The Crying Game (song)
Boy George version
Boy George version
------------------

English singer and songwriter [Boy George](/wiki/Boy_George "Boy George") covered and released "The Crying Game" in September 1992 by [Spaghetti](/wiki/Spaghetti_Records "Spaghetti Records") and [Polydor](/wiki/Polydor_Records "Polydor Records"), and both this version and the original Dave Berry recordings were used as the theme to the 1992 [Neil Jordan](/wiki/Neil_Jordan "Neil Jordan") movie *[The Crying Game](/wiki/The_Crying_Game "The Crying Game")*. George's version of the song was produced by the [Pet Shop Boys](/wiki/Pet_Shop_Boys "Pet Shop Boys") and reached number 22 on the [UK Singles Chart](/wiki/UK_Singles_Chart "UK Singles Chart"), numbers 15 and 10 on the US [*Billboard* Hot 100](/wiki/Billboard_Hot_100 "Billboard Hot 100") and [*Cash Box* Top 100](/wiki/Cash_Box_Top_100_Pop_Singles "Cash Box Top 100 Pop Singles"), and number one in both 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](/wiki/Jim_Carrey "Jim Carrey") comedy film *[Ace Ventura: Pet Detective](/wiki/Ace_Ventura:Pet_Detective "Pet Detective")*. This was a joke reference to the film *The Crying Game,* with which it shared a plot point.

### Background

The [Pet Shop Boys](/wiki/Pet_Shop_Boys "Pet Shop Boys") became involved in producing the song through the producer of *The Crying Game* film, [Stephen Woolley](/wiki/Stephen_Woolley "Stephen Woolley"). The duo had previously contributed the song "[Nothing Has Been Proved](/wiki/Nothing_Has_Been_Proved "Nothing Has Been Proved")", sung by [Dusty Springfield](/wiki/Dusty_Springfield "Dusty Springfield"), for the Woolley\-produced 1989 film *[Scandal](/wiki/Scandal_%281989_film%29 "Scandal (1989 film)")*. Neil Tennant told *[NME](/wiki/NME "NME")* in 1993, "I think George sings that song really well, he sounds a bit like [Roy Orbison](/wiki/Roy_Orbison "Roy Orbison")."

### Critical reception

[Larry Flick](/wiki/Larry_Flick "Larry Flick") from *[Billboard](/wiki/Billboard_%28magazine%29 "Billboard (magazine)")* complimented George's "genius reading" of the song. Dave Sholin from the *[Gavin Report](/wiki/Gavin_Report "Gavin Report")* concluded, "It's been said again and again that all any performer needs is the right material to have a hit. Boy George is just the right singer to resurrect this song". Dennis Hunt from *[Los Angeles Times](/wiki/Los_Angeles_Times "Los Angeles Times")* wrote, "Those who have seen the [movie](/wiki/The_Crying_Game "The Crying Game") will understand why Boy George is the perfect choice to sing the moody, [Pet Shop Boys](/wiki/Pet_Shop_Boys "Pet Shop Boys")\-produced title song\-\-easily George’s best vocal since the early [Culture Club](/wiki/Culture_Club "Culture Club") days." A reviewer from *[Music \& Media](/wiki/Music_%26_Media "Music & Media")* felt it has the same "ethereal ambiance" as the one to TV series *[Twin Peaks](/wiki/Twin_Peaks "Twin Peaks")*, "punctuated by a similar big twanging guitar."

Alan Jones from *[Music Week](/wiki/Music_Week "Music Week")* described it as "a strange little [ballad](/wiki/Ballad "Ballad"), it's been pumped up in commercial [house](/wiki/House_music "House music") style by George, whose fragrantly fragile vocals never fail to impress." Frank DeCaro from *[Newsday](/wiki/Newsday "Newsday")* found that the singer's version of "The Crying Game" is "the most mesmerizing vocal since [Annie Lennox](/wiki/Annie_Lennox "Annie Lennox") first asked "[Why](/wiki/Why_%28Annie_Lennox_song%29 "Why (Annie Lennox song)")" last summer. And, it's produced by (and sounds like) Pet Shop Boys, another fave." He also declared it as a "lush, synth update" of [Dave Berry](/wiki/Dave_Berry_%28musician%29 "Dave Berry (musician)")'s 1964 Brit Hit. Sam Wood from *[Philadelphia Inquirer](/wiki/Philadelphia_Inquirer "Philadelphia Inquirer")* wrote, "The gender\-bending [karma chameleon](/wiki/Karma_Chameleon "Karma Chameleon") teams up with the Pet Shop Boys for a stunning version of the title song that drips with bittersweet languor."Wood, Sam (2 March 1993\). "Intriguing Music from Two Movies". *[Philadelphia Inquirer](/wiki/Philadelphia_Inquirer "Philadelphia Inquirer")*. [Charles Aaron](/wiki/Charles_Aaron "Charles Aaron") from *[Spin](/wiki/Spin_%28magazine%29 "Spin (magazine)")* said, "Heard it in a mall, wanted to weep in my [Orange Julius](/wiki/Orange_Julius "Orange Julius")."

### Track listings

* **UK and European 7\-inch**

 A. "The Crying Game"
 B. "I Specialise in Loneliness" (edit)
* **US 7\-inch (red vinyl)**

 A. "The Crying Game"
 B. "Stand by Your Man" (by [Lyle Lovett](/wiki/Lyle_Lovett "Lyle Lovett"))
* **European and UK 12\-inch and CD single**

 1\.(A) "The Crying Game"
 2\.(B1\) "The Crying Game" (extended dance mix)
 3\.(B2\) "I Specialise in Loneliness" (edit)
* **US cassette single**

 A. "The Crying Game" (Boy George)
 B. "The Crying Game" (Dave Berry)
### Charts

#### Weekly charts

| Chart (1992–93\) | Peakposition |

|

|

|

|Europe ([Eurochart Hot 100](/wiki/European_Hot_100_Singles "European Hot 100 Singles"))

46

|

|Iceland ([Íslenski Listinn Topp 40](/wiki/%C3%8Dslenski_listinn "Íslenski listinn"))

 1 |
|

|

|

|[UK Dance](/wiki/UK_Dance_Singles_Chart "UK Dance Singles Chart") (*[Music Week](/wiki/Music_Week "Music Week")*)

 54 |
|

|

|

|

|US [*Cash Box* Top 100](/wiki/Cash_Box_Top_100_Pop_Singles "Cash Box Top 100 Pop Singles")

 10 |

#### Year\-end charts

| Chart (1993\) | Position |

|Canada Top Singles (*RPM*)

 19 |
|Canada Adult Contemporary (*RPM*)

 26 |
|Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40\)

 10 |


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