"The Cure found an unconventional yet powerful chord progression for one of their tracks, seemingly unexplored by others until then, resulting in a recordingly joyful tune amidst their usual gloomy repertoire"
In May 1992, The Cure released their hit single, "Friday I'm in Love," as the second single from their ninth studio album, Wish. The song stands out for its upbeat, joyful celebration of the happiness and anticipation associated with Fridays, expressing a pure and simple feeling of love tied to the day of the week.
Robert Smith, The Cure’s lead singer and songwriter, crafted the song as a deliberately bright and poppy track, which differs from much of their darker, moodier material. It captures the elation felt specifically on Fridays when love seems renewed and everything feels right. The lyrics express a daily contrast of feelings by days of the week, ultimately focusing on the joy felt on Friday.
The song’s foundation sprang into Smith’s mind spontaneously while driving home on a Friday afternoon. The original arrangement was a touch slower and more firmly rooted in the key of D. However, during the recording process, Smith accidentally left the varispeed control a quarter-tone higher in pitch, resulting in an odd tonal variance that he found delightful. This unintentional change gave the song its unique and catchy sound.
The song was recorded at Richard Branson's Oxfordshire's The Manor Studio. The chord progression rolls brightly from D to G, then D to A, before an emotional pivot to B minor, and reasserts itself by clambering back to G, then jogs between D and a final A to frame Smith's central 'It's Friday I'm in love' motif.
The video for "Friday I'm in Love," directed by Tim Pope, captured the band at their most chaotic and child-like, poking a huge hole in their downbeat public perception. This video made the song a staple on MTV, and it won the European Viewer's Choice as the Best Music Video at the 1992 MTV Video Music Awards.
"Friday I'm in Love" rocketed up the charts in their native UK, achieving number six status, and its success in the US was much more noticeable, getting to number 18 in the US Billboard Hot 100. The song became a permanent Friday fixture on the radio.
The lyrics of "Friday I'm in Love" counterbalance the misery suffered during the rest of the week with the radiance of Friday's promise of devotion. The lyric underlines how being in love can overshadow feelings of darkness, depression, isolation, and other staple Cure themes. It references a traditional folk nursery rhyme, Monday's Child, through its weekday-listing construction.
"Friday I'm in Love" is a bright, upbeat ode to the feeling of being in love on a Friday, symbolizing a break from routine and a celebration of happiness and connection—the “Friday feeling” made universal through its catchy melody and relatable lyrics. The song is considered a life-affirming and uplifting song. It was produced by David M. Allen.
"Friday I'm in Love" marked a significant shift in The Cure's discography, showcasing their ability to create music that transcends their usual dark and melancholic themes, offering a more accessible, upbeat anthem for their fans, emphasizing joyful emotion over complexity. Wish found a space to operate somewhere within the gulf between the extremes of light and dark.
The upbeat melody and cheerful lyrics of "Friday I'm in Love" make it an ideal addition to gatherings for entertainment, providing a welcome break from the band's typical sound. As Robert Smith crafted this song to capture the elation felt specifically on Fridays, it serves as a perfect tribute to the daily ritual of music and love, promoting a spirit of joy and camaraderie.
Books on music history are likely to include "Friday I'm in Love" as an example of a surprising departure from a band's typical style, demonstrating how creativity can lead to the exploration of new genres and the creation of timeless, popular songs.
