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October 23rd, 2026 · 3:00am BST
Unusually for Cyndi Lauper, her 1986 global hit ‘True Colours’ was not actually written by her. Instead, the beloved anthem came from the powerhouse American songwriting duo of the late Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly.
Before landing with Lauper, Steinberg and Kelly were already the masterminds behind a string of massive 1980s hits that had topped the charts, including Madonna’s ‘Like a Virgin‘, Heart’s ‘Alone’, and The Bangles’ ‘Eternal Flame.’ Steinberg originally penned the lyrics for ‘True Colours’ as a personal tribute to his own mother. The first verse focused on changing personalities to fit different situations with “too many faces in your makeup kit”, before culminating in the famous refrain: “I see your true colours shining through.”
His writing partner, Kelly, instantly recognised that the chorus possessed universal appeal, noting, “It could be sung by anyone to anyone. It could be a parent to a child, a friend to a friend, could be for or about anyone.”
However, the creative juices weren’t flowing. As Steinberg remembered: “I remember I had something about sad eyes or something. I think Tom even said, ‘Well how about ‘you with the sad eyes’?’ He kept encouraging me, ‘Let’s finish that song, it’s a great song’.”
“I said, ‘Let’s write something else, I can’t do it, I’m stuck.’ The song kind of languished because I just didn’t know how to rewrite these verses – somehow George Martin, The Beatles’ producer, heard our very rough demo and Tom heard back that he loved it. Then Tom really got on my case to finish those lyrics.”
When Steinberg and Kelly first demoed the track, it was a traditional, piano-driven ballad modelled after classics like ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’. But when it reached Lauper, she threw out the rulebook. Steinberg marvelled at her creative overhaul as Lauper dismantled the arrangement entirely.
Yet the writers loved it. Steinberg said: “Tom and I were both elated when we heard her record of it because it was so much more adventurous than our demo, and to her credit, she produced it and did a beautiful job.”
Further reading: From The Vault
Released in August 1986 as the title track and lead single from her second studio album, the song spent two weeks at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100. It scored a Grammy nomination for ‘Best Female Pop Vocal Performance’. In the UK, it was released with the spelling ‘True Colours’ and peaked at number 12.
The song’s tender vocal delivery also carried immense personal weight for Lauper. While recording, she was mourning the death of her close friend, Gregory Natal, who died of an AIDS-related illness. Wanting the song to act as a protective embrace, Lauper sang in an almost childlike voice, explaining that she wanted it to “speak to the softest, most gentle part of a human being. It’s a voice whispering to you, telling you it’s going to be OK.” Because of its message of acceptance and vulnerability, ‘True Colours’ grew into an anthem for the LGBTQ+ community, aligning with the symbolism of the rainbow pride flag.
Lauper’s connection to the cause led her to launch the True Colors Tour in 2007 and 2008. Featuring artists such as Debbie Harry, Erasure, and Joan Jett, it raised awareness of hate crimes and advocated for human rights. She also co-founded True Colors United to combat LGBTQ+ youth homelessness.
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