In 1981, a single entitled "Charlotte Sometimes" was released by English band the Cure. Its lyrics are about Charlotte, the novel's central character. They refer to the opening paragraphs of the book, "By bedtime all the faces, the voices had blurred for Charlotte to one face, one voice... The light seemed too bright for them, glaring on white walls.", and to several events near the end of the book: people dancing in the streets at Armistice; and a school walk when Charlotte cries upon hearing of Clare's fate. The title of the single's B-side, "Splintered in Her Head", was also taken from a line in the novel. The Cure later released another song based on the novel, "The Empty World", on their 1984 album "The Top". In 2002 the film-maker Eric Byler released a film entitled "Charlotte Sometimes". Its story line is unrelated to Penelope Farmer's novel, although its title comes from the song by The Cure, based on the novel.