boys don t cry

Robert Smith and his band The Cure recorded boys don’t cry at a time when the group’s sound was still searching for its identity. The song began as a demo in the recording studio, but it ended up being one of those rare cases where a track is recorded almost without planning and ends up defining the style of its creators. What’s curious is that the song wasn’t meant to sound commercial: it had a raw edge, with guitars intertwining in a rhythm that couldn’t be easily pinned down. That controlled chaos is what makes boys don’t cry sound unlike almost anything else being heard at the time.

The recording took place in the band’s early years, when The Cure had not yet refined their formula. The song was included on their debut album, Three Imaginary Boys, but not as the lead track—instead, it stood out for its rawness. They recorded it with borrowed equipment and in sessions that lasted no more than three days, something that’s evident in the song’s energy. Years later, Rolling Stone magazine ranked it on their list of the 500 greatest songs, but at the time, no one could have imagined it would become a track that countless amateur musicians would try to play over and over again.