‘The Breakdown’: Cyndi Lauper, Rob Hyman Recall Making of ‘Time After Time’

In the early Eighties, Cyndi Lauper was on her own. Her band Blue Angel had just split up and she was working on her solo debut, an idea she had rebuffed in years prior. By 1983, she was signed to a major label and began working on what would become her career-making debut album She’s So Unusual.

Many of the songs she was asked to sing were originally penned by other writers, like the Robert Hazard original “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun.” But she had a clear vision and wanted to put her own spin on the project. She enlisted members of Philly band the Hooters to back her up and ended up finding songwriting chemistry with Rob Hyman. Together, they would make chart history with the single “Time After Time.”

In the latest episode of The Breakdown, Lauper and Hyman recall how they channeled their personal heartbreaks into one of the songs that would turn Lauper into a pop phenomenon. They also detail the many sonic incarnations of the tune, as well as the seemingly spiritually guided writing sessions. Plus, they discuss the song’s impact and continued popularity.