Girls Just Want to Have Fun

by Cyndi Lauper

A vibrant synth-pop anthem radiating defiant joy, painting a picture of female camaraderie and the universal desire for freedom.
Release Date October 14, 1983
Duration 03:58
Album She's So Unusual
Language EN

Emotions

anger
bittersweet
calm
excitement
fear
hope
joy
longing
love
nostalgia
sadness
sensual
tension
triumph

Mood

positive
negative
neutral
mixed

Song Analysis for Girls Just Want to Have Fun

Cyndi Lauper's "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" is widely regarded as a feminist anthem, a joyful declaration of female desire for freedom, self-expression, and equality. Originally written and recorded by Robert Hazard in 1979 from a male, and somewhat misogynistic, perspective about his various girlfriends, Lauper famously transformed the song's meaning. She felt the original lyrics were dismissive of women and, with some key lyrical changes, she reimagined it as a song of female solidarity and empowerment. Lauper's version shifts the narrative to a young woman who is pushing back against the traditional expectations of her parents and society. When confronted by her mother and father about how she's living her life, her response is simple yet revolutionary: "girls they wanna have fun." This 'fun' is not trivial; it represents the desire for the same experiences, freedoms, and opportunities that men have historically enjoyed without question. Lauper stated she wanted to create an "anthem that would inspire women" and allow every girl to see herself in the song, realizing she is "entitled to this joyful experience." The line she added, "Some boys take a beautiful girl / And hide her away from the rest of the world / I want to be the one to walk in the sun," directly confronts patriarchal control and expresses a yearning for visibility and autonomy.

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Most Frequently Used Words in This Song

wanna girls fun workin day done want one really phone rings middle night father yells gonna life daddy dear know still number boys take beautiful girl hide away rest world

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Common questions about this song

Released on the same day as Girls Just Want to Have Fun (October 14)

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Song Discussion - Girls Just Want to Have Fun by Cyndi Lauper

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