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The Cure‘s songs are hauntingly timeless, and drummer and keyboardist Lol Tolhurst takes us back to the hit that launched them into the mainstream, “Boys Don’t Cry.” A classic post-punk song about lost love and the inability to move on, the tune proved to be the track that helped the band pick up steam in the late ’70s and early ’80s.
Throughout numerous lineup changes since the band’s formation, guitarist, lead vocalist, and songwriter Robert Smith has remained the only constant member, although Tolhurst met Smith as children and founded the band alongside Smith. On this episode of The Story Behind the Song, Tolhurst chats with host Peter Csathy about his time in the group, writing “Boys Don’t Cry,” and about his new book, Goth, a History. He also gets into his new album, Los Angeles, recorded with Budgie of Siouxsie and the Banshees, along with producer and multi-instrumentalist Garrett “Jacknife” Lee.
Tolhurst also speaks about the impact of The Cure on the goth scene and how he can spot burgeoning goths out in public. “I can walk into any small town, I can spot the five or 10 kids who are going to be goth, even if they don’t know it yet,” he says of his goth radar.
Listen to the full conversation with Lol Tolhurst about the story behind The Cure’s “Boys Don’t Cry,” Los Angeles, and more in this episode using the player above. Then, make sure to like, review, and subscribe to TSBTS wherever you get podcasts for updates on all the latest episodes of The Story Behind the Song.
For more, follow the Consequence Podcast Network for updates on all our series, and check out host Peter Csathy on Twitter @pcsathy and at Deep Cuts Media.