Cyndi Lauper burst onto the music scene in 1983 with her debut album “She’s So Unusual,” and several songs – “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” by Robert Hazard and the Lauper-written title track – became anthems for the ’80s. But besides this album, which was nominated for two Grammys and won one, Lauper has written and recorded an array of powerful, evocative songs. Below find five of our favorite hidden tracks by the 1995 inductee into the Songwriting Hall of Fame.
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1. “Boy Blue“
Although the song “Boy Blue” was released in 1983 on Cyndi Lauper’s first album She’s So Unusual, it combines pop, punk, and dance—part Katy Perry, part Pink and a dash of Robyn. But listen closely, and you’ll hear tinges of sadness in the lyrics.
You send a letter with photographs, ahh
I’ll tuck them under my dreams
And if we wake up old beyond our years
Not quite as brave as we seem,
It’s just the pain that never disappears
Tell me, where is little boy blue, ho ho.
Like other songs on the album, specifically “True Colors,” Lauper recorded “Boy Blue” with her dear friend Gregory Natal in mind. Natal had died of AIDS before anyone understood the virus or how it was transmitted. She’s quoted as saying Natal loved the song “That’s What Friends Are For,” written by Burt Bacharach and Carole Bayer Sager.
“Tom Kelly wrote the song and it’s an important song,” Lauper told Baltimore Outloud. “Before I recorded “True Colors,” a friend of mine named Gregory was very sick. We didn’t know it at the time but he would later be diagnosed with HIV/AIDS. He asked me to write a song about him, so he would not be forgotten. So, I wrote a song called “Boy Blue.” A little later, I heard Tom’s “True Colors” and I knew that was the healing song. When I recorded it, I was singing to my friend who I had lost. Because he grew up completely rejected by his family and struggled with self-acceptance his whole life. He was just a wonderful guy, perfect just the way he was and he just couldn’t see that. So, I sang it for Gregory and all the Gregorys of the world who felt crushed by life. And the song lifts you up and makes you feel hopeful and that’s why it resonated. Tom Kelly should be very proud of how he has helped people thru his words.”
Lauper wrote the song with Stephen Broughton Lunt and Jeff Bova and its title is taken from the poem “Little Boy Blue” by Eugene Field.
2. “Funnel of Love”
If the song title of the Charles McCoy and Kent Westberry song “Funnel of Love” sounds familiar, that’s because it was covered several times since Wanda Jackson made it a hit in 1961. It became one of her signature songs, hitting No. 9 on the Country and Western charts.
Anyone who thinks Lauper is a one-trick musical singer need only listen to her expert handling of this rockabilly/country tune that tells the tale of tumultuous new love. Lauper released the song on her 2016 album, Detour.
3. “Like a Cat”
Just ignore those who dismissed Lauper’s version of the Rick Derringer and Rob Hyman song “Like a Cat” from her 1986 album True Colors. If you like any dance tracks by Madonna, Paula Abdul, or even Prince, this is a tune you need on your playlist.
The song is a punchy dance track with a catchy flow and a feel-good beat. True, Lauper’s vocals aren’t Celine Dion haunting, but that’s not the purpose of this addictive pop track. It’s fun and funky and perfect to pump up any mood.
4. “Heading West”
Lauper teamed with songwriters Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly, the collaborators who co-wrote “True Colors,” to craft “Heading West.” The song tells the story of mixed emotions felt during significant life changes and is told through acoustic guitars and Lauper’s distinctive vocals filled with intense, reflective emotions.
One of the highlights of this song is the gentle instrumentation that lets Lauper’s poignant lyrics stay in front, clearly telling the story of “heading west” on a metaphorical journey that leaves love behind.
And I’m heading west
Without a sad goodbye
And I’m heading west, woah-oh-oh
I’m like a letter with no address
Just like a book I read
I’m heading west.
5. “Fearless”
Anyone needing more evidence of Cyndi Lauper’s talent should only listen to “Fearless.” The song written by Ricardo Thomas and Marva Cook features Lauper’s fervent, intense vocals—think Bonnie Raitt meets Melissa Ethridge—with textured instrumentation including accordion, synths, and Lauper’s dulcimer playing.
The raw production is integral to the song’s message of hope in the face of adversity and, as others have said, a celebration of the human spirit. No matter the listener’s age, the message of striving toward goals in the face of adversity resonates in this song from Lauper’s 1996 album Sisters of Avalon.
Photo by Jim Steinfeldt/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
