Tuesday, June 22, 2010

"I Drove All Night" by Cyndi Lauper



I was so determined to find a video to include with this post, I spent more time searching YouTube for one than I did in actually writing the post; between the greedies who refuse to allow embedding (BOO!) and the super-greedies at the record label whose antiquated business models refuse to allow some provision for fair use (double BOO! with raspberries on top!!) some days it's all a poor blogger like me can do to bring enlightertainment to the masses.

And yet, somehow, I persevere... Now you might ask 'Why bother?', which is a comment I've received a few times; come to think of it, it's not usually been an expression of support... A n y w a y, the long and short answer is that Cyndi Lauper - born on this day in 1953 - is one of our favourite people here at the Pop Culture Institute and has been ever since bursting onto the music scene in 1983; this truly great lady of American pop has long been and remains a force for great good, valiantly defying misogyny and homophobia wherever she goes, and I will always back her up to the hilt because of it.

I Drove All Night first appeared on Lauper's 1989 album A Night To Remember; because there's some nudity in the video, it created some controversy You Know Where, where people obviously shower in the dark with their clothes on due to all the shaming and where body dysmorphia could be an Olympic event*. I actually like the song so much a subsequent cover version of it by Quebecois caterwauler Celine Dion remains among the only songs of hers I can listen to without mysteriously acquiring a mouthful of vomit at some point during the process.

*Sorry, but it only hurts because it's true.
*

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6 comments:

CawfeeGuy said...

***gasp**
i just saw her in concert last week! who knew!?!

michael sean morris said...

She is uber-fabulous, plus she loves the gays. She is a goddess.

CawfeeGuy said...

she does love the gays! in fact, the concert i saw her at was the True Colors tour (all gay. all fabulous. check out my blog for pics and info, etc). she was so marvelous!

michael sean morris said...

Yo! Staten Island in da house!

michael sean morris said...

FULL DISCLOSURE: The four comments above were from the first incarnation of this post, which was entitled "Happy Birthday Cyndi Lauper" and included the video for "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun". It was first published on this day in 2007, and was entirely rewritten a year later.

Mathias N Oz said...

I saw her when she was touring with Cher... she actually got out in the audience waving a rainbow flag while singing true colors... she is incredible!