@@fandzejka9540They we’re around at the same time, and more post-punk in their early years. There are similarities in a few songs by both - and quite a few other bands.
Fan of Camus, Sartell, and their writings. Never figured the song for hate mongering, as Mr. Smith is too kind a person for such crap. Loved it then and love it now.❤
I really need to read it. I read another book of his about a plague outbreak in Tunisia that examines the social implications of such a thing and people coming to terms with mortality and the arbitrariness of fate (it's been years but I think those were important parts of it), but I have yet to read The Stranger.
Omg you know what's weird before I knew about it being misunderstood, I never misunderstood it! If you look at the rest of the words and what the cure is all about, its easy to get the real meaning! I love the cure 💛
Thats supposed to be part of the magic or lyrics, theyre completely bendable and can mean different things to different people. But when that interpretation is targeted anger everyone forgets that first part. I love bands that specifically tried to piss everyone off like gg allin and the mentors.
That's the very first song I heard from The Cure back in 83..... Standing On A Beach on cassette is the best compilation, put out in the 80's... Lonely As An Eyesore is in 2nd place....
Charlotte Sometimes by The Cure was released on a 1981 New Romantic compilation album called Modern Dance . The Cure have always distanced themselves from that movement?
OFFS - you can try to address many problems with human beings such as racism or sexism, but as this story proves there's no fixing stupid. The idea that anyone could see the title of this song and think it was an incitement to kill Arabs proves that.
noy if addressing those problems means comittng to exceptions of free speech, that shits absolute brotha. words arent oppressing you, at best other humans are. Not words.
I agree with Robert, though, that he should have titled it differently, because it’s when you really hear the lyrics that you know it’s not promoting killing anyone - not when you read the title
My fave Cure "album" is "Standing on a beach" which is mostly (or all?) B-sides and it starts with "Killing an Arab". Same as with Ice-T and "Cop Killa" people lacking high intelligence latch onto the name and refuse to listen further to understand that the message of the song is something much different. And in the case of the Cure totally innocent...
there are no b-sides on this record, it's all of their singles from 1979 to 1986 it was followed by galore in 1998 with all the singles from 1987 to 1998 all the b-sides and some rarities/demos are on the 4 disc compilation join the dots also, japanese whispers is a compilation of the non-album singles let's go to bed, the walk and lovecats together with their accompanying b-sides
The song is a historical song from a book. The live version from back in the 70s is one of my favorite videos. People need to start reading again and get an education so they'd know this.
This resonates at the beginnings of societies contemporary inability to understand nuance and literary devices. This destructive societal affliction has occurred all in the name of “protecting” societal minorities from defamation and supposed incitement of violence. The ultimate cost is citizens and artists becoming involved in self-censorship, such as in this case. This behaviors only outcome is the cultural death of art which is exactly what we see playing out in the 21st century.
I recently saw The Cure in Vancouver. They polayed this right near the end of the concert and wow what a great concert. Its very true that The Cure write very in depth lyrics and music and good for them for putting an end to the unnecessary bullshit that saroinded the song.
This song has been misused because of it's title and chorus in a similar way that Springsteen's Born in the USA has been misused as a super patriotic hymn (which it definitely is not). It's unfortunate. But the reality is that artists can choose to express themselves with their own intent, but they don't get to choose how people interpret the expression. Sometimes, people just suck.
"Killing an Arab"...You're asking people to look past the title of the song and understand the meaning of the song. The problem is people these days do not think. They have 5 second attention spans so they will see the title and make their conclusion about the song. It's a good song and I like it but it aged like milk.
It's a good song, it's frustrating that bigoted @#$%^^% try to use it in horrible ways. It's cool the Cure did their best to be sensitive to the problems with idiots misinterpreting it.
I’ve been listening to it for DECADES! I love this Song, and never saw it as anything to pull from the shelves, burn at the library! The Music is Insanely Cool, and I have addiction emotions to Big Bands like “The Cure” I literally CRAVE, to hear songs of theirs, and this is one of them! Its sad, when Artists are misunderstood….. I ❤the Cure, no matter what! None of them are of bad faith!
If we are gonna go at artist for "offensive" content can we just stop making music. Rap has HORRIBLE and racial content, so does punk so does country so does etc its just now that everyone wants too be goths the softies of tik tok are on strike. Its pathetic. If you dont like someone or something WALK AWAY stop ruining music for the rest. Fan of the cure for almost 20 years now and i Love that song and im a bi Salvadoran woman with native roots. Get over it and stop being offended its ANNOYING
I love the book and I think it's a decent song but I respect the self censorship here. Defending the short sighted writing of your younger self isn't worth the hassle of being labelled a racist even when that clearly wasn't the intention behind the tune.
Just goes to show you that people have getting offended by interpreting things as they want and not in context for decades. I think it's just wrong in music it is 100% censorship. Yeah people can interpret things as they want, but we should never censor things. Ever been to Germany? The land of censorship? Their government is weird. You can't put out certain things, but if you go to the music section it literally says *black music* for rap/hip-hop my friends and I were dying at how racist that was and considering how the government says they are protecting the people.
Haaa, mainstream Americans! Seems they never read past the title of anything, never truly listen to a song, or maybe just don't understand what they hear? 👂🏽🤔 We had "text explanation" class in school, in which each student had to write several pages on what they understood about the mandatory book they had to read... Starting in 3rd grade! The purpose was precisely to avoid this kind of misunderstanding of a text. All Northern Europe have this class, maybe they don't in the US? 😳
I heard this song when I was 15 (2005), far removed from its release. Even at that age, I was smart enough to deduce the song’s meaning. I simply thought it was badass and I still do. Having not known the backstory, my own thought is that it was about someone thrown into a war that they didn’t believe in. It seemed like it was more about losing touch with oneself and the very things that make us human, while simultaneously detesting the ideologies that separate us from one another. Still an awesome song, and I would like it every bit as much if it said “killing a Christian” or “killing a yankee”, because it is clear it is not a song promoting the idea of doing so-it’s almost satire.
Hi, I read the a. Camus novel like 8 or 9 years ago, read it multiple times, I've listened to the cure since I was 14 I think, but didn't hear this song until like 4 or 5 years ago and didn't pay attention then, I've been really paying attention to this song for the last 2 weeks. The conflict that Europe has with the middle east is heavy.
Albert Camus (not Camous), like in 'debut' or 'menu'. I know that these words are often pronounced in the non-french fashion - but at least some of you might know what I mean. In german that sound would be spellt as an Umlaut: 'ü'. 'Albert Camü'
The problem isn't misunderstood lyrics/song meanings, it's how scum uses those misunderstandings. A college DJ played the Cure's song and used the title as an excuse to make derogatory remarks about Arabs at a racially charged time in the country. I remember that, when "One in a Million" came out, a morning DJ out here DIDN'T EVEN PLAY THE SONG, but still used it (because by then everyone had already heard it) as an opportunity to slam homosexuals with thinly-veiled derisive comments.
I wonder if when he was in high school and he wrote this song how much did he really like Arabs? How much does he really like them now? why doesn’t the world condemn Arabs for all the racism and antisemitism and anti-western sentiment? how come it’s only the west that’s held to this standard.?
I never took this song to be specifically about any one group. If any group could be substituted, e.g., Germans, Americans, Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, Ethiopians, Israelis, etc., then it doesn't need to be censored. If they meant specifically Arabs, then that's something else.
I love the cute and will always love them . I have so many good memories being with friends at the skatepark. Not even 2024 will make me hate them nor make me stop listening to them.
The underlying issue is that there are many violent Arabs in Europe (NOT ALL AND I'M SURE THERE ARE MANY GOOD TOO), so that tension is always present, r. Smith touched that tension caused by people that don't face reality and don't close their borders more from people from middle east and Africa.
I really like that song, but if someone uses your creation for evil you have an obligation to destroy it. Maybe if they were a punk band they could have written an equally edgy song like Nazi Punks F Off like the Dead Kennedys did, but I think Robert Smith just wants to make really good pop music.
Well when this track was released the band was more leaning towards a punk/ post punk vibe over the dark wave pop act they eventually transformed into, so thus this song. Hateful and racist people will get what they want out of it despite the authors actual intention and source of inspiration. Personally I prefer the early version of The Cure that mostly rejected pop sensibilities, at least in the conventional ways.
so when antifa kills a skinhead.. by your logic that song should be destroyed. and it hasnt because theres a giant bias. In the US nazis are afforded all the same rights as everyone else and should be allowed to exist without harassment. Its a belief and political and societal system close to communism. Theyre not hurting anyone. Flaunting your hurt emotions is the most soy shit ever. Skrewdriver albums and Bound For Glory albums or Burzum albums all rule and should be explicitly celebrated like the rest of music.
Committees, Orgs & other SJW crap agenices stifled music. I remember how much crap I went thru trying to buy music w/ swearing as a teen in the 90s. Noticed how they care about degenerate booty hoe raps & murder drill music w/ the same energy now. Which is true trash.
It wasnt being PC. There were assholes that requested the DJ at the radio stations to play this song during the Gulf War in 91. Thankfully the DJ was saying that he can't play the song in the radiostation and that the person requesting it was being very distasteful.
...and yet it is a great sounding song, I was 13 when I got the ep and at no point did I think it was racist nor did it turn me into a racist....it may have inspired my love of falafel and humus though...not sure.
Here’s the One in a Million video ua-cam.com/video/3LzbmknccXM/v-deo.html
The Cure's early stuff is really dark and eerie. They had their own style and inspired many bands that followed.
Seems to me that in the period they were strongly inspired by Joy Division
Wire or siouxsie and the banshees
Band good, band did things!
@@Wolfi_Draws__Music
The Cure formed in 1978.
Robert Smith played lead guitar with Siouxsie and the Banshees from 1982-84.
@@fandzejka9540They we’re around at the same time, and more post-punk in their early years.
There are similarities in a few songs by both - and quite a few other bands.
Fan of Camus, Sartell, and their writings. Never figured the song for hate mongering, as Mr. Smith is too kind a person for such crap. Loved it then and love it now.❤
@@samanthashine4506 Rob is definitely too nice. Camus really was pretty racist tho.
I will say this song led me to read the stranger. That’s something, right?
That *is* something. Absolutely ! I also read it but for French class.
I also read all of Camus books after hearing this song...
Like you, I read Camus (in French) because of this song. Curiosity > Victimhood
Yes! The Stranger! Good for you mate!
I really need to read it. I read another book of his about a plague outbreak in Tunisia that examines the social implications of such a thing and people coming to terms with mortality and the arbitrariness of fate (it's been years but I think those were important parts of it), but I have yet to read The Stranger.
Omg you know what's weird before I knew about it being misunderstood, I never misunderstood it! If you look at the rest of the words and what the cure is all about, its easy to get the real meaning! I love the cure 💛
Exactly, but how many people actually look for context, I always loved this song for it message and had to explain it to too many people
So many people just don't listen to song lyrics, it's really frustrating
@-Teague- look at Robert's face in the thumbnail. It's a perfect representation of what I feel 😆
People will always misinterpret lyrics, no matter what.
Thats supposed to be part of the magic or lyrics, theyre completely bendable and can mean different things to different people. But when that interpretation is targeted anger everyone forgets that first part. I love bands that specifically tried to piss everyone off like gg allin and the mentors.
Reminds me of when ignorant bigots interpret Peter Gabriel's Not One Of Us as anti-immigration when it is the exact opposite and condemns hatred
@@nwerd7584 Yes. It's all too easy to jump to conclusions about what GG's lyrics really mean.
@@aboutsoundandvision pro replacement? Or anti immigrants? Choose
@@aboutsoundandvisionif you refuse to listen to their point wouldn't that make you a bigot?
That's the very first song I heard from The Cure back in 83..... Standing On A Beach on cassette is the best compilation, put out in the 80's... Lonely As An Eyesore is in 2nd place....
One of the few cassettes I bought, since it included all the B-sides as well.
Charlotte Sometimes by The Cure was released on a 1981 New Romantic compilation album called Modern Dance . The Cure have always distanced themselves from that movement?
Me: "How bad could it be?"
Song Title: "Killing an Arab"
Me: "Oh...I see."
😂
OFFS - you can try to address many problems with human beings such as racism or sexism, but as this story proves there's no fixing stupid. The idea that anyone could see the title of this song and think it was an incitement to kill Arabs proves that.
noy if addressing those problems means comittng to exceptions of free speech, that shits absolute brotha. words arent oppressing you, at best other humans are. Not words.
I agree with Robert, though, that he should have titled it differently, because it’s when you really hear the lyrics that you know it’s not promoting killing anyone - not when you read the title
🎶 It Doesn't Matter If We All Die ! 🎶
Now that's not only how you start a great song, but the whole freakin' record!!!
My fave Cure "album" is "Standing on a beach" which is mostly (or all?) B-sides and it starts with "Killing an Arab". Same as with Ice-T and "Cop Killa" people lacking high intelligence latch onto the name and refuse to listen further to understand that the message of the song is something much different. And in the case of the Cure totally innocent...
It's the best! Such a bummer it isn't on spotify!
there are no b-sides on this record, it's all of their singles from 1979 to 1986
it was followed by galore in 1998 with all the singles from 1987 to 1998
all the b-sides and some rarities/demos are on the 4 disc compilation join the dots
also, japanese whispers is a compilation of the non-album singles let's go to bed, the walk and lovecats together with their accompanying b-sides
@@glOOmyART the original cassette release features the b sides
"Standing On A Beach" is one of the best compilations ever!!
The song is a historical song from a book. The live version from back in the 70s is one of my favorite videos. People need to start reading again and get an education so they'd know this.
Thank you for doing a video on The Cure!
Learn something new every day. Thanks
أنا من المملكة العربية السعودية وهذه واحدة من أغنيتي المفضلة!
You are not. That's a google translated arabic you are using
you’re not an arab
Prince & The Cure raised me. Mindfxck 🖤 A good one, though!
This resonates at the beginnings of societies contemporary inability to understand nuance and literary devices. This destructive societal affliction has occurred all in the name of “protecting” societal minorities from defamation and supposed incitement of violence. The ultimate cost is citizens and artists becoming involved in self-censorship, such as in this case. This behaviors only outcome is the cultural death of art which is exactly what we see playing out in the 21st century.
Plenty of people still make completely uncensored music, not sure what you're talking about
Satire and subtlety are a dead profession in the 21st century
I love that song. Fire in Cairo is another all time favorite
Never explain, never apologise.
My all time favorite band … 1980s high school ❤
I recently saw The Cure in Vancouver. They polayed this right near the end of the concert and wow what a great concert. Its very true that The Cure write very in depth lyrics and music and good for them for putting an end to the unnecessary bullshit that saroinded the song.
This song has been misused because of it's title and chorus in a similar way that Springsteen's Born in the USA has been misused as a super patriotic hymn (which it definitely is not). It's unfortunate. But the reality is that artists can choose to express themselves with their own intent, but they don't get to choose how people interpret the expression. Sometimes, people just suck.
If people actually read a book they would know what this song is about.....lol
READING, ARE YOU REGARDED?? lol
@@nwerd7584 yes I am regarded as stupid actually thank you
My favorite band of all-time. 👏
NEVER APOLOGIZE!
Staring at the sea, staring at the sand
Based The Cure song. Albert Camus' The Stranger is an amazing book. Funny how people miss the while point of the book
It is the song that lead me to the cure. It doesnt mean what simple minded think. It is a deep look at the human condition
They used to play it all through the 80s in california...on radio..i used to hear it alot...
That's the problem with incendiary titles of songs, they get attention but for the wrong reason
Same thing with Body Count doing "Cop Killer"
Dont judge a book by its cover / Don’t judge a song by its title
I'm Mexican American I've been called racist names. Never once did I think this song was racist.
you don’t get to decide if it’s racist or not because you’re NOT an Arab.
This is why i only listen to Skrewdriver. No misinterpretation there.
Brethren
I just wish Robert would take himself more seriously.
This song is great. Take it for what it is... inspired by a book. Stop clutching pearls.
"Killing an Arab"...You're asking people to look past the title of the song and understand the meaning of the song. The problem is people these days do not think. They have 5 second attention spans so they will see the title and make their conclusion about the song. It's a good song and I like it but it aged like milk.
Agree with everything except it’s still a good song.
More Cure Stories!
It's a good song, it's frustrating that bigoted @#$%^^% try to use it in horrible ways. It's cool the Cure did their best to be sensitive to the problems with idiots misinterpreting it.
I’ve been listening to it for DECADES! I love this Song, and never saw it as anything to pull from the shelves, burn at the library!
The Music is Insanely Cool, and I have addiction emotions to Big Bands like
“The Cure”
I literally CRAVE, to hear songs of theirs, and this is one of them!
Its sad, when Artists are misunderstood…..
I ❤the Cure, no matter what!
None of them are of bad faith!
Nur diese Sorgen hätte ich gerne, ich wäre der glücklichste Mensch auf Erden
Yeah some people only have to worry about being killed simply because of where they were born or their ethnic background.
If we are gonna go at artist for "offensive" content can we just stop making music. Rap has HORRIBLE and racial content, so does punk so does country so does etc its just now that everyone wants too be goths the softies of tik tok are on strike. Its pathetic. If you dont like someone or something WALK AWAY stop ruining music for the rest. Fan of the cure for almost 20 years now and i Love that song and im a bi Salvadoran woman with native roots. Get over it and stop being offended its ANNOYING
I love the book and I think it's a decent song but I respect the self censorship here. Defending the short sighted writing of your younger self isn't worth the hassle of being labelled a racist even when that clearly wasn't the intention behind the tune.
Just goes to show you that people have getting offended by interpreting things as they want and not in context for decades. I think it's just wrong in music it is 100% censorship. Yeah people can interpret things as they want, but we should never censor things. Ever been to Germany? The land of censorship? Their government is weird. You can't put out certain things, but if you go to the music section it literally says *black music* for rap/hip-hop my friends and I were dying at how racist that was and considering how the government says they are protecting the people.
Haaa, mainstream Americans! Seems they never read past the title of anything, never truly listen to a song, or maybe just don't understand what they hear? 👂🏽🤔
We had "text explanation" class in school, in which each student had to write several pages on what they understood about the mandatory book they had to read... Starting in 3rd grade! The purpose was precisely to avoid this kind of misunderstanding of a text. All Northern Europe have this class, maybe they don't in the US? 😳
hating hate is the only hate acceptable. lmao
How's that migrant invasion going for you?
Nope, we don’t 🤦🏻♀️
You can’t change history. I still have this CD 🖤 My favorite song by The Cure .
I heard this song when I was 15 (2005), far removed from its release. Even at that age, I was smart enough to deduce the song’s meaning. I simply thought it was badass and I still do. Having not known the backstory, my own thought is that it was about someone thrown into a war that they didn’t believe in. It seemed like it was more about losing touch with oneself and the very things that make us human, while simultaneously detesting the ideologies that separate us from one another.
Still an awesome song, and I would like it every bit as much if it said “killing a Christian” or “killing a yankee”, because it is clear it is not a song promoting the idea of doing so-it’s almost satire.
Hi, I read the a. Camus novel like 8 or 9 years ago, read it multiple times, I've listened to the cure since I was 14 I think, but didn't hear this song until like 4 or 5 years ago and didn't pay attention then, I've been really paying attention to this song for the last 2 weeks. The conflict that Europe has with the middle east is heavy.
Stupid people can see hate in everything.
It doesn't matter the intention of the author, Smith and Camus.
2:45 France 2023...
Please support free speech and free expression
That thumbnail of R. Is a carbon copy of one of my sleep paralysis demons 😮
Still have my original copy of the 7"
I love that song AND the book
I have their compilation album in cassette tapes.
The instant I saw the title of this vid I said in my head "Killing an Arab?" lol.
Albert Camus (not Camous), like in 'debut' or 'menu'. I know that these words are often pronounced in the non-french fashion - but at least some of you might know what I mean. In german that sound would be spellt as an Umlaut: 'ü'. 'Albert Camü'
❤❤❤The Cure❤❤❤
Great video.
Whatever, - we knew what it actually meant but we still used it for alt-right purposes lol
The problem isn't misunderstood lyrics/song meanings, it's how scum uses those misunderstandings. A college DJ played the Cure's song and used the title as an excuse to make derogatory remarks about Arabs at a racially charged time in the country. I remember that, when "One in a Million" came out, a morning DJ out here DIDN'T EVEN PLAY THE SONG, but still used it (because by then everyone had already heard it) as an opportunity to slam homosexuals with thinly-veiled derisive comments.
I really wish they’d release the new album, does anyone know a release date yet?
it's out now
Still my favorite Cure song. It's about a Camus novel. But idiots take things at face value.
I read the damn book. Read The Stranger by Albert Camus written in 1941.
The best band in the world!
Robert Smith not only did nothing wrong, he tried to correct it. When are smart people going to learn that you can't fix stupid?
I wonder if when he was in high school and he wrote this song how much did he really like Arabs? How much does he really like them now? why doesn’t the world condemn Arabs for all the racism and antisemitism and anti-western sentiment? how come it’s only the west that’s held to this standard.?
You’re why this song is censored.
I saw them a month ago and this was the last song they played.
Did they change the lyrics in any way?
One of my favourite The Cure songs
The first album I bought with an advisory sticker. Even before rap music.
Rush had to defend their "fascist" lyrics in 2112 for decades.
Was it on the Faith album
I never took this song to be specifically about any one group. If any group could be substituted, e.g., Germans, Americans, Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, Ethiopians, Israelis, etc., then it doesn't need to be censored. If they meant specifically Arabs, then that's something else.
I wasn't aware of the controversy, but I figured this song wouldn't play now because the title is policaly incorrect.
It was this dong that made me like the cure in the first place. I still jam it
5:00 One of the alternate titles is even worse lol.
Love this song 🎵 ❤️
I love the cute and will always love them . I have so many good memories being with friends at the skatepark. Not even 2024 will make me hate them nor make me stop listening to them.
Goated song and nothing else 🙏
The Cure did the right thing here.
This is what happens when you have an illiterate world.
We saw this coming decades ago!
The underlying issue is that there are many violent Arabs in Europe (NOT ALL AND I'M SURE THERE ARE MANY GOOD TOO), so that tension is always present, r. Smith touched that tension caused by people that don't face reality and don't close their borders more from people from middle east and Africa.
Reminds me of the Richards at Rocket when they split...
I've read the book.
Love this song always have
Great song tho
I really like that song, but if someone uses your creation for evil you have an obligation to destroy it. Maybe if they were a punk band they could have written an equally edgy song like Nazi Punks F Off like the Dead Kennedys did, but I think Robert Smith just wants to make really good pop music.
Well when this track was released the band was more leaning towards a punk/ post punk vibe over the dark wave pop act they eventually transformed into, so thus this song. Hateful and racist people will get what they want out of it despite the authors actual intention and source of inspiration. Personally I prefer the early version of The Cure that mostly rejected pop sensibilities, at least in the conventional ways.
so when antifa kills a skinhead.. by your logic that song should be destroyed. and it hasnt because theres a giant bias. In the US nazis are afforded all the same rights as everyone else and should be allowed to exist without harassment. Its a belief and political and societal system close to communism. Theyre not hurting anyone. Flaunting your hurt emotions is the most soy shit ever. Skrewdriver albums and Bound For Glory albums or Burzum albums all rule and should be explicitly celebrated like the rest of music.
Committees, Orgs & other SJW crap agenices stifled music. I remember how much crap I went thru trying to buy music w/ swearing as a teen in the 90s.
Noticed how they care about degenerate booty hoe raps & murder drill music w/ the same energy now. Which is true trash.
Please get a pop filter for your microphone
I thought it was a reference to Camus?
let's play
He had stalkers.
I Love this Song.
C'est pour Albert camus. Quand même!.
The Stranger...
F being pc getting sick of this bs
It wasnt being PC. There were assholes that requested the DJ at the radio stations to play this song during the Gulf War in 91. Thankfully the DJ was saying that he can't play the song in the radiostation and that the person requesting it was being very distasteful.
That's the right song for tye present times!!
Love the song !!!!!
...and yet it is a great sounding song, I was 13 when I got the ep and at no point did I think it was racist nor did it turn me into a racist....it may have inspired my love of falafel and humus though...not sure.