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"The Way You Are"
Single by Tears for Fears
B-side	"The Marauders"
Released	25 November 1983
Length	4:53
Label	Phonogram Mercury
Songwriter(s)	Roland Orzabal Curt Smith Ian Stanley Manny Elias
Producer(s)	Chris Hughes Ross Cullum
Tears for Fears singles chronology
"Pale Shelter" (1983) "The Way You Are" (1983) "Mothers Talk" (1984)
12" single cover
Music video
"The Way You Are" on YouTube

"The Way You Are" is a song by the British band Tears for Fears. It was the band's sixth single release overall and their fourth UK Top 40 hit. Released as a single in November 1983, it was intended as a stopgap between the band's first and second albums, mainly to keep the group in the public eye, and was not included on the band's second album.

The song is the only one to be written by the full band, including keyboardist Ian Stanley and drummer Manny Elias. It was written while on tour in support of the band's debut album The Hurting in 1983 and was recorded immediately after the tour's end. Produced by Chris Hughes and Ross Cullum, who produced The Hurting, the song utilised sampled voices and rhythms. Bassist Curt Smith performs lead vocal on the song.

Both it and the instrumental B-side "The Marauders" were later included on the band's 1996 B-sides and rarities collection Saturnine Martial & Lunatic, and on the 2006 Deluxe Edition reissue of Songs from the Big Chair. The extended 12" version of the song was included on the 1999 remastered version of The Hurting.

Band members Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith have been uncompromising in their dislike for the song in the years following its release, Orzabal stating it was "the point we realized we had to change direction", while Smith was even more direct in proclaiming it "the worst thing we've done".

Track listings

7": Mercury / IDEA6 (United Kingdom) / 814 954-7 (Australia, Europe)

1. "The Way You Are" (4:53)
2. "The Marauders" (4:14)

2x7": Mercury / IDEAS6 (United Kingdom)

1. "The Way You Are" (4:53)
2. "The Marauders" (4:14)
3. "Change " (4:36)
4. "Start of the Breakdown " (5:53)

12": Mercury / IDEA612 (United Kingdom) / 814 954-1 (Netherlands) / 818 087-1 (Germany)

1. "The Way You Are " (7:33)
2. "The Marauders" (4:14)
3. "Start of the Breakdown " (5:53)

12": Mercury / 15PP-42 (Japan)

1. "The Way You Are " (7:33)
2. "Pale Shelter " (6:41)
3. "The Marauders" (4:14)
4. "We Are Broken" (4:03)
5. "Start of the Breakdown " (5:53)

Personnel

Personnel are taken from the 30th anniversary version of Songs From The Big Chair liner notes Genius(scroll down to credits) and Tidal.

• Curt Smith – bass, lead vocals
• Roland Orzabal – guitar, backing vocals
• Ian Stanley – keyboards
• Manny Elias – drums

Chart position

References

1. "New Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 19 November 1983. p. 16. Retrieved 15 July 2022.
2. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Tears for Fears – Saturnine Martial & Lunatic". AllMusic. Retrieved 20 June 2013.
3. Saturnine, Martial and Lunatic (CD liner notes). Phonogram Records. 1996.
4. Tears For Fears - Songs From The Big Chair, 13 March 2020, retrieved 10 November 2023
5. Tears for Fears – The Way You Are, retrieved 10 November 2023
6. Smith, Orzabal, Curt, Roland. "Songs From The Big Chair (Deluxe) Tidal". Tidal.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
7. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 20 June 2013.

• 1983 singles
• 1983 songs
• Phonogram Records singles
• Songs written by Curt Smith
• Songs written by Ian Stanley
• Songs written by Roland Orzabal
• Song recordings produced by Ross Cullum
• Song recordings produced by Chris Hughes (record producer)
• Tears for Fears songs