Time After Time (Cyndi Lauper song)
"Time After Time" is a 1983 song by American singer-songwriter Cyndi Lauper, co-written with Rob Hyman, who also provided backing vocals. It was the second single released from her debut studio album, She's So Unusual (1983). The track was produced by Rick Chertoff and released as a single in March 1984. The song became Lauper's first number 1 hit in the U.S. The song was written in the album's final stages, after "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun", "She Bop" and "All Through the Night" had been written or recorded. The writing began with the title, which Lauper had seen in TV Guide magazine, referring to the science fiction film Time After Time (1979).[7]
"Time After Time"
Music critics gave the song positive reviews, with many commending the song for being a solid and memorable love song. The song has been selected as one of the Best Love Songs of All Time by many media outlets, including Rolling Stone, Nerve, MTV and many others.[8] "Time After Time" was also nominated for a Grammy Award for Song of the Year at the 1985 edition.[9] The song was a success on the charts, becoming her first number-one single on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart on June 9, 1984, and remaining there for two weeks. The song reached number three on the UK Singles Chart and number six on the ARIA Singles Chart.
Composition and lyrics[edit]
Written by Cyndi Lauper and Rob Hyman and produced by Rick Chertoff, "Time After Time" is built over simple keyboard-synth chords, bright, jangly guitars, clock ticking percussion, and elastic bassline.[13] Lyrically, the track is a love song of devotion. Pam Avoledo of Blogcritics speculates that, "In 'Time After Time,' Lauper believes she is a difficult person, unworthy of love. She runs away and shuts people out. However, her devoted boyfriend who loves her unconditionally is willing to help her through anything. The relationship is given depth. The couple’s intimacy and history is apparent. They've been together for a long time. They love and have seen each other through every tough part of their life."[14]
"Time After Time" is written in the key of C major with a tempo of 130 beats per minute[15] in common time. Lauper's vocals span from G3 to C5 in the song.[16]
Chart performance[edit]
"Time After Time" became Lauper's first number-one single on the Billboard charts, reaching the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart in June 1984.[29] It also reached the top of the Adult Contemporary[30] and Canadian RPM Top Singles charts.[31] In Europe, the single peaked at number 2, on July 9, 1984. In the United Kingdom, "Time After Time" debuted at number 54 on March 24, 1984, while peaking later at number 3, on July 14, 1984.[32] In New Zealand, the song reached number 3,[33] in Austria it reached number 5,[34] in Switzerland it reached number 7,[35] in France it peaked at number 9[36] and in Sweden it reached a peak of number 10.[37]
In Mexico's Notitas Musicales or Hit Parade the song was #2 for a four weeks on June 15, 1984.
The 2005 version from the album The Body Acoustic featuring Sarah McLachlan reached No. 14 on the Adult Contemporary chart.
In Popular culture[edit]
The song makes an appearance during the prom scene in the 2004 film Napoleon Dynamite.
The song also appears in The Simpsons episode "Homer's Paternity Coot" where Homer is imagining who his father may be after finding out that Abe may not be his biological father.