Born in Queens, New York to Swiss German-American Fred Lauper and Sicilian Italian-American Catrine Dominique, she began her career in a cover band, but soon began performing her own songs (though she almost quit singing altogether due to strained vocal chords in 1977). By 1980 she'd released a rockabilly album on Polydor with the band Blue Angel. Despite much critical acclaim, the album "went lead," as Lauper says, and the band split as Lauper filed for bankruptcy.
In 1983 she started dating her manager David Wolff with whom she released She's So Unusual, a worldwide hit album which made Lauper a household name. A mixture of teen-friendly pop-rock and edgier, almost punky sounds, the album's biggest hit, Girls Just Want to Have Fun, quickly established itself as a female anthem. Lauper won a Grammy Award for Best New Artist at the Grammy Awards of 1984 for her work on the album. Lauper was the first female artist to have four consecutive Hot 100 Top 5 hits from one album.
Subsequent albums (such as True Colors, A Night to Remember, Hat Full of Stars) did not sell as well, but Lauper remains active to the present day and still retains a very strong fan base.
Lauper's latest album Memphis Blues was released in June 2011, premiering at #1 on the Billboard Blues Album Chart where it remained for 14 consecutive weeks. The album also reached #26 on the Billboard Top 200, and was later named the Billboard Blues Album of the year, also earning Lauper a Grammy nomination. This brought her total Grammy nominations to 13 with one win.
911
Cyndi Lauper Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There's a locket in my pocket that I can't find
Oh I'm at the window whistling in the wind
I'm at my own front door and I can't get in
I'm dialing up 911
I'm on the brink of trouble again,
If you could change the time, a little,
Fine, fine, fine
Tell me do you have a home-made remedy,
The only time we talk is in our sleep
Oh he likes mornings, I like the moon
It's a typical case of too little, too soon
I'm dialing up 911
I'm on the brink of trouble again,
If you could change the time, a little,
Then everything would be
Fine, fine, fine
...My back is in the corner,
My boat is taking on water,
You can't wrap fire up in paper
And you can't rap your way out of here
Oh I like mornings, he likes the moon
It's a typical case of too late, too soon
I'm dialing up 911...
The lyrics of Cyndi Lauper's song "911" speak to the turmoil and confusion of a troubled relationship. The first lines of the song depict chaos and danger, with a riot in the kitchen and a bed on fire. There is a sense of urgency as the singer calls out for help, and the mention of a locket in the pocket adds a sense of nostalgia and loss. The next lines reveal the singer at the window, unable to enter their own home. This sense of being locked out of their own life serves as a powerful metaphor for the struggles of the relationship at the center of the song.
As the song progresses, the singer makes a desperate plea for help, asking if there is a home-made remedy that might solve their problems. The mention of talking only in their sleep highlights the communication breakdown between the couple. The differing preferences for mornings and the moon serve as another symbol for the ways in which the couple aren't able to find common ground. The repeated refrain of dialing 911 underscores the feeling that this relationship is on the brink of disaster.
The final lines of the song suggest that the singer is too far gone to find an easy way out of the situation. Their back is against the wall, and their boat is taking on water. This imagery is a powerful reminder of the danger and hopelessness of a relationship that is spiraling out of control.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a riot in the kitchen and the bed's on fire
There's chaos in my home and it's out of control
There's a locket in my pocket that I can't find
I feel lost and don't know what to do or where to turn
Oh I'm at the window whistling in the wind
I feel helpless and powerless, like a leaf blowing in the wind
I'm at my own front door and I can't get in
I'm locked out of my own life, unable to access my own happiness
I'm dialing up 911
I'm reaching out for emergency help, hoping someone can save me
I'm on the brink of trouble again,
I'm at risk of falling into a bad situation once more
If you could change the time, a little,
If only things were different, even just a bit,
Then everything would be Fine, fine, fine
My life would be great, and I wouldn't be in this mess
Tell me do you have a home-made remedy,
Do you have any advice or solution that can be done at home
The only time we talk is in our sleep
We don't communicate when we're awake, only in our dreams
Oh he likes mornings, I like the moon
We have different preferences and don't see eye to eye on things
It's a typical case of too little, too soon
We're not ready for each other yet or don't have enough experience
My back is in the corner,
I feel trapped and unable to escape
My boat is taking on water,
My life is sinking and I'm struggling to stay afloat
You can't wrap fire up in paper
You can't contain or conceal something that's dangerous
And you can't rap your way out of here
You can't use words or music to escape this situation
Oh I like mornings, he likes the moon
We're still not in sync, and things haven't improved
It's a typical case of too late, too soon
We missed our chance or jumped in too quickly without considering the consequences
I'm dialing up 911...
I'm still calling for help and hoping someone will come to my rescue
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: LAUPER, LUNT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
leandroge pereira
Música gostosa de ouvir 👏👏👏, parabéns Cyndi Lauper 😋🎉
Ryan Gomes
Top muito bom 👏👏🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷
Felipe Vinícius
Duas rainhas com músicas 911 🙌🏼
Só agradeço por esses grandes talentos da música! Quanto mais, melhor. 👑👑
Two queens with 911 songs 🙌🏼
I just thank you for these great music talents! The more the better. 👑👑
Cllara :3
SIMMMMMM♥️♥️♥️
Receitas da Kelly
@hoemogenic ☁️ a melhor Cyndi 😍❤
hoemogenic ☁️
the fact that she also has a song called Rain On Me and is just as good... Legend thingz
jhon rodrigues
Te amo pra sempre Cyndi, minha eterna garota ❤️❤️❤️
Fatima Cruzeiro
Maravilhosa sempre!!!!!!😍😍😍😍😍😍
Elias Gonzalez
Retorno a mí adolescencia con la música de Cyndi. Diosaaaa!
Ivonilde Simões
Amo!!!