1987 Rock Track, Written For a Cult Classic Horror Film, Became a Defining Gothic Rock Anthem
A film is sometimes only as good as its soundtrack and main theme song. Director Joel Schumacher's 1987 comedy horror film, The Lost Boys, needed the right song to bring its gothic vampire energy to life, and found it thanks to Gerard McMahon's track created specifically for the film.
The Lost Boys would become one of the horror genre's most popular cult classic vampire films. With an $8.5 million budget, it was a box office success that made $32.5 million, which was well-liked by critics and fans. It would later spawn a franchise of low-budget sequels and a Broadway musical adaptation.
The film starred Corey Feldman, Jami Gertz, Corey Haim, Edward Herrmann, Barnard Hughes, Jason Patric, Kiefer Sutherland, and Dianne Wiest. It focuses on two brothers who move to Santa Clara with their recently divorced mother. The chance of a new start becomes complicated when Santa Carla's dark secret of bloodthirsty vampires puts them at risk.
The Lost Boys needed the perfect theme song, and the project was tasked to McMahon by the president of music at Warner Bros. "Cry Little Sister" was soon born and became the missing piece of the puzzle that would go on to become a gothic rock anthem and rock staple years later. Despite its popularity, the track never managed to enter the charts and had moderate success in Europe.
According to reports, McMahon was only sent the script and never actually saw any clips of The Lost Boys before developing the track. It was a first for him, but he ended up getting more inspired by Michael's (Patric) story and events in his own life. He recalls having an emotional connection, living in New York, which was at the time a "Gotham-like vampire place in very dark times."
McMahon has also said in other interviews that he related to Michael's loneliness as his own and was in a vulnerable place. He also saw a "kind of evil" on the streets of the city that was lined with vials and needles. The track became popular for its haunting use of a children's chorus in the backdrop.
"The song was brewing in my head with the choir as a chorus backing me. That all seemed to come within half an hour. Mike Maineri had this hypnotic beat, we refined it together, and my melody and chords melted right into it," he said in an interview with Old School.
With the demo done, he sent it to the film's director and got an ecstatic call two days later. Schumacher was over the moon and told McMahon that he had "nailed" the theme song for The Lost Boys" and was stunned it was created without having seen the film. While the song never actually mentions vampires, McMahon says he created the track based on "longing for a family from a rejected youth's perspective."
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This story was originally published May 27, 2026 at 4:27 PM.