Manny King John
The year is 1984: Cyndi Lauper has just released her single “Time After Time”, and the world has no idea how much of a classic this song will become. I definitely had no idea because I wasn’t even a thought back then (Hello, not even born until ‘89). By the time I first heard Lauper’s hit, it had already achieved a massive amount of success from winning awards, getting a Grammy nom, and claiming the number one spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The She’s So Unusual artist was killing it with this track.
I’m 99% positive that the first time I was introduced to this song was via a television. Whether featured in a movie, television show, or a commercial, my earliest memories of this hit exist always have a TV involved. Shit, it had to be by way of the small screen because I know my mom wasn’t playing this song in the house growing up. Whodini, Parliament, Earth, Wind, & Fire, the Jackson 5 Christmas album all year long? Yes, yes, yes, and duh. Plus, I was raised on Hot 97, so you do the metaphorical math. But those times when the song played on my TV were always those of relaxation and escape. “Time After Time” was one of those songs that reminds you of those classic throwback movies like Sixteen Candles or Teen Witch; you know, those movies out of the 80’s that made regular, everyday lives look whimsical and hopeful. If it wasn’t for television and cinema, I probably would have no idea about this song. Not until I was much older, that is, and ran into people whose lives were influenced by the song.
While my opinion of this track is pretty neutral, no one can deny how much of a respected American staple in music and pop culture it is. This song is going no where. It can forever be placed in a movie and exist with no question. This is one of those classically timeless songs that you always hear, whether cemented in movies, played at a bar, or being belted out at a karaoke spot. Forever, this song will remind me of sitting in the living room, spending time with my family and watching a feel-good teen movie. It’s nice when you can encapsulate moments into a song and gain a sense of calm and security when they’re replayed.
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