In Between Days

"In Between Days"
Single by The Cure
from the album The Head on the Door
Released 15 July 1985
Format 7", 12"
Recorded Angel Studios, London, 1985
Genre New Wave
Length 7" - 2:57
12" - 4:00
Label Fiction Records
Producer Robert Smith
Dave Allen
The Cure singles chronology
"The Caterpillar"
(1984)
"In Between Days"
(1985)
"Close to Me"
(1985)

"In Between Days" (sometimes listed as "Inbetween Days" or "In-Between Days") is a song by the English new wave/rock band The Cure.

The song was released as the first single from the band's 1985 album The Head on the Door and was a big international success. In the UK, it was the band's ninth chart single and their fourth consecutive Top 20 hit;[1] while in the US it was their first single to reach the Billboard Hot 100 when it peaked at #99.[2] It was a Top 20 hit in Australia and New Zealand[3] and also charted in several European countries,[4][5][6] increasing the popularity of the band.

The song is poppy and upbeat, featuring strummed acoustic guitars under a snappy synthesizer riff, although the song's lyrical themes of ageing, loss and fear do not particularly reflect the upbeat tempo of the music. The extended version, only released on the 12" single in North America, features quite a longer introduction to the song.

Contents

Title

The spacing and punctuation in the title of this song is widely disputed, as it varies between "In Between Days", "Inbetween Days", and "In-Between Days" on many official Cure releases. The single used "In Between Days", whereas the album The Head on the Door uses "In Between Days" on the back of the album cover and the record label, and "Inbetween Days" on the inner sleeve. However, the CD release of the album also uses "In Between Days" on the actual disc. The 1986 singles compilation Standing on a Beach uses both "In Between Days" and "In-Between Days", whereas the 1990 remix album Mixed Up, the 1993 live album Show, the 2001 Greatest Hits collection and the 2004 b-sides compilation Join the Dots each use "Inbetween Days". The 2006 re-release of The Head on the Door uses "Inbetween Days" on the back of the box and the track listing in the booklet, but uses "In Between Days" as the title in the lyrical portion of the book. A similar problem is present with the Cure song "Lovesong", as it is listed as a single compound word in some instances and two separate words ("Love Song") in others.

Track listing

UK 7" single

  1. "In Between Days"
  2. "The Exploding Boy"

UK 12" single

  1. "In Between Days"
  2. "The Exploding Boy"
  3. "A Few Hours After This"

U.S. 7" single

  1. "In Between Days"
  2. "Stop Dead"

U.S./Canadian 12" single

  1. "In Between Days"
  2. "In Between Days" (Extended version)
  3. "Stop Dead"

Personnel

Chart positions

Chart (1985) Peak
position
Australia ARIA Singles Chart 16
UK Singles Chart 15
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 99
U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play 39

Cover versions

References