

Co-written with Mary Chapin Carpenter, the gently pulsing ballad from Lauper’s “Hat Full of Stars” album resonates with Lauper’s vivid storytelling: “She left one night with just a nod, was lost from some back-alley job / I close my eyes and Sally’s pigeons fly / She never saw those birds again.” Lauper rerecorded the song following the leak of the Supreme Court draft opinion to overturn Roe v. Lauper’s striking voice colors the true tale about her childhood friend with a “pirate smile” who underwent a back-alley abortion and died as a result. Here are 10 songs that delve into the emotions associated with reproductive decisions. From regret to relief, fear to anger, they are all complicated. Some major mainstream hits – Madonna’s “Papa Don’t Preach,” Paul Anka’s “(You’re) Having My Baby,” the Goo Goo Dolls’ “Slide” – vary in their levels of blatant discussion about pregnancy. Wade reaction: Celebrities voice their concernsĪrtists tackling the topics of reproductive rights and abortion isn’t new. Some artists quickly spun their concern into new music: Ani DiFranco and Pearl Jam’s Stone Gossard released “Disorders” and Promise of the Real’s Lukas Nelson (son of Willie) unveiled a harrowing ballad about a trio forced to have babies despite extreme circumstances such as incest and date rape. Wade after 50 years, which negated the constitutional right to an abortion, netted a swift reaction from the music community. Unsurprisingly, the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Halsey spoke passionately during her live performances and artists including Pink, Lizzo and Eminem tweeted messages filled with fury, sadness, vows to keep fighting and financial pledges to Planned Parenthood. Janelle Monae turned her presenting gig at the BET Awards into an opportunity to voice her concern. Billie Eilish, Kendrick Lamar, Olivia Rodrigo and Megan Thee Stallion used the stage at Glastonbury Festival as their platform to vent.
