“Burn” by The Cure
In The Cure’s song “Burn”, it is the narrator (Robert Smith) himself who is ‘burning’. This expression relates to a romance he is in. And it has a dual meaning.
On one hand he is burning with desire for his significant other. And this is not meant to be interpreted purely in a hardcore-intimate sense. Rather, to put it another way, he misses her greatly, particularly at night, when she is not around.
But this sensation of ‘burning’ is also used to describe the angst he feels towards the romance. In other words, the singer seems pretty convinced that it will not last. In fact that is what the metaphor of “waiting for the world to end” appears to allude to, as in anticipating the inevitable dissolution of relationship between him and the woman he loves.
As for the latter part of the song, it is actually serves a shoutout to “the Crow”, a comic-book character whose 1994 movie this track was specifically created for. However ,the track, in its entirety, does not appear to have anything to do with the plot of the film.
What Robert Smith stated about “Burn”
Robert Smith described this song as being “about New Orleans” (though the city is never mentioned in the lyrics) when performing “Burn” live for the first time, in New Orleans. That performance took place on 3 November 2013 (almost two decades after the song was released), at the Voodoo Music Experience.
Release Date
“Burn” came out on 29 March 1994 as part of “The Crow: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack”, which was released through Atlantic Records.
Creation of “Burn”
The Cure actually created this song specifically for the film at the request of James O’Barr, creator of “The Crow”. O’Barr is known to be a big fan of the band.
Due to fluidity in membership The Cure was facing at the time, this track was recorded by only two band members – Robert Smith, a founder and Boris Williams, its drummer from 1984 ’til 1994. Williams eventually left the band shortly after the release of this song.
In addition to composing this song, Smith also produced it along with Chuck New.
Songwriting Credits
The following are the songwriters officially credited with writing “Burn”:
- Simon Gallup
- Perry Bamonte
- Boris Williams
- Robert Smith
Oh come on I heard this song for the first time today and sang it as a cover with my friend and I’m sorry to me it’s pretty obvious that the person is shooting up with hero*n because of the burn when it enters the veins and leaving this world I mean everything about it is shouting shooting up with hero*n to me I don’t know what do you think why else would love burn come on??
Read the Crow graphic novel f— head
There’s no winning with people who do not bother to learn. The only way I could excuse him is that he could have interpreted it in his own little mind.
Wow you completely missed the point of the song
“Don’t look, don’t look”,
The shadows breathe,
Whispering me away from you
“Don’t wake at night to watch her sleep,
You know that you will always lose this trembling, adored, tousled bird-mad girl”
The shadows foretell of a heartbreak that can’t be avoided, no matter what the narrator says or does, it’s inevitable
That was great I was originally thinking hair on but then I thought of love as well. Or maybe the love of hair on
Numb nuts! It’s about Brandon Lee’s burning abdomen after he was shot on the set.