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.
You Really Got a Hold on Me
Cyndi Lauper Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Seems that I'm always thinking of you.
Oh, oh, oh, you treat me badly,
I love you madly, you really got a hold on me.
You really got a hold on me, baby,
I don't want you, but I need you,
Don't want to kiss you, but I need you.
Oh, oh, oh, you do me wrong now,
You really got a hold on me, baby,
I love you and all I want you to do is just hold me,
Hold me, hold me, hold me.
I want to leave you, don't want to stay here
Don't want to spend another day here.
Oh, oh, oh, I want to split now, I can't Baby,
I love you and all I want you to do is just hold me,
Hold me, hold me, hold me.
You really got a hold on me.
You really got a hold on me.
You really got a hold on me.
You really got a hold on me.
You really got a hold on me.
In "You Really Got a Hold on Me," Cyndi Lauper sings about being torn between her rational thoughts and her emotional attachment to someone who mistreats her. The opening lines, "I don't like you, but I love you, seems that I'm always thinking of you," set the tone for the rest of the song. She acknowledges that the person treats her badly and does her wrong, but at the same time, she loves him madly and cannot let go of him. The chorus, with its repetition of "you really got a hold on me," emphasizes the power this person has over her and how she cannot resist his hold on her, no matter how hard she tries.
The second verse highlights the conflict within her even further, as she confesses that she doesn't want to kiss him, but she needs him. She recognizes that she should leave him and not spend another day with him, but she can't bring herself to do it because of the hold he has on her. The repetition of "hold me" in the bridge portrays her desire for physical and emotional comfort and her hope that he will provide that for her.
Overall, "You Really Got a Hold on Me" is a frank portrayal of a complicated and sometimes unhealthy relationship. Lauper's vocals and the song's instrumentation work together to create an emotional and haunting atmosphere that perfectly captures the song's themes.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't like you, but I love you,
Despite not having positive feelings towards you, my love for you persists.
Seems that I'm always thinking of you.
You occupy my thoughts consistently.
Oh, oh, oh, you treat me badly,
Your treatment towards me is negative and hurtful.
I love you madly, you really got a hold on me.
Despite the unfavorable treatment, I still have intense love for you and it has a strong grip on me.
You really got a hold on me, baby,
Your love has a powerful control over me, even to the point where I can't resist you.
I don't want you, but I need you,
Although I have the desire not to want you, I still have a strong dependence on you.
Don't want to kiss you, but I need you.
Even though I may not have the desire to be intimate with you, my longing for you still exists.
Oh, oh, oh, you do me wrong now,
Your actions towards me are now unjust.
My love is strong now you really got a hold on me.
Despite your mistreatment, my love for you has become more substantial and you still have control over me.
I love you and all I want you to do is just hold me,
No matter what, I still want to feel your embrace and be close to you.
Hold me, hold me, hold me.
I need you to hold me so that I can feel safe and protected in your arms.
I want to leave you, don't want to stay here
Despite my strong feelings for you, I have the desire to end our relationship and move on.
Don't want to spend another day here.
I no longer want to be in this relationship or situation any longer.
Oh, oh, oh, I want to split now, I can't Baby,
I have the desire to end things between us immediately, but I can't seem to actually leave.
You really got a hold on me.
You have an immense control over me and my emotions.
You really got a hold on me.
Your grip on me is so strong that I can't seem to break free.
You really got a hold on me.
Despite everything, you still have a tight and powerful hold over me.
You really got a hold on me.
Your love for me is so strong that it has taken complete control over me, and I am now powerless to resist it.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: William Robinson Jr.
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Robert Cochran
on Time After Time
Philly's own - Hooter's song
Anonymous
on Time After Time
Time After Time - Lisa Wahlandt - Lyrics
Lying in my bed I hear the clock tick
And think of you
Caught up in circles
Confusion is nothing new
Flashback, warm nights
Almost left behind
Suitcases of memories
Time after
Sometimes you picture me
I'm walking too far ahead
You're calling to me, I can't hear
What you've said
Then you say, go slow
I fall behind
The second hand unwinds
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
If you're lost you can look and you will find me
Time after time
If you fall I will catch you, I will be waiting
Time after time
After my picture fades and darkness has
Turned to gray
I’m watching through windows
And you're wondering if I'm okay
Secrets stolen from deep inside
The drum beats out of time
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
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
Musical Interlude
If you're lost you can look and you will really, really really, really really find me
Time after time
If you fall I will catch you, I know that I will be waiting
Time after time
Time after time
Hold on, hold on…..
Time after time
Time after time
Time after time
Time after time……..
Andra Arija
on He's so Unusual
Yeah ......