“Catch” by The Cure
British pop rock band, The Cure’s, 1987 hit song “Catch”, featured on Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me, describes the story of a woman Robert Smith “think[s] [he] used to know”, as he is reminded by the presence of a new woman in his life. The song’s name, “Catch” refers to the way Smith pines for this woman, yet “never even caught her name.” The comparison of these two women represent Smith’s inability to move on from his former lover.
Situated in late 20th-century Britain, “Catch” demonstrated significant musical innovation in the genre of rock through its distinctive sound and introspective lyrics. The Cure notably releases songs similar to “Catch,” emoting feelings of love, yearning, and desire. The band does so through a typically upbeat sub-genre of rock. In “Catch”, this poppy aspect shines through particularly in the vocals. The song begins with Smith singing in the form of a capella: “doo doo, doo doo, doo doo doo”. The cheerful vocals contrast with the guitars, bass, and drums, falling more seemly to the genre of rock the band accompanies Smith with.
