The innocence of sleeping children
Dressed in white
And slowly dreaming
Stops all time
I slow my steps and start to blur
So many years have filled my heart
I never thought I'd say those words
The further we go
And older we grow
The more we know
The less we show
The very first time I saw your face
I thought of a song
And quickly changed the tune
The very first time I touched your skin
I thought of a story
And rushed to reach the end
Too soon
Oh remember
Please
Don't change
And so the fall came
Thirteen years
A shiny ring
And how I could forget your name
The air no longer in my throat
Another perfect lie is choked
But it always feels the same
So they close together
Dressed in red and yellow
Innocent forever
Sleeping children in their blue soft rooms
Still dream...
Dressed in white
And slowly dreaming
Stops all time
I slow my steps and start to blur
So many years have filled my heart
I never thought I'd say those words
And older we grow
The more we know
The less we show
I thought of a song
And quickly changed the tune
The very first time I touched your skin
I thought of a story
And rushed to reach the end
Too soon
Please
Don't change
Thirteen years
A shiny ring
And how I could forget your name
The air no longer in my throat
Another perfect lie is choked
But it always feels the same
Dressed in red and yellow
Innocent forever
Sleeping children in their blue soft rooms
Still dream...
Add your song meanings, interpretations, facts, memories & more to the community.
A set of gauzy, indistinct impressions of the contrast between the time before first love and the time after it. The singer drops a couple of spare references to his own such transition and finds absolutely nothing positive to say about it.
"Primary" means first, and so it's a reference to first love and first sex -- "reach the end too soon" is a stereotyped failure of a boy's first sexual encounter.
"Primary" also refers to precisely three colors, and they are all mentioned in the last stanza. In art, one may see them as the pure colors one begins with, which mix to create the others. So the primary colors in which these children dress and live are the last purity they'll know in life before things become more complex.
The driving bass of the song seems to alienate the tortured lyrics -- a perfect match to the lyrics. This is maybe the quintessential Cure song.
Well said!
Well said!
I agree
I agree
@rikdad101@yahoo.com
@rikdad101@yahoo.com
always thought it was more a reference to the primary colours that are mentioned, albeit your reference could also work in tandem
always thought it was more a reference to the primary colours that are mentioned, albeit your reference could also work in tandem
Love held back by existensialist angst?
@Aries Ontological insecurity
@Aries Ontological insecurity
Forgot to add what Smith said about Primary:
"Toying with the idea that it may be better to die very young, innocent and dreaming...or even to murder as a gift..."
@monster36604 yet-t-t-t-h-h-h-h-h
@monster36604 yet-t-t-t-h-h-h-h-h
The chorus says it all, really. It's about how people change as they grow older, how they become wiser and more immune to being hurt, while young children still retain the capacity to be idealistic. My interpretation anyway. What I like best, though, is the fact that this song actually tells a story instead of trying to convey feeling via pure repetition.
Primary was first played as "Cold Colours". Except for the chorus, the lyrics were different. I read somewhere that it was dedicated to Ian Curtis. ??? Don't know if its true. One of The Cure's best.
Yeah it is. According to Wikipedia Rob used to dedicate it to him before they sang it in the early days. Given what's written below about him saying it's about dying young would mean that makes sense too...
Yeah it is. According to Wikipedia Rob used to dedicate it to him before they sang it in the early days. Given what's written below about him saying it's about dying young would mean that makes sense too...
@monster36604 he's recently said on a radio interview that it's probably NOW more about Kylie minogue
@monster36604 he's recently said on a radio interview that it's probably NOW more about Kylie minogue
Yes, he really does!
great song grinding guitar and bass make this song a perfect cure song!!!!
oops...I'm the songwriter tech. I wrote this song about the angels in the ethers when their innocent children of the LORD.
perhaps being in a relationship for the wrong reasons?
@lokithecat
@lokithecat
isn't that THE definition of a relationship
isn't that THE definition of a relationship
This song is about falling in love, and trying to push it away because of past bad experiences.
Then the regrets kick in.