According to NME, American singer, songwriter and actress Cyndi Lauper has released a re-recorded version of her 1993 track “Sally’s Pigeons” in light of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v Wade (1973). The song is inspired by Lauper’s childhood friend who passed away after having an unsafe abortion as a teenager.

She explained more about the song and its message, telling the story of two girls who dreamt of freedom, who dreamt of soaring and flying high with their independence in their own hands. This is something the new, stripped-back version still emulates. 

 Lauper made her pro-choice stance clear in a series of Tweets following the song’s release. She also attended a Planned Parenthood sponsored Bans Off Our Bodies march in New York City this May after the initial draft was leaked to Politico. 

Today is hard, but we are not done here because in this country the conversation and fight for our civil rights will always continue. Equality for all, not just for some. Stand together with those who need our help most right now. https://t.co/GU9DPwZ5ct pic.twitter.com/EedL8swGeu

— Cyndi Lauper (@cyndilauper) June 24, 2022

 Commenting on the Supreme Court’s decision, she wrote: “In my childhood, women didn’t have reproductive freedom and 50 years later we find ourselves in a time warp where one’s freedom to control their own body has been stripped away.”

The Supreme Court’s radical decision today makes the re-recording and re-release of ‘Sally’s Pigeons’ more relevant than ever. In my childhood, women didn’t have reproductive freedom and 50 years later we find ourselves in a time warp where one’s freedom pic.twitter.com/h71F3k9a3X

— Cyndi Lauper (@cyndilauper) June 25, 2022

 She then called her fans to action, stating “If we don’t have control over our own bodies then we have no real freedom. We are second class citizens. We need to mobilize. We need to let our voices be heard.”