QuinnElaine's Full Review: Twelve Deadly Cyns... And Then Some by Cyndi Laupe...
I Love this CD! When I first saw Cyndi in the 80's with her contagious grin, her wild hair & clothes, and her tenacious optimism, I never would have guessed that she packs a voice that can wallop you!
The cover art is striking and totally Cyndi.Red, lots of that crimson color of cyn to contrast with her pure white face, bold yellow hair, eyes and black lashes. With the Title perched on the brim of her bowler, her scarlet smile welcomes you in...
First let me say that I LOVE that the lyrics are included as well as a long thank you list from the songstress herself that includes the "people who fed me and took care of me,"as well as "All the foot soldiers who made this album fly, & anybody I forgot who I'll remember after I turn this in."
I'll Be Strong
Like a ballad, this song is a tale from beginning to end. Touching, the music supports the lyrics with soft bell like tones that conjure images of a rainy day. Her voice alternately whispers, throbs, and echoes as she tells us this story.
I'm gonna be strong
and stand as tall as I can
I'm gonna be strong
and let you go along
and take it like a man..
The electric violin between this and the next song is the final brushstroke on this masterpiece.
Girls Just Want To Have Fun
Irreverent lyrics with bounce and beat, what teenager couldn't relate? Yet she still manages to make it a message. The lyrics tell us she still loves & respects her parents even though she was as rebellious as any other teen, and even comments on what I call the Rapunzel syndrome.
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!
Man, can she hold a note!
Money Changes Everything
Drums, keyboards, and guitar keep the beat going as she weaves her words around them. A Cynical view, but oh so true!
They shake your hand and they smile
and they buy you a drink
they say we'll be your friends
we'll stick with you till the end
ah but everybody's only
looking out themselves
When it comes down to it, you have to believe in and trust yourself. Everyone has encountered the "sometimes" friend, those that flatter you, but don't really care about you. Sometimes people are just there to see what they can get from you, and having a sudden increase in wealth will not only attract these people, sometimes you loose a friend because they think it has changed you.
Time After Time
I've always loved this one. Circular in style, it is like the thoughts that run around your head, wether you want them to or not...
If you're lost you can look- and you will find me
time after time
If you fall I will catch you - I'll be waiting
time after time
Ultimately, this reminds us to be there unconditionally for those we love. I really believe that. My friends are my family, and I treat them as such.
She Bop
Well, we all know what this song was about!
Do I wanna go out with a lion's roar
huh, yea, I wanna go south n get me some more
Hey, they say a stitch in time saves nine
they say I better stop-or I'll go blind
With the nonchalant whistles in the back ground, and her bubbling laugh punctuating the song countless people have danced along never knowing the words! That alone is worth a few chuckles.
All Through The Night
The music ripples and sparkles behind her lyrics as she calls up yet more images for us.
Stray cat is crying so stray cat sings back
all through the night
they have forgotten what by day they lack
oh under those white street lamps
there is a little chance they may see
I'm not really sure if she is referring to prostitution "and once we start the meter clicks..." as well as the stray cats under a street light image. I think of it being more like when you find someone who touches your life, and you aren't sure how long it will last. It may only be that one night you had together, and you want to remember it, make the most of the memory.
"Oh the sleep in your eyes is enough
let me be there let me stay there awhile"
Change Of Heart
Captures moments of anticipation in another musical tale, with more strong drums for her to brace herself against.She makes you wonder if that change of heart ever happened.
Here I am
just like I said I would be...
Waiting for your change of heart
it just takes a beat
to turn it around...
Blind leading blind
never hear the laughter
search through time
nothing reveals the answer
Most people, at some point have known someone who just wanted to be friends, while you were wishing it could be more.
True Colors
Is another old favorite of mine. The lyrics always speak to me:
But I see your true colors
shining through
I see your true colors
and that's why I love you
so don't be afraid to let them show
like a rainbow
It makes me think of all the people I love, and yet is still a healthy reminder for me! We all get caught up in worrying about how we appear to other people. We second guess ourselves, and out think ourselves far too often! You have to remember to relax and just be yourself sometimes, because if you don't you'll loose yourself. Wise Words!
What's Going On
She pleads with humanity to stop warring with each other in a song that builds, and grows. She speaks to us all as family as if she knows us each by name and loves us.
Mother mother
there's too many of you crying
brother brother brother
there's far too many of you dying...
Father father
we don't need to escalate
war is not the answer
This is one of my favorite anti-war songs. She expresses my own feelings so well here. I see all humanity dividing itself with imaginary boundaries, or judging each other for superficial appearances and reasons, and just don't understand it.
I Drove All Night
This is the song for separated lovers, with her drawn out vocals and urgent, sincere longing.
I drove all night to get to you
Is that all right?
I drove all night
crept into your room
Woke you from your sleep
to make love to you
Is that all right?
I drove all night
I think of this song on those days when my husband is working late, or at the library doing research, and especially when he and our son are gone on a Scout trip!
That's What I Think
I love the flute here,the beat and the use of horns.
Sometimes I think
things are overwhelming
sometimes I think
I don't know what I'll do
but I forget the world
and everything around me
that's what I think
when I think about you
What better song to follow I Drove All Night?! I can't help but love this song. Alan & I have been together since we met in 1986. We had a 6 month period where I was in California and he was here in Pennsylvania, and both of these songs make me think of that difficult time. That's What I Think tickles me with the thought of how I still get just as distracted from all my woes and tensions by merely thinking about him. That I can still get that giddy feeling after all these years makes me shake my head in wonder. That's ok though, he's just as bad.
Sally's Pigeons
If you have never heard this song, you Must! It is one of my favorites. She uses an Irish singing style, yet it is her story completely.
When I was 8 I had a friend
with a pirate smile...
we were innocent and wild...
hopped a fence and slammed the gate
running down my alleyway
in time to watch Sally's pigeons fly
On the dresser sits a frame
with a photograph
two little girls in ponytails
some 20 years back
she left one night with just a nod...
I can't remember when
a pirate's smile hasn't made me cry
I close my eyes
and Sally's pigeons fly...
She tells us about her girlhood, and the friend who disappeared after getting pregnant. A poignant tale that she has kept close to her heart.
Followed by a grittier version of girls just want to have fun, with back up singers, this really completes the tale.
Come On Home
Has a reggae feel to it, so the album ends on an upbeat.
Remember the rain even comes down in Shangri-La
Look up as it soaks into your skin
and remember who you are...
Come on home
when the road that you've
been walking gets too long
Don't be scared
in case the grass you thought was greener
isn't there
You can come home...
When life isn't fair, don't go there..
You can come on home..."
A perfect ending to the album, and all the tales she has given us with this anthology.
When a musician melds instruments, vocals,images, and meaningful lyrics, I call them a Bard. Cyndi Lauper is not the only Bard out there, but there are never enough of them! If you have never experienced Cyndi, this is a great album to start with!
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