The Cure

About

The Cure is the eighth track on Under the Radar Vol. 1, written by Robbie Williams, Guy Chambers and Chris Heath, and produced by Chambers with Richard Flack. The song dates from early 2014 and originated in a writing session in which Chambers encouraged Williams to turn his first date with Ayda Field into a song. What began as a humorous recollection developed into one of his most heartfelt depictions of love and redemption.

Williams later explained that the lyrics reflect the difficult circumstances of that meeting, when his personal life was unravelling and his relationship with Field was only beginning. The song balances remorse with hope, recognising the transformative power of love through lines such as “You saw it all that first night, the best and worst of me, but it didn’t make you leave.” Its blend of candour and tenderness makes it one of the album’s emotional centrepieces.

Musically, The Cure recalls the electronic textures of Reality Killed the Video Star, with atmospheric synths and an understated rhythm section supporting Williams’ plaintive vocal. He later said that he had judged it against other tracks in a similar style, deciding that although it was close in spirit to Starstruck, it was better suited to his independent release rather than a mainstream album.

“The Cure is a song written about Ayda. I think it would have fitted on Reality Killed the Video Star really well, but I didn’t feel it was stronger than the songs already there.”Robbie Williams

The Cure captures Williams at his most sincere, turning self-reflection and vulnerability into a quietly redemptive love song.