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In 1981, Robert Smith wrote a song he believed would stand the test of time. It never lost its place in his heart
Robert Smith said The Cure’s 1981 song ‘Faith’ was the first song he wrote that he believed would stand the test of time. He felt it would always hold a special place in his heart because of what it meant to him then, and also expressed similar confidence in ‘A Forest’.
The song is the title track of Faith, an album that marked a shift towards the atmospheric sound The Cure would develop through the decade. The article describes the record as dense and transitional, with ‘Primary’ its single and ‘The Funeral Party’ another standout; it presents Smith’s attachment to ‘Faith’ as unusual given his reluctance to celebrate his own work publicly.
In short
- Smith believed ‘Faith’ would stand the test of time.
- The 1981 track remains especially meaningful to him.
- ‘A Forest’ also carried similar significance for Smith.
Explained simply
The Cure are an English band formed in the late 1970s, with Robert Smith as their singer, guitarist and principal songwriter. Their early records combined post-punk’s spare, unsettled sound with increasingly atmospheric arrangements.
Released in 1981, Faith was the band’s third album and its title song reflected a more sombre, spacious direction. The album also includes “Primary” and “The Funeral Party”; its sound helped set the course for music The Cure made later in the decade.
Smith has said “Faith” was the first song he wrote that he thought would endure. His attachment to it offers a glimpse of how he viewed his early songwriting, while the record helps explain the band’s artistic development.
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