"She Bop"
7-inch vinyl single
Single by Cyndi Lauper
from the album She's So Unusual
B-side"Witness"
ReleasedJuly 2, 1984
Recorded1983
StudioRecord Plant
(New York City)
GenreNew wave
Length3:47
4:36 (video version)
LabelEpic
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Rick Chertoff
Cyndi Lauper singles chronology
"Time After Time"
(1984)		 "She Bop"
(1984)		 "All Through the Night"
(1984)
Music video
"She Bop" on YouTube

"She Bop" is a song by American singer-songwriter Cyndi Lauper, released as the third single from her debut studio album, She's So Unusual (1983). It reached number three on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart in September 1984. Worldwide, the song is her third most commercially successful single after "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" and "Time After Time", and also reached number 46 on the UK Singles Chart and number six on the ARIA Singles Chart. "She Bop" was Lauper's third consecutive top 5 on the Hot 100. She recorded a quieter version of the song for her 2005 album The Body Acoustic.[1]

Theme

The song was considered controversial, as it dealt with masturbation. It was included on the Parents Music Resource Center's "Filthy Fifteen" list, due to its sexual lyrics; this led to the creation of the Parental Advisory sticker. Lauper told The Howard Stern Show she recorded the vocals while nude.[2] She has stated that finding a copy of gay men's magazine Blueboy lying around in the recording studio provided the impetus for writing "She Bop".[3] The magazine is mentioned in the first verse.[4] The single has been released in over 32 variations across the world, the most common being a two-track 7" single (with varying covers) and a two-track 12" vinyl single (also with varying covers).

Reception

Cash Box said that "with characteristic zaniness, Lauper takes a be-bop back beat and sparks it with an inspired vocal that pops and chirps with rhythmic intensity."[5]

Chart performance

"She Bop" was released on July 2, 1984. It debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 at No. 52 in the issue dated July 21, 1984,[6] and spent a total of 18 weeks on the chart, reaching a peak position of No. 3 in the issue dated September 8, 1984.[7] It was the third single from Lauper's debut album to make the top 10 of the Hot 100.[8] The single also reached number 10 on the Hot Dance/Club Play Songs chart the week of September 15, 1984,[9] and placed at 34 on the Billboard year-end chart of 1984.[10] On April 17, 1989, the song was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for the shipment of half a million copies across the United States.[11]

Music video

The accompanying music video for "She Bop" was directed by Edd Griles.[12] Mark Marek designed the characters in the animated sections of this music video, which were produced and directed by Jerry Lieberman, of NYC's Jerry Lieberman Productions,[13] and the cover of the US 12" version.[14] Wendi Richter and Lou Albano appear in the video, with Richter lip-synching the first line of the song.

The video expands upon the references to masturbation in the song's lyrics, although not overtly.[15] Among the images presented are an upright bottle shooting mayonnaise into the air, a sign at a gas station that displays 'GIT OFF HERE', gas pumps (labelled 'good x', 'better xx', 'nirvana xxx', 'single', and 'multiple'), a large sign that reads "Self Service", a dance sequence where Lauper portrays a blind person with a cane, and that same person winning a game of "Masterbingo"– both a reference to the myth that masturbation causes blindness.[15] Most of the more blatant references appear during the animated instrumental sequence, although subtle images are seen throughout the live action scenes.

At the 1985 MTV Video Music Awards, the video was nominated for "Best Female Video", but lost to Tina Turner's "What's Love Got to Do with It".[16]

Formats and track listings

  1. "She Bop" – 3:47
  2. "Witness" – 3:40
  1. "She Bop" (Special Dance Mix) – 6:16
  2. "She Bop" (Instrumental) – 6:30
  1. "She Bop" (Special Dance Mix) – 6:16
  2. "She Bop" (Instrumental) – 5:20 (stated)
  3. "Witness" – 3:40

Official versions

  1. Album version – 3:42
  2. Single version – 3:47 (7" single)
  3. Special dance mix – 6:27 (12" single)
  4. Instrumental – 5:21 (12" single)
  5. Video mix – 4:35 (Philippines 7" single)[21]
  6. Live at Le Zenith (Recorded 1987) – 5:12 (From Heading West UK single – CD & 12" versions)
  7. Live at Irvine Meadows (Recorded 1983) – 5:20 (From She's So Unusual 2000 CD reissue)
  8. The Body Acoustic Version – 4:16 (From The Body Acoustic)
  9. Live (True Colors Live 2008) – 3:46 (From True Colors Live 2008 EP)[22]
  10. Live at the Warehouse, Memphis – 4:04 (From To Memphis, with Love)
  11. Live (Front and Center Presents) – 3:59 (From Front and Center Presents Cyndi Lauper) (2014)[23]

Charts

Certifications

Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[47] Gold 50,000^
United States (RIAA)[11] Gold 500,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Awards and nominations

Won

Nominations

Cover versions

  • Howie Beno and Cruella DeVille recorded a version of the song for the 1999 movie Jawbreaker
  • Hong Kong singer Aaron Kwok recorded a Cantonese and a Mandarin version of the song, both called "絕對美麗".
  • Greek band Matisse covered the song for their 2007 album, Toys Up.
  • Chilean hard rock band, Betty Black Boots, cover this song in their presentations in the Chilean rock scene.
  • In July 2008, J-pop singer Nana Kitade covered "She Bop" for the album We Love Cyndi – Tribute to Cyndi Lauper; another version of the cover was featured on her 2009 album Bondage.
  • South Korean pop singer Wax covered the song. Her version of it is called "Oppa", which means "Brother".
  • American heavy metal band GWAR performed a version of the song in October 2015 for The A.V. Club's A.V. Undercover series, in a medley with The Ramones' "Blitzkrieg Bop".[48]
  • Ex-Reuben frontman Jamie Lenman, covered the song for his 2019 album Shuffle.

References

  1. ↑ Jenkins, Mark (December 16, 2005). "Cyndi Lauper - The Body Acoustic". Washington Post. Retrieved February 16, 2021.
  2. ↑ "Cyndi Lauper Biography". Monsters and Critics. Archived from the original on August 29, 2009.
  3. ↑ "Cyndi Lauper's 'She Bop' Was Inspired By Gay Porn Magazine Blueboy". HuffPost. February 2, 2016. Retrieved September 18, 2016.
  4. ↑ "Blueboy History". Blueboy Archives & Cultural Arts Foundation. Retrieved January 18, 2023.
  5. ↑ "Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. July 28, 1984. p. 7. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved July 25, 2022.
  6. ↑ "The Billboard Hot 100 – Week of July 21, 1984". Billboard. January 2, 2013. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  7. 1 2 "Cyndi Lauper Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved September 20, 2016.
  8. ↑ Trust, Gary (May 2, 2011). "Ke$ha 'Takes Off' with Fourth Top 10 from Debut Album". Billboard. Retrieved May 2, 2011.
  9. 1 2 "Billboard September 15, 1984" (PDF). Billboard. New York, NY, USA. September 15, 1984. p. 45. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved September 20, 2016.
  10. 1 2 "Volume 96 No. 51, DECEMBER 22. 1984" (PDF). Billboard. New York, NY, USA. December 22, 1984. p. TA-19. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved September 20, 2016.
  11. 1 2 "American single certifications – Cyndi Lauper – She Bop". Recording Industry Association of America.
  12. ↑ "Site Maintenance".
  13. ↑ "Toonzone Goes "MAD" Interviewing Kevin Shinick and Mark Marek". Toonzone. September 6, 2010. Retrieved April 4, 2018.
  14. ↑ "Cyndi Lauper – She Bop (1984, Carrollton pressing, Vinyl)". Discogs. 1984.
  15. 1 2 Perone, James E. (September 7, 2018). Listen to New Wave Rock! Exploring a Musical Genre. ABC-CLIO. p. 96. ISBN 978-1-4408-5969-4. Retrieved February 16, 2021.
  16. ↑ "Celebrity Beat". JET Magazine. Johnson Publishing Company. September 30, 1985. p. 53. Retrieved February 16, 2021.
  17. ↑ She Bop (US 7-inch Single liner notes). Cyndi Lauper. Portrait Records. 1984. 37-04516.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  18. ↑ She Bop (UK 7-inch Single liner notes). Cyndi Lauper. Portrait Records. 1984. A 4620.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  19. ↑ She Bop (US 12-inch Single liner notes). Cyndi Lauper. Portrait Records. 1984. 4R9 05011.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  20. ↑ She Bop (UK 12-inch Single liner notes). Cyndi Lauper. Portrait Records. 1984. TA 4620.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  21. ↑ "Cyndi Lauper – She Bop (Vinyl)". Discogs. July 12, 2020.
  22. ↑ "Cyndi Lauper – True Colors Live 2008 (2008, File)". Discogs. 2008.
  23. ↑ "Cyndi Lauper – Front and Center (2015, CD)". Discogs. March 25, 2015.
  24. ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (Illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 173. ISBN 0-646-11917-6. N.B. The Kent Report chart was licensed by ARIA between 1983 and June 19, 1988.
  25. ↑ "Cyndi Lauper – She Bop" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved September 20, 2016.
  26. ↑ "Cyndi Lauper – She Bop" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved September 20, 2016.
  27. ↑ "Radio 2 Top 30" (in Dutch). Top 30. Archived from the original on March 28, 2016. Retrieved September 20, 2016.
  28. ↑ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 8602." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved September 20, 2016.
  29. ↑ "CHART NUMBER 1447 – Saturday, September 22, 1984". CHUM. Archived from the original on November 7, 2006. Retrieved June 3, 2017.
  30. 1 2 "Cyndi Lauper – She Bop". December 29, 2003. Archived from the original on December 29, 2003. Retrieved April 23, 2020.
  31. ↑ Pennanen, Timo (2021). "Cyndi Lauper". Sisältää hitin - 2. laitos Levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla 1.1.1960–30.6.2021 (PDF) (in Finnish). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. p. 143. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved June 29, 2022.
  32. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 42, 1984" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved September 20, 2016.
  33. ↑ "Cyndi Lauper – She Bop" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved September 20, 2016.
  34. ↑ "Cyndi Lauper – She Bop". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved September 20, 2016.
  35. ↑ "South African Rock Lists Website SA Charts 1965 – 1989 Acts L". The South African Rock Encyclopedia. Retrieved September 20, 2016.
  36. ↑ "Cyndi Lauper – She Bop". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved September 20, 2016.
  37. ↑ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 20, 2016.
  38. ↑ "Cyndi Lauper Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved September 20, 2016.
  39. ↑ "CASH BOX Top 100 Singles – Week ending SEPTEMBER 29, 1984". Cash Box magazine. Archived from the original on October 1, 2012. Retrieved June 3, 2017.
  40. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Cyndi Lauper – She Bop" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved September 20, 2016.
  41. ↑ Kimberley, Christopher. Zimbabwe Singles Chart Book: 1965–1996.
  42. ↑ "Cyndi Lauper – She Bop" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved September 20, 2016.
  43. ↑ "Kent Music Report No 548 – 31 December 1984 > National Top 100 Singles for 1984". Kent Music Report. Retrieved January 8, 2022 – via Imgur.com.
  44. ↑ "Jahreshitparade Singles 1984". Ö3 Austria Top 40 (in German). Retrieved September 20, 2016.
  45. ↑ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 9638." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved September 20, 2016.
  46. ↑ "The CASH BOX Year-End Charts: 1984". Cash Box magazine. Archived from the original on September 30, 2012. Retrieved June 3, 2017.
  47. ↑ "Canadian single certifications – Cyndi Lauper – She Bop". Music Canada.
  48. ↑ Modell, Josh (October 27, 2015). "GWAR covers Cyndi Lauper". The A.V. Club. Retrieved October 27, 2015.
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