Talk:Killing an Arab

Remastering
It WAS remastered on CD. In fact, I am listining to it now —Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.96.102.166 (talk • contribs)


 * Are you serious? Where can I get a copy of the remastered version? I've been following the remasters pretty closely and must admit to never having seen a remastered version of "Killing an Arab". Folkor 15:58, 24 April 2006 (UTC)

Another Cover Version
There is another cover version by a french band called Speed Caravan, on their album Kalashnik Love perhaps someone can add it. it can be can be previwed <<Here  —Preceding unsigned comment added by 81.106.37.243 (talk) 10:06, 17 November 2008 (UTC)


 * Done, but it is a Franco-Algerian band Antisyntagmatarchos (talk) 18:17, 15 May 2024 (UTC)

Fair use rationale for Image:Killinganarab cov.jpg
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BetacommandBot (talk) 17:41, 2 January 2008 (UTC)


 * Done. Cheers, Ian Rose (talk) 22:24, 2 January 2008 (UTC)

Anti-Arab?
I always though this was anti-Israel song because of the chorus lines, which stand out the most in the song
 * I'm the stranger, killing an Arab

So could the reasons for some people thinking this is an anti-Arab song be made a little more explicit? I thought that maybe I had missed something, but looking at the lyrics I still don't get it. DirkvdM (talk) 15:50, 6 February 2009 (UTC)

US INTERPRETATION OF SONG I despair at this debate - which reflects the strong US-centric view of the world found in the English Language wikipedia. I think it's wrong to say that this song was thought to be about killing Arabs.

This song was only ever thought to be anti Arab after it was picked up by a number of US radio stations who played it just because it contained the words 'Killing an Arab' - which was good enough for them in terms of the Gulf wars/ 'War on Terror'

In the UK where I'm from (and The Cure are from)we never really thought this. As The Cure's support typically came from university students (or university-student types, if that makes sense) then we all appreciated the song picks up the existential doubt of the Camus story. So instead of the 'We went and killed some towel-heads' way it was played - or should I say spun - by US DJs in a Full-Metal-Jacket kind of way.

Instead we get I can turn and walk away, Or i can fire the gun, Staring at the sky, Staring at the sun, Whichever i chose, It amounts to the same, Absolutely nothing, I'm alive,I'm dead.... which contains the self-doubt that makes the song so interesting.

The only thing that justifies having this line of argument in the article is the fact that The Cure have gone on to change lyrics and alter play of this song to distance themselves from this misuse. This is why I haven't edited the page itself. But we could do with better referencing as to who attributed this interpretation to the song. Jpmaytum (talk) 11:44, 9 August 2009 (UTC)

The irony of the Cure's twisting of the song's meaning to avoid controversy when the book on which song is based is about being honest in the face of possible condemnation is notable...Pololei (talk) 14:42, 20 April 2010 (UTC)

Historical anecdote not really worth adding to the article unless it can be confirmed by a secondary source: I was a student at Wolverhampton Polytechnic when The Cure played there on 5th December 1979: the student Arab Society threatened to disrupt the gig, objecting to the song "Killing An Arab". The Cure, in return, threatened to pull the gig. In the event, the gig went ahead, with Robert Smith changing the lyric to "Killing An Englishman". (No members of the Arab Society actually attended the gig.) But it is clear that misinterpretations of this song have dogged it right from the beginning, and it's not a direct result of any conflicts that have occurred since. MrGraphis (talk) 13:41, 16 June 2013 (UTC)

The Camus book
Added a very brief description of the book. The concept of the outsider is consistent with Cure 'philosophy'. Had intended to add the following line to the first paragraph: As Camus says, he is "a poor and naked man in love with a sun that leaves no shadows." Pololei (talk) 14:35, 20 April 2010 (UTC)