"Lovesong"
Single by the Cure
from the album Disintegration
B-side
  • "2 Late"
  • "Fear of Ghosts"
Released21 August 1989 (1989-08-21)[1]
Genre
Length3:28
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
The Cure singles chronology
"Fascination Street"
(1989)		 "Lovesong"
(1989)		 "Pictures of You"
(1990)
Music video
"Lovesong" on YouTube

"Lovesong" (sometimes written as "Love Song") is a song by English rock band the Cure, released as the third single from their eighth studio album, Disintegration (1989), on 21 August 1989. The song saw considerable success in the United States, where it reached the number-two position in October 1989 and became the band's only top-10 entry on the Billboard Hot 100. In the United Kingdom, the single charted at number 18, and it peaked within the top 20 in Canada and Ireland.

The song has been covered by several artists, with notable cover versions by American rock band 311, recorded for the soundtrack for the film 50 First Dates and also released as a single. This song was also performed by Adele on her 2011 album 21.

Content

The song is performed in A minor and is built around a distinctive bass riff. The verses follow an Am/G/F/Em chord progression, which changes to F/G/Am/C in the choruses. The lyrics are simple, with each verse having the same structure ("Whenever I'm alone with you / you make me feel like I am ... again"). Speaking of its simplicity and unusually upbeat nature compared to the other tracks on Disintegration, Robert Smith stated, "It's an open show of emotion. It's not trying to be clever. It's taken me ten years to reach the point where I feel comfortable singing a very straightforward love song."[5]

The single version of the song is almost exactly the same as the album version, yet the mix differs slightly, with extra reverb and harmonies added to Smith's vocals. In addition, in the instrumental section between the first two verses, the guitar does not join the keyboards as it does on the album.

Title

Similar to the title variations of the Cure song "In Between Days", there is not a universally agreed-upon spacing method of the title of "Lovesong", as it varies between "Lovesong" and "Love Song" on many official Cure releases. The original 1989 artwork for the album Disintegration uses "Love Song" on the track listing and "Lovesong" on the lyrics sheet; the revised art for the 2010 remaster of the album consistently uses "Lovesong". When released as a single in 1989, the cover artwork displayed the title as "Lovesong", while the printing on the disc itself read "Love Song" all three times. Subsequent releases of Paris and Galore both use "Lovesong" exclusively, while 2001's Greatest Hits compilation uses "Lovesong" on the track listing and "Love Song" within the liner notes. 2004's Join the Dots also uses "Lovesong" within the booklet presentation.

Release

Upon release as a single, the song received worldwide success, and peaked at number two on the US Billboard Hot 100, making it the group's most successful single in the United States. The song also charted at number two on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart, number 30 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and number 18 on the UK Singles Chart. Smith originally wrote the song for his long-time girlfriend and then fiancée, Mary, as a wedding present.

The extended mix version of the song was included on the band's 1990 remix album Mixed Up. An instrumental demo version recorded by the band was featured on the second disk of the 2010 re-release of Disintegration. A music video featuring the band performing inside a cave was also released with the single.

Track listings

7-inch single

  1. "Lovesong" – 3:24
  2. "2 Late" – 2:40

12-inch single

  1. "Lovesong" (extended mix)
  2. "2 Late"
  3. "Fear of Ghosts"

CD single

  1. "Lovesong" (remix) – 3:24
  2. "Lovesong" (extended remix) – 6:18
  3. "2 Late"
  4. "Fear of Ghosts"

Personnel

Charts

Certifications

Region CertificationCertified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[22] Silver 200,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

311 version

"Love Song"
Single by 311
from the album 50 First Dates Soundtrack and Greatest Hits '93–'03
Released13 February 2004 (2004-02-13)
GenreReggae rock, soft rock
Length3:28
LabelVolcano
Songwriter(s)
311 singles chronology
"Beyond the Gray Sky"
(2003)		 "Love Song"
(2004)		 "First Straw"
(2004)
Music video
"Love Song" on YouTube

"Love Song" was released as a single by the band 311 and is featured on the soundtrack of the 2004 film 50 First Dates. It is also featured on 311's greatest hits album, Greatest Hits '93–'03. While the Cure's original version hit number 2 on the Alternative Songs chart, 311's cover was more successful on the chart, hitting number 1. 311's cover also reached number 59 on the Billboard Hot 100, making it the band's first single to make the chart. 311's cover was also very successful in the adult top 40 radio market, hitting the top 10 on the Adult Top 40 chart at number 7.

Music video

The music video features 311 playing the song in a bar. While not featured in the version on YouTube, the version initially released for the song in conjunction with, and featuring footage from, 50 First Dates, features a cameo from former Cure member Lol Tolhurst[23] as a bartender. His appearance is at 2:22 in the video.[24]

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2004) Peak
position
US Billboard Hot 100[25] 59
US Alternative Airplay (Billboard)[26] 1
US Adult Top 40 (Billboard)[27] 7

Year-end charts

Chart (2004) Position
US Adult Top 40 (Billboard)[28] 24

Certifications

Region CertificationCertified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[29] Platinum 1,000,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Other versions

American trance singer Jes has covered the song in various trance and acoustic styles, releasing her own cover version in 2009, and included in her 2010 album High Glow. The song was covered by the Brunettes for the 2008 American Laundromat Records tribute album Just Like Heaven – a tribute to The Cure. It has also been covered by the bands A Perfect Circle (as a mashup with "Diary of a Madman"), Good Charlotte, the Deluxtone Rockets, Jack Off Jill, Snake River Conspiracy, Azam Ali/Niyaz, Death Cab for Cutie, Anberlin, Seafood (who released their cover of the song as a single in June 2007) and Fordirelifesake. Canadian musical duo Dala recorded their cover of the song on the 2005 album Angels & Thieves. Canadian psychobilly band the Brains recorded their version of the song in 2014 on their The Cover Up EP. Dutch indie band This Beautiful Mess recorded a version for a compilation of 80's cover hits.

Other solo artists have performed covers as well, such as Tori Amos during several live performances, most famously on the radio station KROQ-FM. Naimee Coleman included an interpretation of the song on her 2001 album Bring Down The Moon. Voltaire released an acoustic cover on his album Then and Again. It was also covered by Maltese singer Ira Losco, found on her 2007 unplugged album Unmasked. Japanese singer Immi included a cover of the song on her debut album Switch. American folk singer Mariee Sioux covered the song for the tribute album Perfect as Cats: A Tribute to The Cure in 2008. British singer Adele included a bossa nova cover of the song on her second album, 21, which peaked at #18 on Billboard's Smooth Jazz Songs chart.[30][31][32] Nina Sky covered this song on their 2010 EP The Other Side.

The song was covered by Captain during a BBC Radio 2 live session with Dermot O'Leary. The American Indie-pop band Koufax covered it in several live apparitions.[33][34][35]

The Big Pink provided a cover of "Lovesong" for The Cure tribute album Pictures of You: A Tribute to Godlike Geniuses The Cure, which was made available with the 25 February 2009 issue of NME.[36]

Certifications (Adele version)

Region CertificationCertified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[37] Silver 200,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ↑ "New Singles". Music Week. 19 August 1989. p. 39.
  2. ↑ "Top 25 Best Gothic Love Songs of All Time". Council of the Lost. 28 November 2019. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
  3. ↑ Sapsford, Beatrice; Lee, Shannon (6 May 2021). "10 In-Demand Works on Artsy This Week". Artsy. Retrieved 29 September 2021.
  4. ↑ Rolli, Bryan (11 January 2024). "Top 35 Songs of 1989". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved 12 January 2024.
  5. ↑ Apter, Jeff (2009). Never Enough: The Story of The Cure. Omnibus Press. pp. 234–235. ISBN 978-1-84772-739-8.
  6. ↑ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010. Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing.
  7. ↑ "The Cure – Lovesong" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
  8. ↑ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 6574." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 6 February 2019.
  9. ↑ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 6, no. 39. 30 September 1989. p. V. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
  10. ↑ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Lovesong". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 6 February 2019.
  11. ↑ "Tipparade-lijst van week 40, 1989" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 29 April 2023.
  12. ↑ "The Cure – Lovesong" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
  13. ↑ "The Cure – Lovesong". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
  14. ↑ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
  15. ↑ "The Cure Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
  16. ↑ "The Cure Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
  17. ↑ "The Cure Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
  18. ↑ "The Cure Chart History (Dance Singles Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  19. ↑ "The Cure Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
  20. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – The Cure – Lovesong" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
  21. ↑ "Billboard Top 100 – 1989". Billboardtop100of.com. Retrieved 16 April 2019.
  22. ↑ "British single certifications – Cure – Lovesong". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 20 January 2023.
  23. ↑ "Cure News for January 22nd: Lol to appear in the 311 video for "Lovesong"". Ossh.com.
  24. ↑ "311 Love song". Retrieved 25 April 2021 – via Internet Archive.
  25. ↑ "311 Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 7 November 2021.
  26. ↑ "311 Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved 7 August 2017.
  27. ↑ "311 Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 7 November 2021.
  28. ↑ "Year-End Charts – Hot Adult Top 40 Singles & Tracks – 2004". Billboard.biz. 2004. Archived from the original on 9 October 2012. Retrieved 7 November 2021.
  29. ↑ "American single certifications – 311 – Love Song". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 8 September 2023.
  30. ↑ Hermes, Will (17 February 2011). "Adele: 21". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 7 September 2017.
  31. ↑ Empire, Kitty (22 January 2011). "Adele: 21 – review". The Guardian. Retrieved 7 September 2017.
  32. ↑ "Adele – Chart history". Billboard Smooth Jazz Songs for Adele. Retrieved 7 September 2017.
  33. ↑ "Koufax Setlist at Cat's Cradle, Carrboro". Setlist.fm. Retrieved 15 February 2020.
  34. ↑ Bluhm, David (15 February 2020). "Konzert-Bericht: Koufax / Mates Of State / Onelinedrawing / Hamburg / Gaesteliste.de Internet-Musikmagazin". Gaesteliste.de (in German). Retrieved 15 February 2020.
  35. ↑ "Koufax - 6/28/03". YouTube. Archived from the original on 13 December 2021. Retrieved 25 April 2021.
  36. ↑ 4AD Journal: The Big Pink Cover The Cure Archived 4 December 2010 at the Wayback Machine
  37. ↑ "British single certifications – Adele – Lovesong". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 28 April 2023.
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