I’m committed to putting this lyric on my flute, and happy BD, Cyndi Lauper. Your performance is beautiful!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5ikJcGm7ps
I’d really like to hear that Cork.
Michael
Me too! Especially if YOU are playing it!
Arbo
thanks corkie! geez i remember in the eighties i had a tape of hers. while i was on actve duty in the marine corps, i can rememeber being on guard duty, and listening to ‘girl just wanna have fun’ thru the earphones on my portable cassette player, wondering if they ever catch me i’m screwed, i’d never live it down…
here’s another one of her http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCWi2GvGygo&feature=related
I believe it’s actually in a major key, one of our ITM favorites of D, with a few minor chords thrown in.
Yep.
OK There are the major keys, and there are the minor keys, but sometimes they intermix, and it appears that CL’s tune includes some of both.
So, just where could one draw the line?
I did so by declaring that CL’s Time After Time tune is largely in a minor key, and in such related keys.
Do you know what a IV-V-I cadence is? That should answer your question.
My question??? Ha!
Frankly, MTGuru, I don’t think that you have a musical ear, at all.
More than that, I’m quite convinced that you are an arrogant, egotistical SOB, and I’m not about to waste anymore of my time with the likes of you, goodbye!
The key is based on the tonic, the “I” or the #1 note and chord, usually where musical compositions begin and end. In this case, there is little doubt the key of the song is in D major (I think the original may have been C major which is where I play it on guitar) and all the chords and progressions within the tune harmonically relate to that major key. This is not subjective; it’s science. One cannot just decide that a composition is in a certain key because it sounds like this or that.
The gentlemanly thing to do here is to do some additional research, admit the error and move on, instead of flaming one of the moderators. 
I absolutely agree with you, though, that this is a great song. I heard miles davis play it in his late pop phase. It’s got to be cool if miles played it. 
Interesting reply! I guess the answer is no. 
You’re certainly entitled to your opinion. But 9 out of 10 SOBs agree that listening for the harmonic cadences is a useful way to figure out the main key of a song.
As for not wasting any more time here, we can make that very easy for you.
For the curious … ignoring inversions and voicings for simplicity …
The first part of the song is relentlessly IV(6)-I G-D (or ii-I Em-D) over pedal D. This is a type of plagal cadence (the “Amen” cadence), and points strongly to the major I chord as the tonic (in this case, D Major).
The second part wanders a bit, centered around IV G Major, including a false cadence on IV-V-iii.
Then the chorus enters and ends with a strong major cadence of IV-V-I (G-A-D) whenever the words “time after time” are repeated. This is the classic authentic cadence, and again strongly identifies the major I chord as the key (again, D Major).
These cadences are easier to hear in the original studio recording, with a strong bass line. But accounting for the more modal treatment in this unplugged version, the harmonic outline is the same.
And I have to say I prefer the spare, haunting quality of the acoustic version. Maybe some people associate this texture with minor. But that’s not the case here.
(And you’re right, Akiba, the original album track is in C.)
A most definitive exposition, Maestro T Guru. 
dang things don’t do a thing for air quality, do they!