Original Version of Girls Just Want to Have Fun
This 80s feminist pop anthem was originally sung by a man
Cyndi Lauper’s “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” is a 1980s feminist pop anthem complete with a Grammy-winning music video. The song’s been covered close to 40 times, including Weird Al Yankovic’s parody “Girls Just Want to Have Lunch.”
But did you know that the original version of “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” was sung by a man?
That puts a bit of a different slant on the idea of girls wanting to have “fun,” right?
Writing a hit in the bath 15 minutes
Robert Hazard (born Robert Rimato) was the son of an opera singer and grew up in Philadelphia. He wrote and performed music in a variety of genres and formed a new wave band called Robert Hazard and the Heroes. In 1979, Hazard wrote the lyrics for “Girls Just Want to Have Fun.” It took him 15 minutes as he took a bath in a motel. He recorded a demo and then pretty much set it aside.
Hazard’s 1979 version of “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” has a decidedly new wave sound to it. If you’re into that genre of music, you’ll enjoy it. Hazard has the whole new wave aesthetic, from the retro 50s hairstyle to the skinny tie. The guitar plays a familiar riff, but it’s super jangly. This…
