“The Way You Are” is the sixth single release overall of Tears for Fears and their fourth song that reached the UK top 40. The song was written by the full band while on tour in support of their debut LP The Hurting in 1983 and was recorded right away following the tour’s end. Bassist Curt Smith performs lead vocal on the song. The single was anticipated as a stopgap between albums, essentially to maintain the group in the glare of publicity, and was not included on the band’s second album. In spite of its humble chart achievement, the song did not come out on compact disc until the release of the B-sides and rarities collection Saturnine Martial & Lunatic in 1996.
Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith have been inflexible in their dislike for the song in the years following its release, Orzabal stated, “the point we realized we had to change direction”, while Smith was even more straight in proclaiming it “the worst thing we’ve done”.
Chart Positions:
1983
#24 UK Singles Chart
