Chvrches – “Cry Little Sister” (Gerard McMann Cover)

Chvrches – “Cry Little Sister” (Gerard McMann Cover)

Last month, Chvrches released their new album Screen Violence. The group got the Cure’s Robert Smith to guest on lead single “How Not To Drown,” and they remained in a gothed-out ’80s zone all through the album’s rollout, covering Echo & The Bunnymen and trading remixes with John Carpenter. It seems like they’re not out of the zone yet. Today, Chvrches have shared their take on “Cry Little Sister,” the immortal theme from the 1987 classic The Lost Boys.

The British singer Gerard McMann co-wrote and recorded the original version of the over-the-top goth anthem “Cry Little Sister” for The Lost Boys. Those of us who grew up with The Lost Boys as a cable and home-video staple have the song deeply imprinted on our brains, though a lot of us probably think of it as the “thou shall not kill” song.

Chvrches recorded their version of “Cry Little Sister” for the soundtrack of Nightbooks, a spooky new kids’ movie that debuts on Netflix today. Chvrches’ take on the song is considerably more restrained than the maximalist original. They’ve stripped it back, turning it into a tingly little nursery rhyme. Below, check out the Chvrches version of the song, the Gerard McMann original, and the trailer for Nightbooks.

In a press release, Chvrches say:

We were so excited to work on this project as we are big fans of everyone involved. Cinema — horror in particular — has always been a big part of Chvrches behind the scenes. We have talked about covering “Cry Little Sister” for years, and this seemed like the perfect moment to do it.

Screen Violence is out now on Glassnote. Nightbooks is up now on Netflix.

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