The True Meaning Of Cyndi Lauper’s ‘Time After Time’ Song

Cyndi Lauper’s hit "Time After Time" was the second single for her debut album, "She’s So Unusual." Lauper was introduced to Rob Hyman of "The Hooters" after her band "Blue Angel" had broken up. When she was in need of musicians to record her album, a Columbia Records producer, Rick Chertoff linked her with Hyman and they hit it off.

Rick Chertoff was infamous for telling artists that their records could use “one more song.” She’s So Unusual included big hits such as All Through The Night, She Bop and of course, Girls Just Want To Have Fun. Although these songs are all stellar tracks that have made Lauper the legend she is today, Chertoff felt the album was incomplete and asked them to write one more.

In a late writing session at New York recording studio, Record Plant, Lauper spotted a TV Guide advertising a science fiction film, “Time After Time” and it sparked an idea for the song title. Using a simplistic set of piano chords they set out to write a pop song. However, as they progressed the realized it was more of a bittersweet tune; the song meaning something a little different for all of them.

To Rob Hyman, it represented a breakup. For Lauper, it was a response to a lover who was “lost,” which alludes to him needing help. She expresses her sympathy for an ex-lover, to the degree of not wanting to move forward without him by her side.

The recording you hear of “Time After Time” is raw, meaning the songwriters used the demo and the first version of the song, which is pretty rare. Rob Hyman does backing vocals for Lauper. The song eventually became Lauper’s number 1 hit in the United States and earned her a Grammy nomination in 1985.

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