"True Colors" is a song written by songwriters Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly. It was both the title track and the first single released from Cyndi Lauper'ssecond album. It was the only original song on the album that Lauper did not help write.
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."[1] 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. 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.
I still hear this song from time to time and I often use the term True Colors. Cyni is still doing music, she is quite the entertainer.
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