The Reasons Why

Album: 4:13 Dream (2008)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • The lyrics for this deceptively poppy song came from a real-life suicide note sent to Cure singer Robert Smith by a fan.
  • Smith originally intended for 4:13 Dream, The Cure's 13th and most recent studio album, to be a double album. The band recorded 33 songs for the project but Smith ultimately decided it would work better as a single CD and selected just 13 tracks.
  • Smith told Rolling Stone how the album came together in the studio from a limited palette of sounds. "We recorded everything together in the same studio. Probably 75 percent of what we've ended up with comes from the very first session we did because it had a really good feel to it. Even though we've refined some of it a bit later and changed the tempos and re-recorded, the bulk of what we've done has actually been our own demos," he explained.

    "The good thing about it sonically is that the slow songs and the fast songs and everything in between all hang together. We have a limited palette of sounds. We only used four keyboard sounds across 33 songs. I've used the same basic instruments. I've used like three amps. The room sounds the same. Even though the songs are very kind of weird and fit together uncomfortably, they do at least have the benefit of sounding the same."
  • The album peaked in #16 in America, where it sold just 97,000 copies. In the UK, it stalled at #33 - their worst chart entry since their 1978 debut, Three Imaginary Boys, went to #44.

Comments: 2

  • Betto from Ciudad De México, MexicoLa película El Rey León (The Lion King) menciona que, al morir, nos vamos a las estrellas. Esta canción me hace reflexionar que las estrellas me llaman y que deje de apegarme a quien no tiene ningún interés en mi. Una canción para divertirse, no para seguirla.
  • Brian from Alluhrst, Nji get the intro to this song confused with the intro from the prefect boy
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Actors With Hit Songs

Actors With Hit SongsMusic Quiz

Many actors have attempted music, but only a few have managed a hit. Do you know which of these thespians charted?

Lori McKenna

Lori McKennaSongwriter Interviews

Lori's songs have been recorded by Faith Hill and Sara Evans. She's performed on the CMAs and on Oprah. She also has five kids.

Who's Johnny, And Why Does He Show Up In So Many Songs

Who's Johnny, And Why Does He Show Up In So Many SongsSong Writing

For songwriters, Johnny represents the American man. He has been angry, cool, magic, a rebel and, of course, marching home.

Reverend Horton Heat

Reverend Horton HeatSongwriter Interviews

The Reverend rants on psychobilly and the egghead academics he bashes in one of his more popular songs.

Chrissie Hynde of The Pretenders

Chrissie Hynde of The PretendersSongwriter Interviews

The rock revolutionist on songwriting, quitting smoking, and what she thinks of Rush Limbaugh using her song.

The End Of The Rock Era

The End Of The Rock EraSong Writing

There are no more rock stars - the last one died in 1994.