Cyndi Lauper Reveals How She Came Up With That Iconic ‘Time After Time’ Lyric

Laurie Paladino/Paramount+

Cyndi Lauper is baring her soul in the new documentary Let the Canary Sing, and in a clip shared exclusively with Billboard, the beloved icon opens up about the backstory behind a popular lyric in her 1983 classic “Time After Time.”

In the first pre-chorus, Lauper sings, “I fall behind/ The second hand unwinds,” which she recalls was sparked from overhearing a conversation with the song’s producer, Rick Chertoff. “I actually was listening to a conversation,” the star shared. “Rick was just standing there and his watch — he kept looking at his watch going, ‘Hm, my watch is going backwards. I’m not kidding. Look at this. The second hand’s unwinding. The second hand unwinds!’ And I’m thinking, ‘The second hand unwinds,’ what a great lyric.” 

“Time After Time” ultimately topped the Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks in 1984, marking her first leader on the tally.  The ballad, which Lauper co-wrote with Rob Hyman, received a Grammy nomination for song of the year.

The feature-length Let the Canary Sing film that debuted at last year’s Tribeca Festival in New York was directed by Emmy-winning documentarian Alison Ellwood (Laurel Canyon) and will debut on Paramount+ on Tuesday (June 4). “Over the years, I’ve been asked to do a documentary about my life and work, but it never felt like the right time,” Lauper, 70, said in a statement about the film. “Until now. When I first met Alison Ellwood, I knew right away I could trust her to tell my story honestly, which was incredibly important to me, and she succeeded in that. I’d like to thank Alison, the producers, and all of the amazing documentary participants who agreed to be interviewed!”

Lauper is also gearing up to embark on her Girls Just Wanna Have Fun Farewell Tour, a 23-city North American trek that kicks off on Oct. 18 at the Bell Centre in Montreal and wrap Dec. 5 at the United Center in Chicago. 

Watch Lauper discuss the backstory of her “Time After Time” lyric in the clip below.