Synopsis

The Cure perform "Lovesong" inside a dark, dreamlike cave illuminated in shifting blue and purple light. Robert Smith sings from within the cavern while the other members appear in separate rocky spaces, giving the performance an intimate yet slightly surreal atmosphere. Water drips from the artificial stalactites as the camera moves between close-ups of Smith and wider shots of the band. The visual simplicity keeps the focus on the song's direct romantic feeling, while the handmade cave set adds a distinctly theatrical Cure mood.

Factoids & Trivia

• The video was filmed during the break between the European and American legs of The Cure's 1989 Prayer Tour. The band members were reportedly not enthusiastic about giving up part of their time off for a song they did not expect to become a major hit.

• The original plan was to film inside Cheddar Gorge, a cave system in Somerset, England. Permission could not be obtained, so the cave environment was rebuilt in a London studio.

• The artificial stalagmites were made from polystyrene and plaster, then painted and treated to resemble rock. Keyboardist Roger O'Donnell later said he kept one of the fake stalagmites.

• The band members were filmed in separate sections of the set. O'Donnell recalled having his own small cave, allowing him to leave once his shots were complete, while Robert Smith continued filming as water was dripped over him.

• "Lovesong" was released as a single from Disintegration on August 21, 1989. It became The Cure's highest-charting single in the United States, reaching No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100.