True Colors (song)
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True Colors is a 1986 song written by Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly and interpreted by Cyndi Lauper . It was the only song on the album of the same name that was not at least co-written by Lauper.
The single was released in August 1986.
history
Billy Steinberg originally wrote True Colors about his mother. After Tom Kelly modified the first verse, the duo Anne Murray suggested the song for recording. After Murray rejected a recording, the song went to Cyndi Lauper. Steinberg and Kelly's demo recording of the song was initially in the form of a gospel-like ballad with piano accompaniment similar to Bridge over Troubled Water . Steinberg once said to Songfacts:
"Cyndi completely dismantled that sort of traditional arrangement and came up with something that was breathtaking and stark."
"Cyndi completely dismantled this type of traditional arrangement and came up with something that was breathtaking and pure."
Among other things, the duo wrote the songs I Drove All Night and Unconditional Love for Lauper, the first of which was reinterpreted by Celine Dion and the latter by Susanna Hoffs .
meaning
The phrase "True Colors" ( true color ) can "true form" or "inner being" translated into about "inner values" with. The text of the song is written in the form of an empathic address and declaration of love to an obviously sad, downcast and depressed person unknown to the listener:
"You with the sad eyes / Don't be discouraged (...) And the darkness inside you / Can make you feel so small". "
"You with the sad eyes / Don't be discouraged (...) And the darkness in you / Can make you feel so small."
The refrain is an encouragement to this person who is told that they, the interpreter, can see these "true colors" shine through and that these "true colors" are beautiful as a rainbow, which is why they love the person addressed and they are not afraid need to show these colors:
“But I see your true colors / Shining through (...) And that's why I love you (...) So don't be afraid to let them show / Your true colors / True colors are beautiful / Like a rainbow. ”
"But I see your true colors / shine through (...) And that's why I love you (...) So don't be afraid to show them / Your true colors / True colors are beautiful / Like a rainbow."
The song became an anthem of the homosexual subculture and the lesbian and gay movement . Lauper has said in various interviews that the song touched her emotionally, as she was under the impression of the recent death of her friend Gregory Natal, who died of AIDS . Although the song was not released as a statement by the LGBT movement, Lauper is pleased that the song has been adopted by that movement. The song was eventually used in a commercial promoting the extension of so-called hate crimes legislation to include crimes against members of sexual minorities. In 2007/2008 Cyndi Lauper committed herself to these efforts with her True Colors tour . The Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles sang True Colors in 2010 in support of the It Gets Better Project with a choir of over 200 people.
Music video
In an article by The New York Times , Lauper described the music video for True Colors:
“In the beginning, she's a storyteller pounding on an African drum; a girl moves through childhood and adulthood, with the shell symbolizing the turning of tides and so forth; Cyndi then walks through that desert with the new group of children in the background; the last shot is of Cyndi pounding on the drum a final time. "
“At first she's a storyteller who beats an African drum; a girl goes through childhood and adulthood, the seashell symbolizes the changing of the tides and so on; then Cyndi walks through a desert with a new group of children and the last scene shows Cyndi beating the drum one last time. "
Cover version by Phil Collins
In 1998 Phil Collins covered True Colors on his album … Hits . In contrast to the original, the Phil Collins version was very inspired by smooth jazz . Collins' version reached number 35 in Germany , number 26 in Great Britain , number 73 in the Netherlands and number 12 in the US .
Other covers
- 1991: Elaine Paige
- 1991: Aztec Camera
- 2000: Fredro Starr (Theme from Save the Last Dance )
- 2001: Maddy Prior
- 2002: Maggie Reilly
- 2003: Eva Cassidy
- 2005: Sabrina Setlur (My Heart)
- 2008: Ane Brun
- 2009: Celtic Woman
- 2009: Glee Cast
- 2010: Sam Tsui
- 2012: L'uke
- 2014: MattyB
- 2014: Kevin Tarte
- 2016: Marina and the Diamonds
- 2016: Justin Timberlake and Anna Kendrick (from the movie Trolls )
- 2016: Lena and Mark Forster (rainbow) (from the German-language dubbing of the film Trolls)
- 2016: Tom Odell
The song is also used in commercials for Kodak , Peugeot , Aer Lingus or Marks & Spencer .
Individual evidence
- ↑ Charts DE Charts AT Charts CH Charts UK Charts US
- ↑ a b True Colors by Cyndi Lauper on songfacts.com
- ↑ Record details: Release date on 45cat.com
- ↑ http://www.avclub.com/articles/cyndi-lauper,63973/
- ^ Richard Burnett: The true colors of Cyndi Lauper . In: CurtainsUP , April 4, 2014. Retrieved April 21, 2014.
- ^ Cyndi Lauper and her hero fight for gay rights . CNN, October 12, 2008
- ^ Gay Men's Choice of Los Angeles. GMCLA Videos ( Memento from November 13, 2012 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ It Gets Better: "True Colors" Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles on YouTube
- ↑ Cyndi Lauper on thediviningnation.com