The poem that Robert Smith set to music
Led by an eyeliner-laden Robert Smith, The Cure pushed their way into greatness with their unique blend of gothic stylings and jangle pop. Smith’s distinctive vocals were accompanied by guitars that flitted between gloom and glee with ease. Their sound became instrumental to the development of post-punk and gothic subcultures, but their lyrics were just as important to their creations.
Infusing each word with literary prowess, The Cure created lyrical landscapes that evoked visceral atmospheres and stories. From the simplicity of counting the days of the week in ‘Friday, I’m In Love’, underscored with optimistic romanticism, to the anxious world of ‘A Forest’ inspired by a childhood nightmare, there’s an undying commitment to poetry in the songwriting of The Cure.
It’s no surprise, then, that Smith utilised the work of other poets he admired in his own creations. He once shared his wishes to turn the work of one writer, in particular, into song. Sharing his love for French poet Charles Baudelaire, Smith noted that the sheer beauty of his words moved him to create music around them.
“Some poems, like Baudelaire’s ‘The Eyes of the Poor’, impressed me so much that I wanted to make a song of them,” he stated. Set in Paris, Baudelaire’s poem follows the difficulties of understanding one another, even for a couple in love. Inspired by his words, Smith penned ‘How Beautiful You Are’, a track that would feature on the band’s 1987 record, Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me.
Over characteristically catchy, twangy instrumentation, Smith borrows words almost directly from Baudelaire. “Ah! You would like to know why I hate you today,” Baudelaire begins, while Smith’s song opens with the line, “You want to know why I hate you?” This trend continued throughout the song, as Smith takes the sentiment of Baudelaire’s words and simply translates them to a pop song format.
“Their style, for me, already has a kind of musical rhythm,” Smith explained the process of the song, “Singing ‘How Beautiful You Are’ is like going into oral tradition. I take more pleasure expressing love in this Baudelaire poem than singing ‘Friday I’m In Love.’”
Smith’s declarations of love have a clear poetic quality to them, from conjuring up images of weary men and rag-wearing children to glittering declarations of love. It’s a stunning track, underrated in the scale of The Cure’s discography, and a beautiful ode to the work of Baudelaire.
Listen to ‘How Beautiful You Are’ below.
