If I Could Turn Back Time

"If I Could Turn Back Time" is a showstopper for Cher, one of her biggest hits and most popular live songs. Written by Diane Warren, it's rousing but also contrite, with Cher apologizing to an ex lover, letting him know she'd like a do-over. There aren't many anthems with this subject matter, but Cher and Warren pulled it off.

When you think of this song, you probably call up an image of Cher's tattooed butt. That's because of the music video, where she donned a new look: leather jacket, fishnet stockings, and a thong. Cher has dressed provocatively (and quite fashionably) throughout her career, but this was unexpected. After all, she was 43 years old and a serious actress with an Oscar for her 1987 film Moonstruck. It wasn't just the video; Cher wore the same get-up when she performed the song, including at the MTV Video Music Awards. Her butt became a hot topic and garnered her lots of publicity. She leaned into it, promoting a series of 1991 shows in Atlantic City with ads headlined "Cher's Back," showing her fundaments. The Atlantic City Press ran it with the word "censored" over her butt, amplifying the promotional impact much further.

The "If I Could Turn Back Time" music video was filmed on board the battleship USS Missouri while it was stationed at the former Long Beach Naval Shipyard at Pier D along with the crew. Directed by Marty Callner, the extras were actual Navy sailors who all seemed to be enjoying the show. At one point, she mounts one of the big guns, albeit in a more sensible outfit. Cher recalled to Q magazine: December 2013: "The 'If I Could Turn Back Time' video we shot for days. There was a whole story – I climbed up stuff, I was running away from a lover. I was in a cage, in a speedboat... And when the director got to the edit, he just said, 'F this, here's the money (shot)' – me on the battleship with the sailors. They were real sailors too. They were funny. They kept calling me 'ma'am.'"