Girls Just Want to Have Fun (song)
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- For the movie, see Girls Just Want to Have Fun (film).
"Girls Just Want to Have Fun" was the first major single released by singer Cyndi Lauper as a solo artist. It gained renown as a feminist anthem and was a world-wide smash hit.
Song information
With the inclusion of promotional releases, the single has seen over 38 individual versions of release. The most common was a 7" vinyl single (with varying cover artwork) released in 1983/1984 (depending on the country), with the second most common being a 12" vinyl single (also with varying cover artwork) released in 1983/1984.The song was written by Robert Hazard, who recorded his version of the song in 1979. Lauper changed the lyrics slightly to allow it to be performed by a female and Hazard approved the minor changes. Her version appeared on her 1983 debut solo record She's So Unusual. It is a synthesizer backed feminist anthem about the roles of women in society and is considered by many to be a classic of the era. It was accompanied by a quirky video which went into heavy rotation on MTV that featured Lauper leading a line of women through city streets a'la The Pied Piper of Hamelin, eventually ending up at a giant party. Lauper's mother Catrine appears in the video as Cyndi's mom, and pro wrestling manager Captain Lou Albano portrays Cyndi's dad.
The song reached the top 10 in fifteen different countries: #1 in Australia, Brazil, Chile, Israel, Japan, New Zealand and Norway; # 2 in Canada, the United States, and United Kingdom; #3 in Austria, the Netherlands, Italy and South Africa; and #6 in Germany and Switzerland. It has been covered on either an album or in live concert by over 30 other artists including but not limited to Pearl Jam, John Mayer, "Weird Al" Yankovic, Alvin and the Chipmunks, Cybill Shepherd, Dandy Warhols, David Rawlings, and Cam'ron.
Among the variety of releases of the single include an Austrian birthday card with a 3" CD of the song included inside. The song has been heavily distributed in karaoke version as well. Lauper would later go on to completely re-work the song in 1994 resulting in the new hit Hey Now (Girls Just Want To Have Fun). The song was remade by Lauper yet again in 2005 on her The Body Acoustic album, with guest support vocals from Japanese pop/rock duo Puffy AmiYumi.
7\" vinyl track listing
Length: 8 min 35 sec
| Track | Title | Length | Lyrics | Audio clips |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" | 03:55 | [link] | - |
| 02 | "Right Track Wrong Train" | 04:40 | [link] | - |
Credits
- Lyrics: Robert Hazard. Production: Rick Chertoff.
- Lyrics: Cyndi Lauper, Ellie Greenwich, Jeffrey B. Kent. Production: Rick Chertoff
12\" vinyl track listing
Length: 18 min 23 sec
| Track | Title | Length | Lyrics | Audio clips |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | "Girls Just Want To Have Fun" [Extended Version] | 06:08 | [link] | - |
| 02 | "Girls Just Want To Have Fun" [Fun With V. Knutson Instrumental] | 07:10 | [link] | - |
| 03 | "Girls Just Want To Have Fun" (Xtra Fun)/(Extra Fun) | 05:05 | [link] | - |
Credits
- Lyrics: Robert Hazard. Production: Rick Chertoff.
- Lyrics: Robert Hazard. Production: Rick Chertoff. Mix: V. Knutson.
- Lyrics: Robert Hazard. Production: Rick Chertoff.
External links
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