Wrong Number by The Cure Lyrics Meaning – Unraveling the Psychedelic Puzzle
Lyrics
Are the sickly sweet colors of the snakes I’m seeing
Lime green, lime green and tangerine
Are the sickly sweet colors of the devil in my dreams
Lime green, lime green, lime green and tangerine
Are the sickly sweet colors of the snakes I’m seeing
Lime green, lime green and tangerine
Are the sickly sweet colors of the devil in my dreams
It gets to Friday and I give you a call
You know I’m getting kind of worried
She doesn’t seem herself at all
Lime green and a sickly kind of orange
I’ve never seen her like this before
I had the best laid plans this side of America
Started out in church and finished with Angelica
Red and blue soul with a snow white smile
Can you dig it, can you dig it, can you dig it
I had the best laid plans this side of America
Started out in church and finished with Angelica
And now I dig it in the dirt
And I’m down here for a while
I’m down here for a while
You’ve got to make up your mind and make it soon
Is there room in your life
For one more trip to the moon?
Is there room in your life
For one more?
Burn red burn red and gold
Are the deep dark colors of the snakes I hold
Burn red burn, red and gold
The deep dark colors of the devil at home
She pulls me down just as I’m trying to hide
Grabs me by the hair and drags me outside
And starts digging in the dirt
For a not so early bird it’s the only way
For her to get the worm
I had the best laid plans this side of America
Started out in church and finished with Angelica
Red and blue soul with a snow white smile
Can you dig it, can you dig it, can you dig it
I had the best laid plans this side of America
Started out in church and finished with Angelica
And now I dig it in the dirt
And I’ll be down here for a while
I’m down here for a while
Hello?
Are you still there?
Hello? are you still there?
And much too late
Sorry, wrong number
Sorry, wrong number (yeah sorry you have the wrong number)
Du, du, du, du
Du, du, du, du
Du, du, du, du
Du, du, du, du
Ah, oh, ah, oh
In the pantheon of The Cure’s discography, ‘Wrong Number’ stands out as an anomaly—a track that throbs with the hurried beats of the late 90s, an era itching to break away from the poetic gloom that the band is often associated with. It reverberates with raw energy and is steeped in lyrical mystery, inviting listeners to decode the kaleidoscopic imagery painted in hues of lime green and tangerine.
Peeling back the layers of ‘Wrong Number’ not only reveals the complexity of its composition but also opens a window into the cerebral labyrinth of its creator, Robert Smith. As we dive into the vivacious verses and choruses, we come to appreciate the ingenuity with which Smith weaves his dark, introspective prose into the fabric of this seemingly upbeat track.
The Vibrant Venom of Lime Green and Tangerine
At the heart of ‘Wrong Number’ exists a psychedelic vignette, awash with the colors of treachery and deceit. The repeated mention of ‘lime green and tangerine’ isn’t an arbitrary choice but a vivid representation of deception and inner turmoil. These ‘sickly sweet colors of the snakes’ and ‘the devil in my dreams’ suggest a conflict between the allure of seduction and the venomous sting of betrayal.
The colors Smith conjures up are unconventional, unsettling even in their brightness, signifying how entanglement in a web of lies can be as disorienting as the dissonance between brightly colored dreams and their dark, underlying meanings.
A Dilemma of Devotion: Trip to the Moon or Descent into Hell?
A key moment in the song is the entreaty, ‘You’ve got to make up your mind and make it soon,’ which lays bare the urgency of choice in the face of ambiguity. The ‘trip to the moon’ symbolizes the pursuit of dreams and aspirations, the ether of ideal love, while the reality of Smith’s experience seems to be shackled to earthbound, devilish figures.
The stark contrast of aspirations and actual experiences creates a tension within the song—and perhaps within the listener as well—a grappling with the dichotomy of what is desired against what is encountered in the soiled and mundane reality.
Twisting Tendrils of Love and Control
One cannot ignore the visceral imagery in ‘She pulls me down just as I’m trying to hide.’ It bespeaks a relationship where one partner exhibits a suffocating hold on the other, a control so tangible that it literally drags the protagonist out of hiding and compels him into the dirt.
In a broader sense, the song wrestles with the concept of love’s captivity versus freedom. The ‘worm’ referenced can be interpreted as the sought after, but often elusive, feeling of being wanted or the basal motives that draw people into dysfunctional relationships.
Digging for the Elusive Bird: A Search for Absolution
The Cure touches upon the motif of redemption with the lines ‘And now I dig it in the dirt / And I’ll be down here for a while.’ The act of digging, associated traditionally with graves, hints at searching for an absolution that lies in a place of finality, a dark resting place for a relationship that is dead or dying.
Continuing this search ‘for a while’ suggests an ongoing battle with the past, a relentless desire to uncover truths and make sense of what has transpired, even if it means wallowing in the earthy recesses of pain and regret.
Disconnected in Communication: The Resounding Wrong Number
The song’s concluding lines, ‘Sorry, wrong number,’ resonate with the misunderstandings and miscommunications that often plague human connections. It’s a bitter acknowledgment that sometimes, no matter how hard one tries to convey a message, the person on the other end may simply not be able (or willing) to receive it.
Furthermore, the repeated assurances to the silent questioner, ‘Are you still there?’ indicate a yearning for connection, punctuated by the irony that the acknowledgment comes too late. The finality of the ‘wrong number’ blurs the lines between mistake and metaphor, symbolizing the futility of reaching out to someone who’s already disconnected.
