In Between Days

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Lore & Background

The music video for "In Between Days" was filmed on 18 June 1985 at Fulham Studios, London and created by Tim Pope. The video depicts the band playing, enhanced by 360-degree shots and drawn-in, colourful socks. Robert Smith had a camera, held by cables, which he could push away and hold at will; as did Porl Thompson, fixed on his guitar. Tim Pope said of the video "I think Robert is a true English eccentric, you see. He's an absolute nutcase; he's absolutely mad. Therefore, the films are very easy because I just do a close-up of his face and let him go a bit mad." Smith has stated that it was one of his favourite Cure videos, feeling "it captures the song", saying "We wanted to make a video that portrayed us as we are, without looking glamorous or anything, because I got very fed up with seeing people strutting and preening in videos. I think it’s the most tedious thing in the world, seeing the same people with different faces."

In Their Own Story

The song is widely regarded as one of the Cure's best songs. It was ranked number 65 in *Sounds* list of top 100 singles of all time. In 2019, *Billboard* ranked the song number 3 on their list of the 40 greatest Cure songs, and in 2023, *Mojo* ranked the song number 2 on their list of the 30 greatest Cure songs. John Leland at *Spin* said, "It has the bittersweet feel of a New Order record, with a hyperstrummed acoustic guitar for depth. The boys even offer a genuine glimmer of hope, and the tune fairly breezes by on its own momentum."

Reader's Guide

The UK 7" single includes "In Between Days" and "The Exploding Boy". The UK 12" single adds "A Few Hours After This". The U.S. 7" single replaces the B-side with "Stop Dead". The U.S./Canadian 12" single includes an extended version of "In Between Days" alongside "Stop Dead". The UK CD features "In Between Days" (2:55), "The Exploding Boy" (2:52), "A Few Hours After This" (2:25), "Six Different Ways (Live)" (3:24), "Push (Live)" (4:33), and the music video for "In Between Days" (2:55). Personnel on the track: Robert Smith – vocals, guitar, six-string bass; Porl Thompson – keyboards; Simon Gallup – bass; Boris Williams – drums; Lol Tolhurst – keyboards. The song was covered by Superchunk for the first season of The A.V. Club's A.V. Undercover web series.

Did You Know?

• The song is sometimes listed as 'Inbetween Days' or 'In-Between Days'.
• It was the Cure's first single to reach the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 99.
• The music video was filmed on 18 June 1985 at Fulham Studios, London.
• Robert Smith had a camera held by cables that he could push away and hold at will during the video.
• John Leland at Spin compared the song's bittersweet feel to a New Order record.