"Boys Don't Cry" was the second single to be released by The Cure

The Cure

The Cure are an English rock band formed in Crawley, West Sussex in 1976. The band has experienced several line-up changes, with frontman, vocalist, guitarist and principal songwriter Robert Smith being the only constant member...

, released in June 1979. It was released in the UK as a stand-alone single, and was included as the title track on Boys Don't Cry

Boys Don't Cry (album)

Boys Don't Cry is a U.S. debut album by The Cure, released in February 1980 in the UK and in August 1980 in the U.S. It is a compilation of songs from Three Imaginary Boys, but replacing five of that album's tracks with "Jumping Someone Else's Train", "Boys...

, the American equivalent to Three Imaginary Boys

Three Imaginary Boys

The album included an uncredited, final instrumental track informally called "The Weedy Burton". The fact was not acknowledged until the Deluxe Edition re-issue.-2004 Deluxe Edition:...

.

History

Written by Michael Dempsey

Michael Dempsey

Michael Dempsey is a bassist from England, who has performed as a member of several post-punk and New Wave bands including The Cure and Associates.-Early years:...

, Robert Smith

Robert Smith (musician)

Robert James Smith is an English musician. He is the lead singer, guitar player and principal songwriter of the rock band The Cure, and its only constant member since its founding in 1976...

, and Lol Tolhurst, the lyrics tell the story of a man who has given up trying to regain the love of a girl 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 was not received well, and unlike the original, has not appeared on any subsequent release by The Cure. The updated version can however be heard in the music video for "Boys Don't Cry".

1986 re-release

7" single

1. "Boys Don't Cry (New Voice · New Mix)"
2. "Pill Box Tales" - 2:56

12" single

1. "Boys Don't Cry (New Voice · Club Mix)"
2. "Pill Box Tales" - 2:56
3. "Do the Hansa" - 2:40

Personnel

• Michael Dempsey
  Michael Dempsey
  Michael Dempsey is a bassist from England, who has performed as a member of several post-punk and New Wave bands including The Cure and Associates.-Early years:...
  
   – Bass
• Robert Smith
  Robert Smith (musician)
  Robert James Smith is an English musician. He is the lead singer, guitar player and principal songwriter of the rock band The Cure, and its only constant member since its founding in 1976...
  
   – Voice, Guitar
• Lol Tolhurst – Drums

Use in film

The song has appeared in:

• The 1998 movie The Wedding Singer
  The Wedding Singer
  The Wedding Singer is a 1998 romantic comedy film written by Tim Herlihy and directed by Frank Coraci. It stars Adam Sandler as a wedding singer in the 1980s and Drew Barrymore as a waitress with whom he falls in love....
  
  .
• A cover version, performed by Nathan Larson, was used as the title song of the 1999 film Boys Don't Cry
  Boys Don't Cry (film)
  Boys Don't Cry is a 1999 American independent romantic drama film directed by Kimberly Peirce and co-written by Andy Bienen. The film is a dramatization of the real-life story of Brandon Teena, a transgender man played by Hilary Swank, who pursues a relationship with a young woman, played by Chloë...
  
  .
• The 2006 film Starter for Ten
  Starter for Ten
  Starter for 10 is a British/American comedy-drama film directed by Tom Vaughan from a screenplay by David Nicholls, adapted from his own novel Starter for Ten. The film stars James McAvoy as Brian Jackson, a university student who wins a place on a University Challenge quiz team...
  
  .
• The 2008 film Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist
  Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist
  Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist is a 2008 romantic comedy film directed by Peter Sollett and starring Michael Cera and Kat Dennings. Written by Lorene Scafaria and based on the novel of the same name by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan, the story tells of teenagers Nick and Norah , who meet when...
  
  as Nick's cellphone ringtone (the band is referenced later in the film as one of Nick's favorite bands).

Chart positions

Chart (1979)	Peak Position
Australian ARIA Singles Chart ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June...	99

"Boys Don't Cry (New Voice · New Mix)"

Chart (1986)	Peak Position
German Singles Chart	19
UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...	22
Australian ARIA Singles Chart ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June...	26
French Singles Chart	28