I’m not sure if there’s a band that I can claim as my favorite of all time, because the reality is I have a different favorite every day. This process of choosing one favorite over all others seems futile. But, for me, The Cure, is about as close as it gets. For me, their music is irreplaceable. There are things that I feel when I put on a Cure record that I can’t experience with anything else. For the month of June, I hope to share some of this as a I cover a different Cure song each day – counting down from #30 to #1. And, in this case, I have no qualms stating my #1. #30DaysofTheCure
U.S. original release: Disintegration (1989) - Track 9
Ranking: 6
The task of picking my favorite tracks from Disintegration is a lot like splitting hairs. They’re all so good. Truth is, any one of them could’ve ranked as high as #6 on my list of Top 30 Cure songs. Disintegration is one of the most cohesive and exceptional albums I’ve ever heard. Fans often comment on how it’s a perfect rainy day album. This is largely due to two things: the introspective nature of the music and the lyrical preoccupation with water. I will say this about “The Same Deep Water As You” though. Of all the tracks, it’s simultaneously the most morose and the most majestic song on the album. And that’s saying something.
Like many Cure songs, the guitars on this track are laying bare all the emotions of the protagonist in the lyrics. It could be a song about suicide. Or it could be a song about sticking through a relationship that has no positive end in sight. The song’s meaning almost doesn’t matter at all. It’s not about what the song is trying to say, it’s about how it makes you feel. Those ceremoniously monolithic synth notes. The cascading guitar riff that drips, ripples and leaks into your soul. And Robert letting out the words like his final gasp for air before the water level rises over his head. “The Same Deep Water As You” reminds us to embrace every feeling and emotion and give them their proper moment.
“Kiss me goodbye, pushing out before I sleep. Can't you see I try? Swimming the same deep water as you is hard.”