Lyfe

Album: Bring Ya to the Brink (2008)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Lauper explained to The Sun newspaper July 25,2008: "Lyfe is for my son, not necessarily about him. It's more about how insane life can make you and really break you down. There is a lot of s--t going on in the US today that just outrages me, so it's a nod to my family to stay strong - and also everyone around me."
  • The Sun asked the 55-year-old '80s icon why she named the album Bring Ya to the Brink. Lauper replied: "Early on I was calling it Savoir Faire. By the time I finished the CD I realized each song told a different story, like little pictures of life. There is a lyric in the song Lyfe that says, 'Life it can break ya, it can make ya, it can bring ya to the brink.' Meaning life's experiences bring ya to the brink of all emotions and that's what is exhilarating."
  • Lauper clearly favors the Y over the I, which explains the alternate spelling in this song. Her son is named Declyn, which is a variation on Declan, Elvis Costello's real first name.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Janis Ian

Janis IanSongwriter Interviews

One of the first successful female singer-songwriters, Janis had her first hit in 1967 at age 15.

Lace the Music: How LSD Changed Popular Music

Lace the Music: How LSD Changed Popular MusicSong Writing

Starting in Virginia City, Nevada and rippling out to the Haight-Ashbury, LSD reshaped popular music.

Jimmy Jam

Jimmy JamSongwriter Interviews

The powerhouse producer behind Janet Jackson's hits talks about his Boyz II Men ballads and regrouping The Time.

Dar Williams

Dar WilliamsSongwriter Interviews

A popular contemporary folk singer, Williams still remembers the sticky note that changed her life in college.

Commercials

CommercialsFact or Fiction

Was "Ring Of Fire" really used to sell hemorrhoid cream?

Reverend Horton Heat

Reverend Horton HeatSongwriter Interviews

The Reverend rants on psychobilly and the egghead academics he bashes in one of his more popular songs.