Pictures of You

The Cure

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 wider than snow
You 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
My pictures of you


Lyrics submitted by oofus, edited by Mellow_Harsher, Misstera, markydissod, Kitten1977

Pictures of You Lyrics as written by Simon Gallup Robert James Smith

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.

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Pictures of You song meanings
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126 Comments

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  • +25
    General Commentdo you remember the first person you feel in love with? really, fell in love with? trusted with everything? do you remember the rush of hormones? the intensity? do you remember how it felt when it ended? the raw pain, the raw ache. you never hurt the same about anyone again. you'll never feel exactly the same about anyone else, again. there are new loves, different loves, but none that compare to your first love. the first cut is always the worst because you haven't learned how to cope and defend yourself from the pain yet.

    that is what this song makes me think of- but in a poetic, elegantly painful kind of way.
    mochi_keion February 12, 2011   Link
  • +17
    General CommentThis song is of great personal importance to me. I was with someone back in the 80's for over 6 years. Because I was young and foolish, I let him go. After many years of regret and one failed marriage, I decided to take action. I put this song (and a few others) on an iPod shuffle and Fedexed it to him at work, praying that his Admin wouldn't intercept the pacakge.

    There was no note, just a PostIt with a big question mark on it. I figured if he was still as hung up on me as I was on him, he would know who it was from. We reconnected shortly afterwards and have been together ever since. We initially wanted to have this song as the first song at our Wedding, but decided against it as it was just too personal and also because it is a sad song. Instead we had True by Spandeau Ballet.
    AprylMon December 19, 2010   Link
  • +10
    General Commentits probably another song in referal to his drowned love??
    ( i place question marks simply as this is a new revelation to me about robert smith .. i dont study him i just happen to have listened to his music for years)

    why this song means so much to me???
    my husband died a few years back now and its kinda scarey in a way to have a song so close to how it feels when i drag out the old album.. i couldn;t ever hold onto his heart as he died the night after we dicussed seperation..
    "remembering you fallen into my arms.. and screamed at the make believe".. he was a big drinker
    "you were stone white so delicate lost in the cold"...and one night just before he died i found him outside in the dark naked and cold and shivering and bruised..
    the night he died i told him not to go .. not to get on his bike.. he didn;t wish to leave either but said he had to but
    "if only i thought of the right words"
    even though he was an alcoholic he was still an amazing person .. just lost..
    slow drowned
    you were angels
    so much more than everything
    hold for the last time then slip away quietly
    he finally found all his courage to let it all go.
    Ratzodyon September 15, 2002   Link
  • +10
    General CommentThis song reminds me so much of a girlfriend I had in high school 9 years ago that I cant get out of my mind. She loved The Cure and I hated them, now I love them because their songs remind me of her and how I should have never treated her like crap. So if you're out there Alissa, I'm sorry, I was young and dumb and I still have these pictures of you.
    eternally_downon December 25, 2004   Link
  • +5
    General Comment"I've been looking so long at these pictures of you, That I almost believe that they're real." I love having pictures, but it is hard not to have anything to go with them.

    This is a song about regret, not being able to find the right words, missing opportunities, asking too much. All he has left are his pictures of her.
    ChaosFluro24on September 12, 2002   Link
  • +3
    General Commentbigger and brighter and WHITER than snow. thanx.
    get up kidon May 31, 2002   Link
  • +2
    General Commenti think it's about death .. someone died and he misses them. tha'ts how i see it..
    emogreenon April 25, 2003   Link
  • +2
    General CommentOne thing all Cure fans must do, as hard as it may be, is to disregard everything Robert Smiths says about The Cure. He makes stories up. I'm a huge Cure fan, and i'm not trying to step on anyone's toes... but it's true. Let's all find the meaning together... but most importantly, find the meaning that means something to YOU!
    bradleybon December 18, 2004   Link
  • +2
    General CommentWhat impresses me most about this song is the things he manages to say without saying them...

    Does any song better say both "I love you," and/or "I miss you" without actually using those words?
    TheSilverNobleon June 22, 2006   Link
  • +2
    General Commentmaybe it's about having to watch someone change, and still being in love with whoever they used to be?
    if someone you're really attached changes a lot, you do go through an experience of loss, even if the person is still physically near you.

    it would work with the "pictures of you" image (he's only in love with the memories of her, but still needs her -- "the pictures are all i can feel"), or the "remembering you, how you used to be" or "crying for the dearth of your heart".
    waffles!on September 01, 2007   Link

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