Today’s classic song of the day is “True Colors” by Cyndi Lauper. Released as a single in August of 1986, this track hit #1 on both the Billboard Hot 100 and Cash Box Top 100. Over time, it became an anthem for the gay community.
“True Colors” was written by Tom Kelly and Billy Steinberg, who also wrote “I Drove All Night” for Ms. Lauper, “Like a Virgin” for Madonna, “So Emotional” for Whitney Houston, “Eternal Flame” and “In Your Room” for the Bangles, “I Touch Myself” for the Divinyls, “Alone” for Heart, and (with Chrissie Hynde) “I’ll Stand By You” for the Pretenders. They originally intended “True Colors” for Anne Murray, but she passed on it. Cyndi Lauper was up next, and she recorded it for her second album, named True Colors after the song.
Billy Steinberg wrote “True Colors” about his mother. The lyrics are about seeing beyond one’s flaws to the true quality of their character—their “true colors,” as the lyrics say:
You with the sad eyes
Don’t be discouraged
Oh I realize
It’s hard to take courage
In a world full of people
You can lose sight of it all
And the darkness inside you
Can make you feel so small
But I see your true colors
Shining through
I see your true colors
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
The song’s earnest lyrics are a perfect match to Ms. Lauper’s little girl voice. It was her fifth top five hit, following “Girls Just Want to Have Fun,” “Time After Time” (another #1), “She Bop,” and “All Through the Night” and was nominated for a Grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. (It lost to Barbra Streisand’s The Broadway Album, of all things.)
And here’s your daily bonus video of the day, Cyndi Lauper giving an emotional performance of “True Colors” live on the August 21, 1986, episode of Late Night with David Letterman. It’s a powerful performance of a powerful song.
