The Crying Game (song)


"The Crying Game" is a song written and composed by Geoff Stephens. It was first released by Dave Berry in July 1964. It reached number five on the UK Singles Chart. Session guitarist Big Jim Sullivan played lead guitar on Berry's version of the song, and Jimmy Page supported.

Boy George version

"The Crying Game" was covered by Boy George in 1992, and both this version and the original Dave Berry recordings were used as the theme to the 1992 Neil Jordan movie The Crying Game. Boy George's version of the song was produced by the Pet Shop Boys and reached number 22 on the UK Singles Chart, number 15 on the US Billboard Hot 100, and number one in Canada and Iceland. It became the biggest solo hit that George achieved in the US or Canada. The songs are heard during the end credits of the movie.
This version was also featured in the Jim Carrey comedy film . This was a joke reference to the film The Crying Game, with which it shared a plot point.

Critical reception

Music & Media wrote that the song "has the same ethereal ambiance as the one to TV series Twin Peaks, punctuated by a similar big twanging guitar." Frank DeCaro from Newsday said that Boy George's version of "The Crying Game" is "the most mesmerizing vocal since Annie Lennox first asked "Why" last summer. And, it's produced by Pet Shop Boys, another fave." He also noted it as a "lush, synth update" of Dave Berry's 1964 Brit Hit.

Track listing

UK and European 7"
US 7"
European and UK 12" and CD single
US 12" promo
US cassette single

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Other versions