If only I’d thought of the right words/
I wouldn’t be breaking apart/
All my pictures of you.

We are not clear whether The Cure’s “Pictures of You” are physical photographs or thoughts in his mind, but nonetheless, the picture are of an ex love and he begins to reminisce. Perhaps he looks at photographs and he begins to picture past events in his mind. He remembers standing in the rain holding her close and kissing as she was afraid. He remembers running after her in the snow as she laughed. He remembers good times.

But there were bad times too. He remembers struggling to hold on to her while she tearfully told him she didn’t love him anymore. He remembers how white she looked. If he only had the right words to turn her heart around. And now the narrator feels like he has lost everything. It leaves him wanting to smash these pictures to pieces.

The lyrics in The Cure’s “Pictures of You” are nuanced and mature and a strength of the song. The song sounds like a mixture between The Smiths and The Cars. The unique sound comes from the accent and voice of lead singer of Robert Smith. He sounds pained as he sings this song, and that connection to the song is what makes it work. Electric guitars are used for both rhythm and lead and also a synthesizer.  Very 80s sounding. However, the song manages to transcend the typical trite 80s sound with a resonant message, great melody and well-delivered vocal.

Pictures of You Lyrics

I’ve been looking so long at these pictures of you
That I almost believe that they’re real
I’ve been living so long with my pictures of you
That I almost believe that the pictures
Are all I can feel

Remembering you standing quiet in the rain
As I ran to your heart to be near
And we kissed as the sky fell in
Holding you close
How I always held close in your fear
Remembering you running soft through the night
You were bigger and brighter and whiter than snow
And screamed at the make-believe
Screamed at the sky
And you finally found all your courage
To let it all go

Remembering you fallen into my arms
Crying for the death of your heart
You were stone white
So delicate
Lost in the cold
You were always so lost in the dark
Remembering you how you used to be
Slow drowned
You were angels
So much more than everything
Hold for the last time then slip away quietly
Open my eyes
But I never see anything

If only I’d thought of the right words
I could have held on to your heart
If only I’d thought of the right words
I wouldn’t be breaking apart
All my pictures of you

Looking so long at these pictures of you
But I never hold on to your heart
Looking so long for the words to be true
But always just breaking apart
My pictures of you

There was nothing in the world
That I ever wanted more
Than to feel you deep in my heart
There was nothing in the world
That I ever wanted more
Than to never feel the breaking apart
All my pictures of you

Songwriters: Robert James Smith / Simon Gallup / Roger O’donnell / Porl Thompson / Laurence Andrew Tolhurst / Boris Williams