"Girls Just Want to Have Fun" is a song written by and first recorded in 1979 by American musician Robert Hazard. It is better known as a single by American singer Cyndi Lauper, whose version was released in 1983. It was the first major single released by Lauper as a solo artist and the lead single from her debut studio album She's So Unusual (1983). Lauper's version gained recognition as a feminist anthem and was promoted by a Grammy-winning music video. It has been covered, either as a studio recording or in a live performance, by over 30 other artists.
The single was Lauper's breakthrough hit, reaching number two on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and becoming a worldwide hit throughout late 1983 and early 1984. It remains one of Lauper's signature songs and was a widely popular song during the era of its release, the 1980s. The "Rolling Stone & MTV: '100 Greatest Pop Songs': 1-50", "Rolling Stone: "The 100 Top Music Videos"" and the "VH1: 100 Greatest Videos" lists ranked the song at No. 22, No. 39 and No. 45, respectively. The song received Grammy Award nominations for Record of the Year and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. In 2013, the song was remixed by Yolanda Be Cool, taken from the 30th anniversary reissue of the album She's So Unusual.
Video Girls Just Want to Have Fun
Background
The most common release is a 7" vinyl single (with varying cover artwork) released in 1983/1984 (depending on the country) and the second most common is a 12" vinyl single (also with varying cover artwork) released in 1983/1984.
The song was written by Robert Hazard, who recorded only a demo of it in 1979. Robert Hazard's version was written from a male's point of view, and was about women in the bedroom. Lauper did not originally want to sing it because of its meaning. Lauper's version appeared on her 1983 debut solo record, She's So Unusual. Lauper's version carried a feminist attitude, trying to portray that all women really wanted was to have the same experience that men could have. It is a synthesizer-backed anthem about the roles of women in society. Gillian G. Gaar, author of She's a Rebel: The History of Women in Rock & Roll (2002), described the single and corresponding video as a "strong feminist statement", an "anthem of female solidarity" and a "playful romp celebrating female camaraderie."
The variety of releases of the single includes an Austrian birthday card with a 3" CD of the song inside. The song has been heavily distributed in karaoke version as well. Lauper later went 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, also produced by Chertoff and Wittman with Lauper, with guest support vocals from Japanese pop/rock duo Puffy AmiYumi.
Maps Girls Just Want to Have Fun
Music video
The release of the single was accompanied by a quirky music video. It cost less than $35,000, largely due to a volunteer cast and the free loan of the most sophisticated video equipment available at the time. The cast included professional wrestling manager "Captain" Lou Albano in the role of Lauper's father while her real mother, Catrine, played herself. Lauper would later appear in World Wrestling Federation storylines opposite Albano and guest-star in an episode of The Super Mario Bros. Super Show, in which Albano portrayed Mario (Albano also played himself in the episode). Lauper's attorney, Elliot Hoffman, appeared as her uptight dancing partner. Also in the cast were Lauper's manager, David Wolf, her brother, Butch Lauper, fellow musician Steve Forbert, and a bevy of secretaries borrowed from Portrait/CBS, Lauper's record label. A clip of The Hunchback of Notre Dame is featured as Lauper watches it on television.
Lorne Michaels (Broadway Video, SNL), another of Hoffman's clients, agreed to give Lauper free run of his brand new million-dollar digital editing equipment, with which she and her producer created several first-time-ever computer generated images of Lauper dancing with her buttoned-up lawyer, leading the entire cast in a snake-dance through New York streets and ending up in Lauper's bedroom in her home. The bedroom scene is an homage to the famous stateroom scene in the Marx Brothers' film A Night at the Opera.
"The year 1983 makes a watershed in the history of female-address video. It is the year that certain issues and representations began to gain saliency and the textual strategies of female address began to coalesce." In the video, Lauper wanted to show in a more fun and light-hearted manner that girls want the same equality and recognition boys had in society.
Before the song starts, the beginning of her version of "He's So Unusual" plays.
The music video was directed by Edd Griles. The producer was Ken Walz while the cinematographer was Francis Kenny. The treatment for the video was co-written by Griles, Walz, and Cyndi Lauper. The video was shot in the Lower East Side of Manhattan in summer 1983 and premiered on television in December 1983. The choreography was by a New York dance and music troupe called XXY featuring Mary Ellen Strom, Cyndi Lee and Pierce Turner.
As of May 2018, the music video has over 550 million views on YouTube.
Critical reception
Accolades
Awards and nominations
Chart performance
The song was released in late 1983 but much of its success on the charts came during the first half of 1984. The single reached the Top 10 in over 25 countries and reached No. 1 in ten of those countries including Australia, Canada, Ireland, Japan, New Zealand, and Norway. It also reached No. 2 in both the United Kingdom and the United States.
In the United States, the song entered the Billboard Hot 100 at No. 80 on December 17, 1983. It ultimately peaked at No. 2 on March 10, 1984 where it stayed for two weeks, behind Van Halen's "Jump". In the United Kingdom, the song entered the chart at No. 50 on January 14, 1984 and peaked at No. 2 on February 4, 1984 where it stayed for one week. In Ireland, the song entered the chart on January 29, 1984. It peaked at number one for two weeks and was on the chart for a total of seven weeks. In Australia, the song debuted on the Kent Music Report Top 100 on February 27, 1984. It entered the Top 10 in only its third week on the chart and reached number one on March 26, 1984. It topped the chart for two weeks and then remained at number two for four weeks behind Nena's "99 Luftballons". It stayed on the chart for 21 weeks and was the 9th biggest-selling single of the year. In Belgium, the song debut at No. 38 on February 18, 1984 and peaked at No. 4 on April 7, 1984. In the Netherlands, the song entered the chart at No. 38 on February 25, 1984 and peaked at No. 4 on March 31, 1984.
In Sweden, the song entered at No. 13 on March 6, 1984 and peaked at No. 5 on April 3, 1984, charting for six weeks. In Switzerland, the song entered the chart at No. 15 on April 1, 1984 and peaked at No. 6 on April 29, 1984. In New Zealand, the song debuted at No. 21 on April 1, 1984 and peaked at No. 1 on May 6, 1984 where it stayed for three weeks. In Austria, the single entered at No. 3 on May 1, 1984 which was its peak position.
Usage in media
The song is featured in the films Clueless, Girls Just Want to Have Fun, To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar, Riding in Cars with Boys, I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry, Hysterical Blindness, Midnight Heat, The Other Woman, Housefull 3, Peter's Friends, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2, Anomalisa and Baby Mama.
It's also used in the television shows The Simpsons, Friends, Bones, Gilmore Girls, The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3, Married with Children, Daria, Hinter Gittern - Der Frauenknast, The Comeback, Drawn Together, 90210, Secret Diary of a Call Girl, 20 to 1, Celebrity Big Brother, Two and a Half Men, Family Guy, Coronation Street, and Miami Vice among others. In 2008 in Mexico, it was used in the first episode of the telenovela Mañana es para siempre.
WWE Hall of Famer Wendi Richter has used the song as her entrance theme.
There are multiple cover versions of this song. For example, one is by STRFKR on the album Jupiter.
Track listings
7" single
- A. "Girls Just Want To Have Fun" -- 3:55 (R. Hazard)
- B. "Right Track Wrong Train" -- 4:40 (C. Lauper, E. Greenwich, J. Kent)
12" Vinyl Promo
- A. "Girls Just Want To Have Fun (Extended Version)" -- 6:08
- B1. "Fun With V. Knutsn (Instrumental)"--7:10
- B2. "Xtra Fun"--5:05
Single A CD single was issued in 2007, known as a ringle, which included bonus interactive computer material as well as a code to download a free ringtone of the title track. It featured the title track and for the first time on CD, "Right Track Wrong Train". The ringle, as well as all other issued ringles, were recalled by Sony Music due to issues with the ringtone not working correctly. They have yet to be reissued.
- "Girls Just Want to Have Fun"
- "Right Track Wrong Train"
- Computer media
Official versions
- Album Version - 3:51
- Video Version - 4:19
- Extended version - 6:08
- Fun with V. Knutsn (Instrumental) - 7:10
- Xtra Fun - 5:05
- Remix (released in 1993, mixed by Junior Vasquez) - 6:30 (12" Promo) / 5:30 (commercial release)
- Radio remix (released in 1993, mixed by Junior Vasquez) - 3:39
- The Body Acoustic version featuring Puffy AmiYumi - 2:59
- Girls Just Wanna Have Fun X Set Your Heart - 3:52
- Girls Just Wanna Have Fun X Set Your Heart Long Version - 5:55
Official versions (Hey Now version)
- Factory Dub version - 6:50
- Junior Vasquez remix "Dancehall Main" - 5:46
- Junior Vasquez remix "Harder Dancehall" - 5:46
- Junior Vasquez remix "Lounge Dub" - 6:00
- Junior Vasquez remix "Lounge Mix" - 6:12
- Junior Vasquez remix "Pop Goes the Dancehall" - 4:58
- Junior Vasquez Soundfactory mix - 7:40
- Mikey Bennett's "Carnival" version - 6:04
- Mikey Bennett's "Carnival" version edited - 4:09
- Single edit - 3:39
- Sly & Robbie's "Home Grown" version - 4:16
- Sly & Robbie's "Home Grown" version - 6:15
- Straight Up Pass version - 7:13
- Techno dub - 3:55
- Techno Main mix - 8:23
Credits and personnel
- Lyrics: Robert Hazard. Production: Rick Chertoff.
- Lyrics: Cyndi Lauper, Ellie Greenwich, Jeffrey B. Kent. Production: Rick Chertoff
- Cyndi Lauper - lead vocals, background vocals
- Jules Shear - backing vocals
- Ellie Greenwich - backing vocals
- Eric Bazilian - bass
- Krystal Davis - backing vocals
- Rick DiFonzo - electric guitar
- Anton Fig - electronic drums
- Rob Hyman - keyboards, synthesizers
- Maretha Stewart - backing vocals
- Diane Wilson - backing vocals
Charts
Certifications
Hey Now (Girls Just Want to Have Fun)
"Hey Now (Girls Just Want to Have Fun)" was the first single from Cyndi Lauper's Twelve Deadly Cyns...and Then Some hits collection from 1994, and her first charting single on the Billboard Hot 100 since "My First Night Without You" in 1989.
This song is a new reggae-tinged arrangement of Lauper's own "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" standard, with a musical tip of the hat to Redbone's "Come and Get Your Love". The arrangement evolved as she experimented with the song's style over the course of the 1993-94 Hat Full of Stars Tour. The song was a big comeback hit for Lauper, landing in the top 10 and top 40 in many countries. It was also a big dance hit in the United States. It peaked at #4 in the UK and New Zealand, its highest position.
"Hey Now" plays over a pivotal closing sequence of the film To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar.
The song was covered by Triple Image and Jamie Lynn Spears in 2002.
Track listing
US CD single
- "Hey Now (Girls Just Want to Have Fun)" (single edit)
- "Hey Now (Girls Just Want to Have Fun)" (Mickey Bennett's version)
- "Hey Now (Girls Just Want to Have Fun)" (Sly & Robbie's Home Grown version)
- "Hey Now (Girls Just Want to Have Fun)" (Vasquez remix)
- "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" (original version)
Japanese CD single
- "Hey Now (Girls Just Want to Have Fun)" (single edit)
- "Hey Now (Girls Just Want to Have Fun)" (Mickey Bennett's version)
- "Hey Now (Girls Just Want to Have Fun)" (Sly & Robbie's Home Grown version)
- "Hey Now (Girls Just Want to Have Fun)" (Vasquez remix)
French CD Single
- "Hey Now (Girls Just Want to Have Fun)"
- "Hat Full of Stars"
- "Hey Now (Girls Just Want to Have Fun)" (single edit) - 3:39
- "Hey Now (Girls Just Want to Have Fun)" (Mickey Bennett's "Carnival" version featuring Patra)
- "Hey Now (Girls Just Want to Have Fun)" (Sly & Robbie's "Home Grown" version featuring Snow)
- "Hey Now (Girls Just Want to Have Fun)" (Junior Vasquez Remix "Pop Goes the Dancehall" featuring Snow)
- "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" (original version)
Charts
- Weekly charts
- Year-end charts
Certifications
Race for Life version
In 2010, Cancer Research UK arranged for a charity record for their Race for Life campaign. It features many celebrities such as EastEnders actress Nina Wadia, Coronation Street actress Kym Marsh, Life of Riley actress Caroline Quentin, glamour girl Danielle Lloyd, X Factor finalist Lucie Jones, singer Sonique (herself a breast cancer survivor), former EastEnders actress Lucy Benjamin, and Celebrity Big Brother's Nicola T.
In popular culture
- On Sesame Street, Oscar the Grouch, Grundgetta and a couple other Grouch girls sang a parody of the song, "Grouch Girls Don't Wanna Have Fun".
- Weird Al Yankovic parodied the song as "Girls Just Want to Have Lunch" on his 1985 album, Dare To Be Stupid
See also
- 1983 in music
- List of number-one dance singles of 1984 (U.S.)
References
External links
- Official music video on YouTube
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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