Released 15 November 1982 Genre New wave
pop
synthpop Label Fiction | Format 7"
12" Length 3:33 | |
Writer(s) Laurence Tolhurst
Robert Smith | ||
"Let's Go to Bed" is a song by English rock band The Cure, released as a stand-alone single in November 1982. In the aftermath of the dark Pornography, Robert Smith returned from a month-long detox in the Lake District to write the song, the antithesis to what The Cure currently represented. It later appeared on the album Japanese Whispers.
Contents
Written as a sarcastic reflection on sexual imagery in pop music, the single was a minor success in the UK (peaking at number 44) but was a Top 20 hit in both Australia and New Zealand in 1983, reaching respectively number 15 and number 17.
History
The origins of "Let's Go to Bed" lie in "Temptation", one of the demos for Pornography. The song is a relatively upbeat, guitar-driven instrumental. In August 1982, soon after Simon Gallup's departure from the band, Smith demoed a vocal version of the track, entitled "Temptation Two", a psychedelic piece not far removed from the Pornography album but somewhat lighter in tone. At the end of the song, Smith sings a string of wordless syllables, nearly identical to the "doo doo doo"s of the later song. The song version was debuted on Kid Jensen's radio show on 27 November 1982, as a take which was very close to the final version that appeared as a single in the same month.
Robert Smith has often stated that he wished its B-side, the darker "Just One Kiss" (also first performed during the session), was released as a single.
On 15 March 1983, the song was the first broadcast for the pioneering Boston, Massachusetts-based alternative rock radio station WFNX. When WFNX was sold and ceased broadcasting on 20 July 2012, "Let's Go to Bed" was selected as the station's final broadcast.
Music video
The song's music video was the band's first collaboration with Tim Pope, who would go on to direct several more videos for the group. The video features members Robert Smith and Lol Tolhurst, who at that point were the only members of the Cure - the only instance in the band's history where the band officially had a two-person lineup.
Track listing
- "Let's Go to Bed" (3:35)
- "Just One Kiss" (4:10)
- "Let's Go to Bed (Extended Mix)" (7:04)
- "Just One Kiss (Extended Mix)" (7:02)
- "Let's Go to Bed" (3:34)
- "Boys Don't Cry" (2:36)
- "Let's Go to Bed" (7:45)
- "Just One Kiss" (7:18)
- "Let's Go to Bed (Edit)" (3:35)
Personnel
Ivy version
The song was covered by New York pop band Ivy for their 2002 album Guestroom. The music video for the cover features a brief appearance by The Smashing Pumpkins' James Iha, also known for his love for, and his own covers of, The Cure. Los Angeles rock band The Dreaming have also covered "Let's Go to Bed".