Girls just want to have fun, but sometimes that fun comes with consequences.
Cyndi Lauper recently opened up about her childhood experiences that led to her being “asked to leave” her Catholic school not once, but twice. In a candid conversation with Gracie Abrams featured in Rolling Stone’s “Musicians on Musicians” segment, Lauper shared insights from her past on Friday, October 17.
“Honestly, I can’t read a regular book without using a piece of white paper to guide me line by line,” Lauper, now 72, confided to Abrams. She pondered whether this difficulty stemmed from being pelted with erasers, adding, “I went to Catholic school, and we definitely had our share of political disagreements, which led to my departure.”
The singer, renowned for hits like “True Colors,” was expelled “twice, in third grade and again in fourth grade,” prompting Abrams, 26, to speculate whether it was due to Lauper’s chatter.
Lauper quipped, “Oh, no, it wasn’t for talking—rather, it was for talking back,” delivering her response with a touch of humor befitting a Grammy-winning artist.
“Oh, no, no, no,” the Grammy winner joked. “For talking back.”
Lauper, who is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s upcoming inductee class, previously opened up about her turbulent younger years during an interview with People in 1984.
Because she ran away from home at the age of 17, the future “Girls Just Want To Have Fun” hitmaker was forced to get a high school equivalency diploma.
“I spent years not accepting who I was,” she told the outlet at the time. “In high school, I felt out of step. Everything became unreal for me. I felt there just wasn’t any room for me in this world.”
“But you can’t escape yourself. ‘Why was I alive?’ I’d ask,” Lauper continued. “I didn’t fit in, didn’t have nobody to do things with that I liked. I did them by myself.”
But more recently, the “She’s So Unusual” artist acknowledged that she’s “still learning” more than 40 years later – especially when it comes to songwriting and the ever-changing music industry.
“Sometimes you write something, you’re like, ‘Wow, look at what we did! Genius!’ Then the next day you listen and go, ‘What the heck were you thinking?’” Lauper told Abrams during their chat.
“It’s always like that,” she concluded, “but ain’t that what we do?”
The “Time After Time” singer, however, is still able to surprise her countless fans four decades after making it big in 1983.
Over the summer, while performing the final show of her farewell tour, Lauper brought out longtime friend and fellow superstar Cher, 79, for a memorable rendition of “Girls Just Want to Have Fun.”
“You’re the queen,” she told the “If I Could Turn Back Time” songstress after their duet at the Hollywood Bowl on Aug. 30.
“No, you’re the f–king queen,” Cher responded.
Despite finishing the last show of her farewell tour, Lauper clarified that that doesn’t mean she’s throwing in the towel.
“I’m supposed to be doing ‘Working Girl’ after the tour,” she told People in March regarding the musical adaptation of the 1988 flick. “That’s what I’ve basically been doing for 10 years. The weird thing about the Broadway thing is it takes a long time.”
“So, it’s not like I’m not going to be working,” she added. “I’m just not going to be touring. Touring is a whole different animal.”
