B-side "Plastic Passion" Recorded 1979 | Format 7"
12" Length 2:35 | |
Released 15 June 1979 (1979-06-15) Genre Post-punk
new wave
jangle pop | ||
"Boys Don't Cry" is a song by English rock band the Cure. It was released in the UK as a stand-alone single in June 1979, and was included as the title track on Boys Don't Cry, the American equivalent to Three Imaginary Boys.
Contents
History
Written by Michael Dempsey, Robert Smith, and Lol Tolhurst, the lyrics tell the story of a man who has given up trying to regain the love that he has lost, and tries to disguise his true emotional state by "laughing, hiding the tears in [his] eyes, 'cause boys don't cry".
In April 1986 it was re-released under the title "New Voice · New Mix", in which the original track was remixed and the vocals re-recorded. The new version has not appeared on any subsequent release by the Cure, but can be heard in the music video for "Boys Don't Cry". It was released to promote Standing on a Beach; however, the original version of the song appears on the album.
Music video
The video, released in 1986 to promote the "New Voice New Mix" re-recording, features three children miming the song. Behind a curtain, Smith, Tolhurst, and Dempsey (in his only appearance with the band since his 1979 departure), appear as the children's shadows.
Legacy
The 1999 film Boys Don't Cry took its title from the song; a cover version, performed by Nathan Larson, was used as the title song for the film. The song has appeared in numerous other films, including The Wedding Singer, 50 First Dates, Starter for Ten, I Do, Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, Friends with Benefits (a cover version, performed by Grant-Lee Phillips, is used in the soundtrack of the film) and Me and You.
Track listings
7" vinyl
- "Boys Don't Cry" – 2:34
- "Plastic Passion" – 2:15
7" vinyl
- "Boys Don't Cry (New Voice · New Mix)" – 2:38
- "Pill Box Tales" – 2:54
12" vinyl
- "Boys Don't Cry (New Voice · Club Mix)" – 5:31
- "Pill Box Tales" – 2:56
- "Do the Hansa" – 2:40