"Girls Just Want to Have Fun" was almost performed by another singer, as Cyndi Lauper originally did not want to record it.
Lauper automatically made "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" a hit song four years after Robert Hazard wrote the track, becoming her first major single as a solo artist. Things would have been different for the singer, however, as she refused to record the track at first.
Why Cyndi Lauper Did Not Want To Perform "Girls Just Want to Have Fun"
On Wednesday, the "Let the Canary Sing" documentary about Lauper's life and career officially premiered at Tribeca Festival, where the singer also had an exclusive interview with People.
She told the news outlet the real reason why she did not want to record "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" when it was offered to her since she wanted an anthem that would "inspire women" and open doors to them.
The 69-year-old singer shared. "Not just one group of women, but every little girl could see herself and realize that she too could have a joyful experience in life."
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Although she felt that way initially, she revealed that she now feels honored by its feminist legacy.
Lauper eventually recorded and released the song as part of her solo debut album, "She's So Unusual," after she previously did not see it as something that would empower women upon listening for the first time.
The documentary also showed the time when the singer refused to accept the song, with Rick Chertoff seeing Lauper pulling his ear to tell him she would never do the song. She revealed that the reason behind his refusal was due to the fact that it was written from a male perspective.
Chertoff and Lauper soon worked on demos until they made it sound more fun and decided to have the singer sing it from a female point of view.
Cyndi Lauper Promoted Women Empowerment Through "Girls Just Want to Have Fun"
After recording the song, Lauper's team started making "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" music video. At that time, she expressed her desire to cast a diverse group of women instead of including one race of people.
Boy George said in the documentary that Lauper's move sent a good message to kids and teenage girls.
In addition, Lauper opted to have her real mother, Catrine, to play her mom on screen.
"I told my mother, 'If you do this, it's going to bring mothers and daughters closer,'" Lauper said. "I got to share my success with my mom."
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