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Credit: Far Out \/ Alamy<\/p>\n
October 23rd, 2026 \u00b7 3:00am BST <\/p>\n
Unusually for Cyndi Lauper<\/a>, her 1986 global hit \u2018True Colours\u2019 was not actually written by her. Instead, the beloved anthem came from the powerhouse American songwriting duo of the late\u00a0Billy Steinberg\u00a0and\u00a0Tom Kelly.<\/p>\n 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\u2019s \u2018Like a Virgin<\/a>\u2018, Heart\u2019s \u2018Alone\u2019, and The Bangles\u2019 \u2018Eternal Flame.\u2019 Steinberg originally penned the lyrics for \u2018True Colours\u2019 as a personal tribute to his own mother. The first verse focused on changing personalities to fit different situations with \u201ctoo many faces in your makeup kit\u201d, before culminating in the famous refrain: \u201cI see your true colours shining through.\u201d<\/p>\n His writing partner, Kelly, instantly recognised that the chorus possessed universal appeal, noting, \u201cIt 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.\u201d <\/p>\n However, the creative juices weren\u2019t flowing. As Steinberg remembered: \u201cI remember I had something about sad eyes or something. I think Tom even said, \u2018Well how about \u2018you with the sad eyes\u2019?\u2019 He kept encouraging me, \u2018Let\u2019s finish that song, it\u2019s a great song\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI said, \u2018Let\u2019s write something else, I can\u2019t do it, I\u2019m stuck.\u2019 The song kind of languished because I just didn\u2019t know how to rewrite these verses \u2013 somehow George Martin, The Beatles\u2019 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.\u201d<\/p>\n When Steinberg and Kelly first demoed the track, it was a traditional, piano-driven ballad modelled after classics like \u2018Bridge Over Troubled Water\u2019.<\/a> But when it reached Lauper, she threw out the rulebook. Steinberg marvelled at her creative overhaul as Lauper dismantled the arrangement entirely. <\/p>\n Yet the writers loved it. Steinberg said: \u201cTom 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.\u201d<\/p>\n Further reading: From The Vault<\/p>\n Released in August 1986 as the title track and lead single from her second studio album<\/a>, the song spent two weeks at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100. It scored a Grammy nomination for \u2018Best Female Pop Vocal Performance\u2019. In the UK, it was released with the spelling \u2018True Colours\u2019 and peaked at number 12.<\/p>\n The song\u2019s 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 \u201cspeak to the softest, most gentle part of a human being. It\u2019s a voice whispering to you, telling you it\u2019s going to be OK.\u201d Because of its message of acceptance and vulnerability, \u2018True Colours\u2019 grew into an anthem for the LGBTQ+ community<\/a>, aligning with the symbolism of the rainbow pride flag.<\/p>\n Lauper\u2019s connection to the cause led her to launch the\u00a0True Colors Tour\u00a0in 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.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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