediately instilling a sense of urgency and fear.
The forest and trees, expectedly, remain throughout the song, increasing the feelings of isolation and uncertainty in the story and soundscape. After describing his surroundings as deep and dark, Smith repeats the phrase “Into the trees”, and there’s almost a sense of claustrophobia despite the expanse of the forest.
The girl also remains throughout the song, her presence becoming increasingly apparent before eventually becoming obsolete. “I hear her voice calling my name,” he sings before adding: “I hear her voice and start to run.” There’s a sensory element to the story; it’s as if we can hear her voice, too, and a continued urgency.
It seems that the girl represents Smith desperately searching for something – for love or meaning, perhaps – but his efforts prove futile, and he is lost in the depths of the forest. Eventually, Smith realises “the girl was never there”.
Stopping in his tracks, he declares, “I know it’s too late, I’m lost in a forest, all alone.”
This sense of loneliness and searching is only intensified by how sparse the lyrics are, leaving far more room for instrumentation. The pulsing beat beneath Smith’s words almost imitates his pacing footsteps through the woods, while the guitars form a sonic version of fearful longing. It feels like we’re walking through a winding, unknown forest with him.
Smith gets all the more existential in the song’s closing moments, declaring, “It’s always the same, I’m running toward nothing again and again and again and again…” ‘A Forest’ could be read simply as Smith trying to find a girl in the trees, but it’s almost definitely more than that. A nightmare about continually searching for something that refuses to be found.
The beauty of Smith’s vagueness is that listeners can decide exactly what it is Smith is searching for amidst the trees. Perhaps faith or love, ‘A Forest’ leaves just enough room for individual anxieties to be pasted onto the eerie atmosphere.
Revisit ‘A Forest’ by The Cure below.
