Today I found a poem written with this song as inspiration. I pressed play and read it, whisper-out-loud, to myself. Music is such a memory trigger, but so is past writing. Reading it I felt both back in my skin in the days the poem was about, and in the aftermath bittersweet days that I wrote it in. I wonder if I’ll always remember that way. If I won’t need names to remember who it was written about. If I will still be able to hear the ice cold winds, hear the crunch of the snow under my feet, feel my numb fingertips warmed in each other’s pockets, and held hands.

This song has meant other things to me, from other times. The album “A Letter To Elise” is on – Wish – was released the year I became a mother. The year so many things happened, and un-happened. Years can do that sometimes. Things are built. Things are broken. We change in so many ways – yet we can still recall ourselves, because in some ways we do not change at all.

“A Letter To Elise” by The Cure
Song of the Day

“A Letter To Elise” by The Cure – from the album, Wish (1992)

“And the promises broke.
And the make-believe ran out.”

I used to think this song was sung from a heartbroken point of view, but listening to it now, singing-a-long, I think its actually from the point of view of a breaker of hearts. There’s pain here, regret, but there is release, too. Being the breaker hurts, too. Being the breaker is fucking hard.

The Cure

“A Letter To Elise” was the third single released from The Cure’s 1992 album, Wish. The song has been said to be a direct reference to Kafka’s “Letters to Felice”, which Robert Smith has said her drew inspiration from when recording. (from Genius)

Robert Smith also gives nod to Jean Cocteau’s novel, “The Holy Terrors” as inspiration, as well as David Bowie’s song, “A Letter to Hermione”. He’s called it a stream of consciousness’ piece about resignation in the face of inevitable change. (from Songfacts)

Yes, definitely a song sung by the breaker.

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