Robert Smith of the Cure.

You may have noticed there have been a lot of Cure song lyrics appearing lately. I vacillate between wanting to eradicate them and recommitting to my own work more exclusively, but I'm in a bit of a rut writing lately, and besides I've been listening to all my old Cure albums extensively and have a newfound zest for some of Smith's bizarre and beautiful lyrics.

The Cure - and Robert Smith in particular - are a polarizing band. You either love them or hate them. Or you fall somewhere in the middle. I grew up thinking they were mock-depressed made-up corporate pansies who played to teen angst whilst feeling little of it themselves. I was wrong.

Over the years I've truly gained a respect for Smith's poetry/lyrics, especially his early minimalist phase. Here he wasn't complaining about typical teenage gripes, like the Punks were doing, he was digging into Camus and Kafka for something more timeless. More ethereal.

And it worked. I mean, they found commercial success, but what I mean when I say it worked is that as easy a target as Smith is to lampoon with his hair and makeup and voice, you really don't want to, because he's a very smart guy and never comes across as smarter than you.

In fact, in all interviews I've ever read, he seems like the chap down at the pub (and usually is, lol) who'll answer any questions you might have, who never pulls the superstar card, is genuinely friendly to his fans and has a quite normal relation with his family.

It's as if he's maintained his sanity and dignity through the success by staying the same, not by changing to what is fashionable, even when his superficial appearance must have caused at least one record exec to explain "get that man a haircut and tell him to stop wearing lipstick, for fuck's sake!"

But Robert Smith is unchanging, and he is a decent human being, a good guitarist, a good singer with limited range, a teriffic poet, and a welcome staple to my 80s and 90s collections. He'll probably never crack my top 10 beloved artists, but top 25? No prob.