Literary Analysis of Primary, by the Cure

Literary Analysis of Primary

by The Cure

Throughout history, the growing up has been the subject of innumerable literary works. And this subject appears yet again in The Cure’s 1981 song Primary. However, in keeping with their dark tradition, Primary is far from a sweet coming of age fairytale. Instead, the idea of growing up is portrayed as a tragically unavoidable loss of innocence.

The opening phrase of the song “The innocence of sleeping children” evokes images of purity and the virtue of youth. The archetypal symbol of innocent children is reinforced in the very next line when the narrator states that the children are “dressed in white”. In this reference, the color white is used to symbolize not only innocence, but also purity.

As we age, we find that life and love have altered our naïve and idealistic views of the world. The narrator introduces this point with the lyrics “Slow my step and start to blur, so many years have filled my heart”. By referencing his heart, the narrator is informing us that this song is not a commentary on intellectual growth, but rather, an emotional transition.

“The further we go, the older we grow, the more we know, the less we show.” is the chorus and indicates that as we progress through life we become older, wiser, and increasingly jaded and disenchanted. These four short end-rhyming lines combine into a powerful chorus which somewhat cryptically informs the viewer as to true meaning of the song. Adding to the effect, with musical accompaniment, these lines give the feeling of a downward spiral; an unavoidable and inescapable fate.

All too often we are guided by our emotions and rush into a relationship wearing our heart on our sleeve. Subsequently, we allow ourselves to become vulnerable and potentially hurt when the infatuation subsides. This idea is expressed in the lines “The very first time I saw your face, I thought of a song and quickly changed the tune. The very first time I touched your skin, I...