The song pours a cocktail of emotion into us, ranging from heartache and loss to an uplifting sense that you are not alone in that sadness.
It feels as if she has our backs, relieving us from carrying our heartache alone. The simple melodies and straightforward instrumentation gently highlight the song’s emotional core.
This allows Lauper’s sincere delivery to take center stage. Undeniably of its era, with synths, shimmering guitar lines, and electronic drum sounds at its core, it remains a timeless classic. It can be returned to time after time and still feels as heavy-hitting and fresh with each listen.
In 1983, Cyndi Lauper and producer Rick Chertoff were wrapping up the songs that would become her smash debut album, “She’s So Usual.” The soon-to-be upbeat pop hits “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” and “She Bop,” as well as the album’s other songs, were finished.
The album had huge potential for pop success. Chertoff thought the album needed one more song to round it out. He introduced Cyndi to American musician and songwriter Rob Hyman to write that song with Lauper. They began working on “Time after Time” together, lamenting similar challenges each of them was having in their respective romantic relationships.
The collaboration felt natural and produced what Interscope thought should be her lead single. However, Cyndi feared that debuting with an emotional ballad would pigeonhole her as a ballad singer and limit future success.
They chose to use it as the second single, after “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun.” This decision helped show her versatility and launched her into fame. The song was received wonderfully.
One critic, Scott Floman of Goldmine Magazine, called it “one of the decade’s finest ballads” and described it as “gorgeously heartfelt.” The song became Lauper’s first number 1 single and stayed at the top of the Billboard chart for two weeks in mid-1984.
Decades later, Megan Davies and her sister Jaclyn took a swing at the song, collaborating with singer-songwriter Boyce Avenue. Their version has received 34 million views and continues to gain popularity.
They push the ballad to its limits, stripping it down to two acoustic guitars and three voices. The result is a cover that is sparse and airy, yet builds to an emotionally climactic crescendo.
A simple guitar line begins, gentle like awakening from restful sleep. Meg starts a short and fluttering lead on her acoustic, almost as if birds are singing a morning tune while you wipe the sleep from your eyes. Boyce begins the first verse with a soft-spoken, reserved tone.
The first prechorus is a false start. Meg and Jac add a staccato backing vocal that builds, making the listener expect the chorus, only to return to the second verse with the girls on lead.
Boyce fills out the first true pre-chorus; sparse instrumentals still leave space, creating a sense of longing. When the chorus arrives, that space fills with a twinkling guitar dance and a huge vocal harmony among all three singers.
A beautiful frisson gently trickles down your spine and then disappears as we return to the next verse. This back-and-forth between verse and chorus builds tension that is both calming and exciting, as we wait for the vocal finale.
All three singers share the space beautifully in the end. Though the song isn’t a common cover, people love this version. Listeners call it “dreamlike” and say it gives them “goosebumps.”
They enjoy this even more soothing, dialed-back take on the classic ballad. It’s a great introduction to Meg and Jac’s other wonderful acoustic covers, covering songs from Billie Eilish’s “Birds of a Feather” to John Denver’s “Country Road Take Me Home.”
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