The Cure - Lullaby

Music Video Analysis

According to Diane Railton and Paul Watson's book ‘Music Video And The Politics Of Representation’ The Cure’s Lullaby music video is a Art music video. Although it has aspects of staged performance and a narrative, it does not clearly show either of these without using an artistic input.

This video is based on the type of scary childish stories that your parents would tell you when your little of the ‘Boogeyman’ coming to get you if you don’t go to sleep. In this video The Cure have made their own version of this story, but instead called the monster the ‘Spiderman’. It is a fairly simplistic video, with no fancy post production editing. This is one of the reasons the video stood out to me, as it is interesting, and quite surreal looking without the use of artificial editing.

As Andrew Goodwin states in his book ‘Dancing In The Distraction Factory’, there has been a demand on the record company to include many close up shots of the lead singer. In these shots we are able to see Robert Smith in his trademark style of smeared red lipstick, black eyes, pale skin, and messy black hair. Again, as Andrew Goodwin says, this provides Robert Smith with his own star iconography, as he is well known for his love of make-up, and gothic looking appearance.

Throughout the first few shots of the video we are introduced to the narrative. Robert Smith has been dressed in stripy pyjamas, and is shot in an oversized bed, in a small child’s room. This is to show that he is playing the part of the child who is scared of the ‘Spiderman’. The only lighting in this shot is on Robert Smiths face, and it has been framed so we are able to see the dark, dingy background. This is to give the feel of there being a monster lurking in the shadows, and to generally make it creepy looking.

Again, in this shot, as Andrew Goodwin states, there has been a link between the lyrics and the visuals. In these two shots we see Robert Smith looking to the corner of the room, and then see a shot of a spider in the corner of the room, with the lyrics at this point being ‘and suddenly a movement in the corner of the room’.

Secondly, we also see in this shot a link between the lyrics and the visuals. In this shot Robert Smith is being eaten by a giant black spider, with the lyrics at this point being ‘and I feel like I’m being eaten by a thousand million shivering furry holes’.

In these shots we are able to see the childish representation of the singer Robert Smith. These shots are particularly important as they represent the imagination of a child's mind. In the first two shots we are able to see the marching band member, and the ‘Spiderman’ standing outside of the child's bedroom window. In the last shot we are able to see the scared face of Robert Smith, portraying the child's fear that something is outside of the house trying to get in to eat him.

Again, this link to being a child has been continued through the costumes of the other band members. They have the appearance of being a toy soldier marching band that have came to life. This is maybe used to represent the childish imagination of Robert Smith coming to life at night time, and seeing his toys as being alive and real.

The Cure

Toy marching band

In The Cure’s music video they also contain the aspect of staged performance. However, what makes it different from other music videos is the fact that they have tried to blend it in in an artistic way. For example, these shots are all medium close ups of the other band members. They have been made to look like a marching band, and are playing different instruments to what they actually play in The Cure. They are also covered in spider webs to represent that the ‘Spiderman’ has already got to them.

As Andrew Goodwin states, there is a link between the music and the visuals in these shots. Although the band are not playing the usual instruments that they play in The Cure they are however playing the new instruments to the beat of the song.

Lastly, they have identified themselves as being members of The Cure by matching the lead singer Robert Smith’s style by wearing black eye make-up, and having a pale complexion. This makes them easily identifiable as members of the band.