About The Song
“Close to Me” is a song by English rock band the Cure, released in September 1985 as the second and final single from their sixth album, The Head on the Door.
Three versions of “Close to Me” were released in 1985, including the original album version, the 7-inch single mix version and the 12-inch extended mix version. The original album version does not feature the brass section part which was later added in the mix for the single version and the extended version.
The music video is written and directed by the band’s frequent music video director Tim Pope. It consists of the band all inside a wardrobe on the edge of a cliff at Beachy Head.
Following the musical scheme of the song, which builds up instrumentally, all the band members are inside the wardrobe, but not playing instruments. Boris Williams is clapping to the beat, keyboardist Lol Tolhurst is playing a very small, handheld keyboard, and Porl Thompson on the top shelf is plucking a comb to represent the short high sounds in the song. Bassist Simon Gallup does not play, and instead appears to be tied up. Tim Pope later revealed that Gallup had a light bulb in his mouth to create a “lit from within” feel, and the cloth was there to hide the wire.
Robert Smith then comes from the back of the wardrobe and sings, also playing with finger puppets, which appear to be voodoo dolls of the band members, as when he moves them, the corresponding member moves. He then becomes more violent with the dolls, shaking them around heavily, which in turn causes the band members to hit into the sides of the wardrobe, which eventually results in the wardrobe falling off the cliff and into the sea. As they go into the sea, the wardrobe fills up slowly with water, like a capsized ship, but the band members continue to play their “instruments.” The video ends with the wardrobe full of water and a band member pushing a rubber duck across the screen.
The music video was rated 13th on the 20 to One TV show, aired on Australia’s Nine Network on 4 March 2007, which rated the most distinctive music videos.[citation needed]
Robert Smith said of making the video: “It was the most uncomfortable 12 hours that I’ve ever spent. He [Tim Pope] ended up dropping the wardrobe – with us still in it – into a huge tank filled with 1000 gallons of water. Watching it you’d think it was fun, but all I could think about was dying a slow, painful death”.
“Close to Me” was released on 13 September 1985 as the second single from the band’s sixth album, The Head on the Door. The single peaked at number seven in Australia and number 24 in the UK singles chart. It was remixed in 1990 for their remix album Mixed Up, and the remix was released as a single, peaking at number 13 on the UK singles chart and number 97 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the US in January 1991.
Video
Lyrics
I’ve waited hours for this
I’ve made myself so sick
I wish I’d stayed
Asleep today
I never thought this day would end
I never thought tonight could ever be
This close to me
Just try to see in the dark
Just try to make it work
To feel the fear
Before you’re here
I make the shapes come much too close
I pull my eyes out
Hold my breath and wait
Until I sha-ha-ha-hake
But if I had your faith
Then I could make it safe and clean
Oh if only I was sure
That my head on the door was a dre-ea-eam
I’ve waited hours for this
I’ve made myself so sick
I wish I’d stayed
Asleep today
I never thought this day would end
I never thought tonight could ever be
This close to me
But if I had your face
Then I could make it safe and clean
Oh if only I was sure
That my head on the door was a dre-ea-eam