She just wanted to have fun and who could blame her? In 1984, Cyndi Lauper crashed the pop music party with a "girl power" anthem that literally took the country by storm: "Girls Just Want to Have Fun." Throw in a rainbow punk hairdo and vintage clothing store ensemble and a cultural icon was born. The resulting fame and fortune was almost more than the Queens native could handle.

Fast forward 20 years, and it's clear that Lauper came through her moment with her sense of fun, adventure and happiness intact. She speaks with NPR's Steve Inskeep about the blue collar neighborhood of her youth and her most recent CD, a collection of pop standards called At Last.

Lauper says that recording the new album brought back memories that infused the material with a deeply personal emotion and intimacy. The sessions included a duet with Tony Bennett, whose voice often filled her family home when she was growing up in Ozone Park.

"I didn't care if I was singing the alphabet with him," she says.

Lauper is still proud of her music of the 1980s, citing its positive message, and is counting on her fans to find a the same uplifting experience while listening to At Last.

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