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425:. The song was revived in 2005, when the band performed it at several European festivals. The lyrics, however, were changed from "Killing an Arab" to "Kissing an Arab". Smith added a whole new opening verse when the band performed it at the
397:(1986), was packaged with a sticker advising against racist usage of the song after a student DJ on WPRB Princeton offended listeners by insensitively introducing the track prior to playing it on the radio in October 1986. Robert Smith and
441:
on 2011's
Reflections Tour. During the band's 40th anniversary tour, the lyrics and title were changed back to "Killing an Arab". The band performed the song as "Killing Another" to close out the final show on their tour in December 2022.
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pinned on the public's lack of knowledge regarding the novel. Shortly after its release, Smith said, "It just happened that the main character in the book had actually killed an Arab, but it could have been a
Scandinavian or an English
309:
is killed by the song's narrator; in Camus' story the protagonist, Meursault, shoots an Arab on a beach, overwhelmed by his surroundings. Meursault is condemned for his honesty about his feelings and is considered an outsider (or
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requested that radio stations discontinue airing the song and saw the sticker as a compromise to prevent having to pull the album from sale entirely. Smith said that the song was "being used increasingly by certain
414:, who produced the song, said that "if it was called 'The Stranger', we couldn't have had this problem." Smith conceded in 2003 that he should have titled the song "Standing on the Beach" instead.
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said the song "was a short poetic attempt at condensing my impression of the key moments in the 1942 novel
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247:(1979), but not included on the album. However, it was included on the band's first US album,
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This song lends two of its lines to the titles of one of the Cure's compilation albums,
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for what critics have described as promoting violence against Arabs, which songwriter
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847:"The Cure Concert Setlist at OVO Arena Wembley, London, England on December 13, 2022"
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634:, Penguin Classics, 1989, p. 118 (afterword by Albert Camus, 8 January 1955)
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437:. The band performed the song as "Killing an Ahab" with lyrics inspired by
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794:"Killing an Arab: The Cure try to reclaim their most controversial single"
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508:"10 Ways The Sinner Is and Isn't Like The Cure's Song "Killing an Arab""
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821:"The Cure Concert Setlist at British Summertime 2018 on July 7, 2018"
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article described the song's title as "at first glance irresponsibly
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to striking effect, so ' Arab' conjures up edginess through a
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702:"The Cure asks radio stations not to play 'Killing an Arab'"
314:") because "he refuses to lie" and "doesn't play the game".
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and viewed as promoting violence against Arabs. A 1978
751:"'Oh God, not again': Robert Smith on Killing An Arab"
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feeling currently existing in some parts of
America."
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Since the song's release, "Killing an Arab" has been
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In the US, the Cure's first compilation of singles,
759:. Archived from the original on December 12, 2012
644:Birch, Ian (24 March 1979). "Practical Poprock".
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536:"An Interview With Robert Smith of The Cure"
266:. Because of the title, the song has drawn
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417:The song saw controversy again during the
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1852:Songs written by Robert Smith (musician)
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1842:1986 controversies in the United States
726:"Robert Christgau: Creative Censorship"
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662:"Robert Cristgau - Creative Censorship"
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1611:Perfect as Cats: A Tribute to The Cure
1164:Standing on a Beach/Staring at the Sea
256:The song's title and lyrics reference
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1892:Race-related controversies in music
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749:Robb, Sean K. (29 October 2001).
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1862:Songs written by Michael Dempsey
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675:Pareles, Jon (21 January 1987).
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343:-flavour guitar pattern".
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621:number 11, October 1991
16:1978 single by the Cure
1882:Anti-Arabism in Europe
1104:Concert: The Cure Live
323:compared the song to "
1877:Music based on novels
1577:Shows of a Lost World
1523:10:15 Saturday Night
1477:The End of the World
1242:Hypnagogic States EP
1037:The Head on the Door
1002:Three Imaginary Boys
600:www.picturesofyou.us
563:Apter, Jeff (2008).
461:10:15 Saturday Night
423:September 11 attacks
244:Three Imaginary Boys
66:10:15 Saturday Night
1498:Sleep When I'm Dead
1351:Why Can't I Be You?
1295:Charlotte Sometimes
394:Standing on a Beach
349:Standing on a Beach
1847:2005 controversies
1837:1978 controversies
1827:1978 debut singles
1642:The Magazine Spies
1541:The Cure in Orange
1449:Strange Attraction
1421:Friday I'm in Love
1386:Fascination Street
1302:The Hanging Garden
1132:Bestival Live 2011
853:. 13 December 2022
681:The New York Times
421:and following the
355:Staring at the Sea
171:singles chronology
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1813:
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1428:A Letter to Elise
1228:The Peel Sessions
1157:Japanese Whispers
1009:Seventeen Seconds
534:De Muir, Harold.
456:"Killing an Arab"
427:Royal Albert Hall
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217:"Killing an Arab"
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84:20 September 1978
22:"Killing an Arab"
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1652:Shelleyan Orphan
1586:Related articles
1365:Just Like Heaven
1065:Wild Mood Swings
965:Matthieu Hartley
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419:Persian Gulf War
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283:Lyrics and music
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1400:Pictures of You
1337:In Between Days
1330:The Caterpillar
1309:Let's Go to Bed
1260:Killing an Arab
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399:Elektra Records
382:Franco-Algerian
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235:Killing an Arab
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1185:Join the Dots
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1178:Greatest Hits
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827:. 7 July 2018
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476:– bass guitar
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451:7-inch single
446:Track listing
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1023:Pornography
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404:reactionary
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156:Producer(s)
1872:1978 songs
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1086:4:13 Dream
851:setlist.fm
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825:setlist.fm
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1772:Retelling
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260:'s novel
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1470:Cut Here
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1393:Lovesong
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1281:A Forest
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1079:The Cure
900:The Cure
857:19 March
545:27 April
513:TV Guide
335:-styled
333:Oriental
312:stranger
253:(1980).
239:the Cure
169:The Cure
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1617:Babacar
1548:Trilogy
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1288:Primary
1252:Singles
1111:Entreat
1030:The Top
519:9 March
488:– drums
341:Moorish
222:YouTube
197:(1979)
188:(1978)
124:Fiction
1741:(1942)
1622:COGASM
1171:Galore
805:4 June
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431:London
378:racist
101:Length
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1790:Other
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1565:Tours
1456:Gone!
1358:Catch
1125:Paris
1016:Faith
756:Chart
435:4Tour
384:band
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301:) by
277:bloke
118:Label
90:Genre
1762:Fate
1414:High
1118:Show
1058:Wish
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833:2019
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779:link
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688:2013
573:ISBN
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