The Cure had already acquired a reputation as the premier pusher of doom-laden gothic-rock, and its mournful albums were the stuff of legends. But then “Friday I’m in Love” gifted Robert Smith a hit the size of which nobody could have anticipated. It is one of the greatest alternative rock songs of the 90s, albeit a very pop-friendly one.
But what’s the story of these doom merchants coming up with such irresistibly sunny pop? What’s the meaning of the lyrics? Here’s what I must uncover for you today.
Journey to Making “Friday I’m in Love”
Legends! That’s what gothic-rock creates. A handful of ravenous fans generally worships the likes of Bauhaus or Christian Death. However, the genre typically does not produce bands with numerous entries in their discography. And it rarely creates groups that branch out.
The Cure was the exception. The reason why Robert Smith’s songwriting vehicle is the most famous in the goth landscape is because of his unwavering ambition.
The group began as a convincing post-punk band in the late 1970s. The grim, tortured sound of its 1980s records made them art-rock darlings and an entirely uncommercial proposition. And 1989’s lush, but sinister “Disintegration” had been one of the decade’s biggest albums.
By the early 1990s, the likes of grunge and alternative rock had captured the imagination of radio listeners. Still, there was plenty of goodwill that The Cure could bank on for 1992’s album “Wish.” And with the world willing to listen, Robert Smith had just the commercially friendly nugget that audiences needed.
The Meaning of the Lyrics to “Friday I’m in Love”
“Friday I’m in Love” is very much a romantic tune, and every bit a pop track. Both these things are true, and there’s no trace of cynicism to be found in this Robert Smith composition. And while it’s a departure from his early work, it’s also, undeniably, one of the songwriter’s very best.
The song and the entire “Wish” album were experiments with lush arrangements, moody melodies and sticky-sweet arrangements. This single is, of course, the most innocent-sounding of the bunch.
“Friday I’m in Love” is noteworthy in The Cure’s discography because it represents an earnest attempt at writing an optimistic pop song. The band was, after all, famous for the exact opposite kind of material.
Robert Smith further explained: “Friday I’m in Love’ is a dumb pop song, but it’s quite excellent actually, because it’s so absurd. It’s so out of character – very optimistic and really out there in happy land. It’s nice to get that counterbalance. People think we’re supposed to be leaders of some sort of ‘gloom movement.’ I could sit and write gloomy songs all day long, but I just don’t see the point.”
Early into their careers, bands like The Cure were pigeonholeed and unfairly compared to Joy Division, the lighthouse of post-punk. The line “I don’t care if Monday’s blue,” references New Order, the pop band that sprang out of the ashes of Joy Division and its hit, “Blue Monday.”
The “Wish” album was recorded near Oxford, at The Manor Studio. Bands like Queen and KISS had recorded here, and the studio had a reputation as an unfriendly place. Smith, however, denied that this was his band’s experience. “It’s like, ‘Oh no, you’re going to the Manor and you’re gonna get hexed and end up there for like a year’s time.’ But when you get here, you realize that it was the mentality of the people who recorded here that gave it that reputation,” he told SPIN Magazine in 1992.
The friendly sound was also the result of experience. Originally written in D, the tape was purposely sped up. This helps give it a lighter, brighter sound. It’s a technique used for many pop songs.
Smith was so happy with the song that he was convinced for a long time that he’d stolen it. “It’s a really good chord progression, I couldn’t believe no one else had used it and I asked so many people at the time,” he later revealed.
The Music Video for “Friday I’m in Love” by The Cure
The single benefited from what would become a famous music video. Tim Pope directed it.
Just like the song itself, the promo for “Friday I’m in Love” was a departure from the group’s famous image. Instead of a gloomy design, the director simply had the band members goofing around in front of the camera while trying out various stage props.
The video is meant to pay homage to the era of silent cinema. “The Eclipse: Courtship of the Sun and Moon” by French filmmaker Georges Méliès was a particular influence.
The Legacy of The Cure
“Friday I’m in Love” was a colossal hit. It was a Billboard number one hit and sold more than 1.2 million units in the United Kingdom alone.
But the song’s appeal to the wider public did not discourage the group’s loyal following. The Cure remains a huge cult act to this very day.
The song has been covered by the likes of Natalie Imbruglia and has been licensed for numerous media, including the movie “50 First Dates” and the television show “Chuck.”
“Friday I’m in Love” is one of the great pop songs of the alternative rock era of the 1990s.
