Song Information
Billy Steinberg originally wrote "True Colors" about his own mother. Tom Kelly altered the first verse and the duo submitted the song to Cyndi Lauper. Their demo was in a form of piano based gospel ballad like "Bridge over Troubled Water". Steinberg told Songfacts that "Cyndi completely dismantled that sort of traditional arrangement and came up with something that was breathtaking and stark." Other songs they wrote for Cyndi Lauper include "I Drove All Night" and "Unconditional Love", the former of which went on to be covered by Celine Dion, the latter of which went on to be covered by Susanna Hoffs.
It reached number 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, 3 in Australia, and 12 on the UK Singles Chart.
"True Colors" also became a standard in the gay community. A choral version of the song was used in a series of TV commercials advertising a variety of Kodak's color photographic film products.
Lauper embarked on a True Colors Tour in 2007 with several other acts including Deborah Harry and Erasure. The tour was for the Human Rights Campaign to promote human rights in the US and beyond. A second True Colors tour occurred in 2008.
Read more about this topic: True Colors (song)
Famous quotes containing the words song and/or information:
“but you are not deaf,
you pick out
your own song from the uproar
line by line,
and at last throw back
your head and sing it.”
—Denise Levertov (b. 1923)
“I am the very pattern of a modern Major-Gineral,
I’ve information vegetable, animal, and mineral;
I know the kings of England, and I quote the fights historical,
From Marathon to Waterloo, in order categorical;”
—Sir William Schwenck Gilbert (1836–1911)