The moment in 1987 when Robert Smith knew he’d written a timeless classic for The Cure
Every musician hopes to one day pen and produce a song that will stand the test of time. They pore over lyrics, hoping to conjure something that will resonate with the masses, or write and rewrite parts to find a melody they hope will one day transcend generations.
It’s a rare feat, but there are some bands who have found a knack for it, filling their entire discographies with all-time classics. The Cure is one of those bands.
Spawning out of the post-punk scene of the late 1970s, The Cure were a complete amalgamation of artistic styles. Visually, they seemed like a goth band, sporting big black hairdos and thick smudges of kohl on their eyelids. Their sound sometimes dipped into this realm, too, occasionally gloomy and introspective. But more often than not, they were penning pop tunes.
Contrary to the darkness of their look, The Cure’s sound was full of glorious melodies and jangly guitars. It sat somewhere between post-punk and new wave, between goth and pop, and, as a result, it captured the attention and admiration of the masses. Tunes like ‘Friday I’m In Love’ and ‘Boy’s Don’t Cry’ were impossibly catchy, and they remain so decades later.
Between Smith’s talent for lyrics and the jangles he chose to accompany them, The Cure filled their catalogue with classics. A number of their songs have stood the test of time, but there is one track that Smith knew had staying power from the moment he wrote it: 1987’s ‘Just Like Heaven’, which featured on their seventh album, Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me, in the same year.
The track condensed all of The Cure’s influences into one tune, pairing Smith’s elongated, gothic vocals with lovey-dovey lyrics, jangling strums and soaring synths. It was a song that captured the essence of new wave and post-punk, but Smith knew that its legacy would stretch far beyond the dissipation of those genres.
Alongside ‘Forest’ and ‘Faith’, Smith named ‘Just Like Heaven’ as one of his best songs during a conversation with Spin. He described it as the “other side of the coin” to ‘Forest’ before remembering, “I knew when we did that, that that would be played on the radio in like twenty years time.”
There is a dizziness and innocence to the blazing song that has rendered it timeless. As Smith said of its loving meaning, “The song is about hyperventilating – kissing and fainting to the floor.” That youthful joy will always find an audience to resonate with, especially given that he also crowns it “the best pop song the Cure have ever done”. So, it is little wonder he thought it would live on for decades even upon writing it in 1987.
His prophecy certainly came true. Over three decades since the song was first released, ‘Just Like Heaven’ still maintains cultural relevance, often finding its way onto radio stations and movie soundtracks. The track even inspired the title of a 2005 rom-com starring Mark Ruffalo and Reese Witherspoon.
It’s hailed by fellow musicians, too. Ben Folds, for instance, told Blender that it’s pretty much perfect, celebrating “everything about it – the songwriting, the music – is state of the art. It’s as good as it gets. Anytime I hear it on the radio or a mix tape, I jump around like a freak.” He’s far from alone with the song now attracting fans from the next generation, like Olivia Rodrigo.
Perhaps it’s due to the song’s endlessly enduring theme, a gorgeous tale of dizzy romance inspired by Smith’s own relationship. Perhaps it’s the sheer euphoria contained in those jangling guitars and airy synth sounds or the twinkling keys that come in a little later into the love story. Whatever it is, ‘Just Like Heaven’ is just as addictive now as it was back in the late 1980s.
Smith’s prediction that the song would still receive radio play 20 years on was almost modest. As we approach the 30-year anniversary of the song, it still crops up on the radio or on post-punk playlists every so often. ‘Just Like Heaven’ seems set to reach the airwaves for decades to come, and rightfully so.
