On candy stripe legs the Spiderman comes
Softly through the shadow of the evening sun
Stealing past the windows of the blissfully dead
Looking for the victim shivering in bed
Searching out fear in the gathering gloom and
Suddenly!
A movement in the corner of the room!
And there is nothing I can do
When I realize with fright
That the Spiderman is having me for dinner tonight!

Quietly he laughs and shaking his head
Creeps closer now
Closer to the foot of the bed
And softer than shadow and quicker than flies
His arms are all around me and his tongue in my eyes
"Be still be calm be quiet now my precious boy
Don't struggle like that or I will only love you more
For it's much too late to get away or turn on the light
The Spiderman is having you for dinner tonight"

And I feel like I'm being eaten
By a thousand million shivering furry holes
And I know that in the morning I will wake up
In the shivering cold

And the Spiderman is always hungry



Lyrics submitted by oofus

Track duration: 04:09

"Lullaby" as written by Joseph Stanley Williams, Brett Raymond, Bernie Taupin

Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group, Dixie Chicks/Woolly Puddin' Music/Scrapin' Toast Music, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, EMI Music Publishing

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Lullaby song meanings
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160 Comments

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  • 0
    Song Meaning:I think it's about independence...
    Flag fansnoton August 07, 2012   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:one of the catchiest instrumentals EVER. there's an obscure remix floating around featuring mc chris's verses from "ten year old" over top of this beat.
    Flag buggie92on July 12, 2012   Link
  • +2
    General Comment:Robert Smith has often said that many of his songs (including most songs on the album The Head on the Door) were inspired by nightmares.

    This discussion about "Lullaby" is found here: grammy.com/news/…

    Meanwhile, devotees of the Cure continue to debate the source of the song's subject matter, which feels like a hallucinogenic take on Mary Howitt's early 19th century poem, "The Spider And The Fly" (an inspiration Smith makes explicit when he whispers something reminiscent of the poem's opening line near the end of the song).

    While Smith most often attributes "Lullaby" to childhood nightmares, fans have speculated that it's actually a metaphor for everything from depression to addiction and abuse. The latter interpretation was further fueled by a portion of an MTV interview where Smith talks about the song. "One particular night, my uncle burst through the window, and he did unspeakable things," said Smith, before adding with a laugh, "He didn't really."

    Pope [the director of the music video] is quick to point out that his friend and collaborator's knack for imaginative storytelling often spills over into real life. "He's one of the hugest liars, but in a lovely cuddly sort of way," he says. "He frames his story however he wants to. So maybe that's one of his, shall we say, slightly made-up stories."
    Flag jefusanon July 06, 2012   Link
  • 0
    Song Meaning:Be still be calm be quiet now my precious boy
    Don't struggle like that or I will only love you more
    The Cure - Lullaby has so many different meanings=nightmares child abuse drug addiction I personally think it sounds like rape the way smith talks about the spriderman coming to his bed anyways still amazing song
    Flagged curvycutiepie87on June 18, 2012   Link
  • -1
    General Comment:It's about vampires. the spider-man is a vampire who drains the singer. the spiderman is always hungry is a metaphor for the unending bloodlust.
    Flagged Luna666on June 01, 2012   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:This song is about Robert being molested as a child. It sort of explains his childish personality.

    He probably could never get over that abuse, or worse, he grew to like it.
    Flagged emiliojaureguion March 15, 2012   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:For years i did not fully understand what this song was about. Child abuse and related issues have been pointed out. But now - after having a few episodes at night myself - i now have no doubt this song refers to sleep paralysis. It's the scariest of all the weird conditions one can find himself in. You get stuck in a sleepy-awake state, able to see but not move, and then the Incubus appears in your room, touching you, making you feel terrorized. Ghostly voices sorround you and that dreadfull man just wont leave.
    Flag JimmyDavidon March 02, 2012   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:To me this is so "Tim Burton"ish. Visually so to me. I love the beginning.
    Flagged Thia007on November 22, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:when I hear this song dude i dont even know.. combination of creepy and smooth this song is soo fucking cool i kinda picture it like the singer is taking the role of a fly stuck in a spider web being eaten... hahah
    Flag JamzXIVon June 13, 2011   Link
  • +1
    My Interpretation:I see this as a representation of the Gothic movement of American Romanticism. When I watched the music video I saw a lot of the overarching themes from the movement. It's pretty cool actually. For instance, the part where he is being eaten there is a certain suggestion to sexual feelings with fits with the Gothic idea that there is a certain ecstasy in terror.
    Flag thendon March 27, 2011   Link

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