Boy Blue (Cyndi Lauper song)

"Boy Blue" came after Gregory Natal, a friend of Lauper's who was dying from AIDS, asked for her to write a song for him. He wanted her to release it "in the spirit of "That's What Friends Are For".{{Sfn|Lauper|2017|p=157}} She spoke of the process saying, "Most of my life I've been able to deal with the notion that there will always be people who are better and greater than I am, but I can't concentrate on other people. So I wrote "Boy Blue." I poured out my heart, and my liver, into that song."{{Sfn|Lauper|2017|p=157}}

The title comes from a poem by Eugene Field called "Little Boy Blue". This poem is based on a kid's story:

"Little Boy Blue"

The little toy dog is covered with dust,

But sturdy and staunch he stands;

And the little toy soldier is red with rust,

And his musket moulds in his hands;

Time was when the little toy dog was new,

And the soldier was passing fair;

And that was the time when our Little Boy Blue

Kissed them and put them there.

Here is what Cyndi says about this song:

"I tried to write about my friend. I knew he really loved 'That's What Friends Are For.' I know that maybe he would have liked me to do a song like that. Instead I wrote about him personally. I don't know that my lyrics were good enough, I don't know that anything was good enough. Maybe it was too personal. I don't know. But I wrote it for him. It was because of him that I keep trying to do stuff. And other friends. So many talented people, so many of our friends and so many gifted people have passed on. Or struggle everyday. Just to live. And it was because of my friends and others that I do this. Maybe that song wasn't good enough, I don't know."{{citequote|date=October 2015}}

When Lauper was asked about her intense live performance that was released as the video for the song, she responded:

"I used to cry every night when I sang that song. I was so mad. You know, you go through so much and I was so mad. I was mad that my friend was gone, I was mad at the way people treated me...We didn't know what the hell it was. We didn't know anything. Then all of a sudden it was out in the open and everyone was talking about it, but when he first told me about it I didn't understand. I didn't know. And then all of a sudden my friend was ill and ill and ill and then...It was so hard. I was so angry and every night I would sing my guts out, but you'd open your eyes after and it was the same. But sometimes, in a lot of ways, it was healing."{{citequote|date=October 2015}}

Jonathan Kennaugh of Rough Guides described it as a "poignant track written after the death of a close friend."{{Sfn|Buckley|2003|p=584}} Ron Fell of the Gavin Report described its meaning saying, "Her boy blue is obviously a close personal friend who's a vulnerable, shy guy mugged of his innocence but still in possession of his soul and his dreams."{{Cite news |last=Fell |first=Ron |date=May 22, 1987 |title=Reviews |work=Gavin Report |page=26 |issue=1657}} Dave Sholin of the same publication positively praised the song saying, "Her endearing vocal style matches up wonderfully with the lyric of this song."{{Cite news |last=Sholin |first=Dave |date=May 22, 1987 |title=Personal Picks: Singles |work=Gavin Report |page=65 |issue=1657}}

{{expand section|date=October 2015}}

The official music video for the song was a live video clip pulled from the Cyndi Lauper in Paris home video cassette and HBO special.{{Cite news |last=de Atley |first=Richard |date=June 20, 1987 |title=Cyndi Lauper goes to Paris, on TV |work=The Day |location=New London, CT |page=A7}} It was directed by Andy Morahan.{{cite web|url=http://www.mvdbase.com/video.php?id=16178|title=mvdbase.com - Cyndi Lauper - "Boy blue"|work=Music Video DataBase|last=Garcia|first=Alex S|accessdate=October 31, 2015|archive-date=March 4, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304074614/http://www.mvdbase.com/video.php?id=16178|url-status=dead}}

Standard 7-inch single{{Cite AV media notes |title=Boy Blue |type=United States 7-inch single sleeve |others=Cyndi Lauper |publisher=Portrait Records |year=1987 |id=37-07181}}

1. "Boy Blue" – 3:58
2. "The Faraway Nearby" – 2:57

Standard 12-inch single{{Cite AV media notes |title=Boy Blue |type=Australian 12-inch single sleeve |others=Cyndi Lauper |publisher=Portrait Records |year=1987 |id=650940 6}}

1. "Boy Blue" – 4:45
2. "Time After Time" – 3:59
3. "The Faraway Nearby" – 2:57

{{Reflist}}

Bibliography

{{Refbegin}}

• {{cite book

| last=Lauper

| first=Cyndi

| year=2017

| title=Cyndi Lauper: A Memoir

| publisher=Atria Books

| isbn=9781439147894

}}

• {{cite book

| editor-last=Buckley

| editor-first=Peter

| publisher=Rough Guides

| title=The Rough Guide to Rock

| year=2003

| isbn=9781843531050

}}

{{Refend}}

{{Cyndi Lauper singles}}

{{authority control}}

Category:1987 songs

Category:1987 singles

Category:Cyndi Lauper songs

Category:Epic Records singles

Category:Music videos directed by Andy Morahan

Category:Song recordings produced by Cyndi Lauper

Category:Songs written by Cyndi Lauper

Category:Songs written by Jeff Bova

Category:Songs about HIV/AIDS