View source for Colors of the Wind

{{Short description|Song from the Disney film Pocahontas (1995)}}
{{Distinguish|Colours of Wind}}
{{Infobox song
| name     = Colors of the Wind
| cover    =
| alt      =
| type     = song
| artist   = [[Judy Kuhn]]
| album    = [[Pocahontas (soundtrack)|Pocahontas: An Original Walt Disney Records Soundtrack]]
| released = May 30, 1995
| recorded = 
| studio   =
| genre    = [[Pop music|Pop]]
| length   = 3:34
| label    = [[Walt Disney Records|Walt Disney]]
| composer = [[Alan Menken]]
| lyricist = [[Stephen Schwartz]]
| producer = Alan Menken<br>Stephen Schwartz
| misc     = {{External music video|type=song|header=Licensed clip|1={{YouTube|O9MvdMqKvpU|"Colors of the Wind" (from ''Pocahontas'')}}}}
}}

"'''Colors of the Wind'''" is a song written by composer [[Alan Menken]] and lyricist [[Stephen Schwartz]] for [[Walt Disney Pictures]]' 33rd animated feature film, ''[[Pocahontas (1995 film)|Pocahontas]]'' (1995). The film's [[theme song]], "Colors of the Wind" was originally recorded by American singer and actress [[Judy Kuhn]] in her role as the singing voice of [[Pocahontas (character)|Pocahontas]]. A pop [[ballad]], the song's lyrics are about [[animism]] and respecting nature, finding its roots in indigenous Native American culture,  perspectives which have later been adopted in both [[transcendentalism|transcendentalist]] literature and [[New Age]] spirituality. 

"Colors of the Wind" received a mostly positive reception from critics, with several citing it as one of the best songs from a Disney film. The song would go on to win the [[Academy Award for Best Original Song]], the [[Grammy Award for Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media]], and the [[Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song]]. American actress and singer [[Vanessa Williams]]'s version of the song, which plays during the end credits, was released as the lead single on June 6, 1995, by [[Walt Disney Records]] from the [[Pocahontas (soundtrack)|film's soundtrack]], and became a top ten hit on the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]]. The song was also included on the 1995 re-release of her third studio album, ''[[The Sweetest Days]]'' (1994). "Colors of the Wind" would also be covered by other artists, including [[Ashanti (singer)|Ashanti]] and [[Brian Wilson]], and was featured on an episode of ''[[Lip Sync Battle]]''.

==Background==
[[File:Chief_seattle.jpg|thumb|left|upright|The song was inspired by the words of [[Chief Seattle]].]]
Following the death of [[Howard Ashman]], [[the Walt Disney Company]] wanted to find another musician to collaborate with [[Alan Menken]] on his scores for animated films. [[Stephen Schwartz]], the composer behind the [[Broadway theater]] hits ''[[Godspell]]'' (1971), ''[[Pippin (musical)|Pippin]]'' (1972), and ''[[The Magic Show]]'' (1974), received a call from the company asking if he would like to collaborate with Menken. Schwartz had never considered working in the film industry, but agreed to do so nonetheless.<ref>{{cite web| url=https://www.thestage.co.uk/features/interviews/2016/stephen-schwartz-i-had-no-idea-how-cut-throat-and-mean-theatre-was/| last=Shenton| first=Mark| title=Stephen Schwartz: ''I had no idea how cut-throat and mean theatre was'| publisher=[[The Stage (magazine)|The Stage]]| date=October 27, 2016|access-date=February 12, 2018}}</ref> Schwartz did not feel he was well-suited to the job.{{sfn|Laird|2014|pp=232–233}}

Schwartz wanted to write a song for the film wherein [[Pocahontas (character)|Pocahontas]] confronts the [[Eurocentrism]] of [[John Smith (explorer)|John Smith]].<ref name=schwartz/> "Colors of the Wind" was the first song written for ''Pocahontas''. According to Schwartz, the song "influence[d] the development of the rest of the film." Schwartz said that "a story-board outline was in place before we wrote [the track]. This is often the process in animation, at least as I've experienced it, where everybody works from an outline and each succeeding piece of material, whether it is a song or drawings, influences the next."<ref name=schwartz>{{cite web|url=http://www.stephenschwartz.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/disney-pocahontas1.pdf|title=Stephen Schwartz Comments on Disney's Pocahontas|publisher=stephenschwartz.com|year=2010|access-date=May 24, 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924110243/http://www.stephenschwartz.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/disney-pocahontas1.pdf|archive-date=September 24, 2015}}</ref> The track was inspired by Native American poetry, music and folklore, as well as a now-debunked<ref>{{Cite web|title=Chief Seattle Speech|url=https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/chief-seattle/|access-date=2021-07-06|website=Snopes.com|date=3 December 2000 |language=en-US}}</ref>  letter that Schwartz believed was sent to the [[United States Congress]] by [[Chief Seattle]] regarding humanity's relationship with nature but was in fact a fabrication.<ref name=schwartz/><ref name=ew/><ref name=people>{{cite magazine| url=http://people.com/movies/disneys-pocahontas-20th-anniversary/| last=Mackie| first=Drew| title=Disney's Pocahontas Has Been Painting with All the Colors of the Wind for 20 Years| magazine=[[People (magazine)|People]]| date=December 9, 1992}}</ref> Part of the letter reads: "The wind that gave our grandfather his first breath also received his last sigh. The wind also gives our children the spirit of life. So if we sell our land, you must keep it apart and sacred, as a place where man can go to taste the wind that is sweetened by the meadow flowers." This portion of the letter inspired the song's title, which Schwartz liked because he saw it as [[paradox]]ical and thought-provoking.{{sfn|Laird|2014|pp=234}}

Schwartz also drew inspiration for "Colors of the Wind" from the music of [[Oscar Hammerstein II]] and [[Sheldon Harnick]], as it deals with issues of [[prejudice]].{{sfn|Laird|2014|pp=232–233}} Menken said that while "Colors of the Wind" was "born out of the modality of Native American music...it quickly moved to its own place, which is hard to define." Menken has noted that the song lacks humor, which he and Schwartz attempted to inject into ''Pocahontas'' and failed.<ref name=ew/> Initially, the final lines of the song were "For your life's an empty hull/till you get it through your skull/you can paint with all the colors of the wind." Menken disapproved of these lyrics and asked Schwartz to rewrite them; Schwartz changed the lines to "You can own the Earth, and still/all you'll own is earth until/you can paint with all the colors of the wind." Schwartz preferred the altered lyrics. Schwartz said that this incident taught him the lesson: "If your collaborator is unhappy, it's probably because [the song] needs to be better," adding that he may not have won an [[Academy Award]] if he did not change the lyrics.<ref name=os>{{cite news| url=http://www.orlandosentinel.com/entertainment/arts-and-theater/os-mjp-stephen-schwartz-clermont-show-20161103-column.html| last=Palm| first=Matthew J.| title=Inside the mind of legendary Broadway, Disney composer Stephen Schwartz| newspaper=[[Orlando Sentinel]]| date=November 7, 2016| access-date=February 12, 2018}}</ref> Menken views "Colors of the Wind" as one of the most important songs he has written.<ref name=ew>{{cite magazine| url=https://ew.com/article/2015/01/22/alan-menken-disney-songs/| last=Snetiker| first=Marc| title=Alan Menken tells stories behind 7 classic Disney songs| magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]| date=July 22, 2015|access-date=February 12, 2018}}</ref> Schwartz believed that the Walt Disney Company would reject "Colors of the Wind" for being philosophical and different from previous Disney songs.<ref name=spoke>{{cite web|last=Strauss|first=Bob|url=http://www.spokesman.com/stories/1996/jun/23/courting-controversy-disneys-newest-animated/|title=Courting Controversy? Disney's Newest Animated Feature, 'Hunchback Of Notre Dame,' Takes On Sensitive Adult Issues|work=[[The Spokesman-Review]]|date=June 23, 1996|access-date=February 13, 2018|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170516155623/http://www.spokesman.com/stories/1996/jun/23/courting-controversy-disneys-newest-animated/|archive-date=May 16, 2017}}</ref> [[Judy Kuhn]] sang the song to help "pitch" Schwartz's score to Disney, and the studio embraced the track.<ref name=spoke/> Schwartz and Menken became friends, and later wrote music for the Disney films ''[[The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996 film)|The Hunchback of Notre Dame]]'' (1996) and ''[[Enchanted (2007 film)|Enchanted]]'' (2007) together.<ref name=os/>

==Composition and lyrics==
{{multiple image|image1=Benjamin D. Maxham - Henry David Thoreau - Restored - greyscale - straightened.jpg|width1=133|image2=Ralph Waldo Emerson ca1857 retouched.jpg|width2=120|footer="Colors of the Wind" has been compared to the writings of [[transcendentalism|transcendentalists]] [[Henry David Thoreau]] (''left'') and [[Ralph Waldo Emerson]] (''right'').}}
{{listen |type=music
|filename = Colors_of_the_Wind.ogg
|title = "Colors of the Wind" (film version) by Judy Kuhn
}}
"Colors of the Wind" is a [[pop music|pop]] ballad<ref name=mic>{{Cite web|url=https://mic.com/articles/175199/the-11-best-disney-soundtrack-songs-of-all-time-from-pinocchio-to-frozen|title=The 11 best Disney soundtrack songs of all-time: From 'Pinocchio' to 'Frozen'|last=Appugliesi|first=Jordan|date=April 25, 2017|website=Mic|access-date=February 10, 2018}}</ref> written by Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz and performed by [[Judy Kuhn]].<ref name=allmusic>{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/song/colors-of-the-wind-mt0011621407|title=Colors of the Wind Composed by Alan Menken / Stephen Schwartz|website=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=February 10, 2018}}</ref> It has a length of three minutes and thirty-four seconds.<ref name=allmusic/> According to the ''[[Orlando Sentinel]]'', the song does not resemble Native American music.<ref name=orlando>{{cite news| url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/1992/12/09/disney-animators-poised-to-portray-pocahontas/| last=Boyd| first=Bentley| title=Disney Animators Poised To Portray Pocahontas| newspaper=[[Orlando Sentinel]]| date=December 9, 1992}}</ref> Nonetheless, adding a twist of creative license, the sentiment of First Nation Peoples' relationship to the land and its animals, as well as the contrast between colonialist and indigenous mindsets, are strikingly well portrayed, considering the lyricist's non-indigenous background. The song is about [[animism]]<ref name=wapo/> and having respect for nature.<ref name=billboard>{{cite magazine| url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/movies/7727697/disney-renaissance-songs-ranking-beauty-and-the-beast| author=Billboard Staff| title=Every Song From the Disney Renaissance (1989-'99), Ranked: Critics' Take| magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]| date=March 15, 2017| access-date=February 12, 2018}}</ref> It features lyrics about "painting with all the colors of the wind" and listening to "the voices of the mountains sing."{{cn|date=September 2024}}

Justyna Fruzińska wrote in ''Emerson Goes to the Movies: Individualism in Walt Disney Company's Post-1989 Animated Films'' that the lyrics of "Colors of the Wind" are reminiscent of the writings of transcendentalist [[Ralph Waldo Emerson]] and [[New Age]] spirituality.{{sfn|Fruzińska|2014|pp=80-81}}  The staff of ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' likened the lyrics of "Colors of the Wind" to a [[public service announcement]] about embracing [[Cultural diversity|diversity]].<ref name=billboard/> Sonically, Rita Kempley of ''[[The Washington Post]]'' found "Colors of the Wind" akin to music from [[Busby Berkeley]] films and ''[[The Little Mermaid (1989 film)|The Little Mermaid]]'' (1989).<ref name=wapo>Kempley, Rita.  [https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/movies/videos/pocahontas.htm#kempley "‘Pocahontas’: A Hit or Myth Proposition"] ''[[The Washington Post]]''.  June 23, 1995</ref>

The song also features a mention of a "blue corn moon"; there is no such thing according to Charisse,{{Citation needed|reason=Attributes fact to a named-source that is unlinked and unmentioned eslewhere|date=May 2020}} although in general the [[Blue–green distinction in language|blue-green distinction]] is ambiguous in many languages. Responding to a fan inquiry, Schwartz admitted that he coined the phrase after reading a Native American love poem which read: "I will come to you in the moon of green corn"; Native Americans referred to months as "moons" and named them after events that happened seasonally, such as the sprouting of green corn. This system was subsequently appropriated by colonists, and a [[Farmers' Almanac full moon names|modified version appears in the ''Farmers' Almanac'']]. Schwartz disliked the phrase "green corn moon" due to the sound of the word "green" and because he felt it might evoke the [[urban legend]] that [[the Moon is made of green cheese]]. Instead, Schwartz used the phrase "blue corn moon" as it reminded him of both [[blue moon]]s and [[blue corn]] tortillas. Schwartz thought that the phrase might evoke the [[Indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands]] rather than the [[Algonquian people]] depicted in ''Pocahontas'', but was satisfied with it anyway.<ref name=schwartz/>

==International versions==
The 10th anniversary edition DVD release of the movie features a multi-language clip reel presenting the song "Colors of the Wind" in 11 of the 28 versions originally released for the movie, with an introduction by director [[Mike Gabriel]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dvdizzy.com/pocahontas.html|title=Pocahontas: 10th Anniversary Edition DVD Review|website=www.dvdizzy.com|access-date=2020-02-08}}</ref><ref>{{Citation|title=Colours of the Wind multilanguage| date=30 November 2007 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMxhDqqrzSQ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211212/nMxhDqqrzSQ| archive-date=2021-12-12 |url-status=live|language=en|access-date=2020-02-08}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

==Reception==
[[File:Alan Menken 2013 (cropped).jpg|left|thumb|[[Alan Menken]]'s songwriting received mixed reviews.|alt=Photograph of composer Alan Menken attending a guild event.|244x244px]]
Dominick Suzanne-Mayer of ''[[Consequence of Sound]]'' praised the track for featuring "surprisingly cutting" lyrics, "pointed commentary on racism, and a dynamic, soulful performance from Judy Kuhn all in one place."<ref name=cos>{{cite web|last1=Shoemaker|first1=Allison|last2=Dominick|first2=Suzanne-Mayer|title=Ranking: Every Disney Song From Worst to Best|url=https://consequence.net/2017/03/ranking-every-disney-song-from-worst-to-best/14/|work=[[Consequence of Sound]]|access-date=February 13, 2018|date=March 15, 2017}}</ref> ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]''{{'s}} Raisa Bruner deemed "Colors of the Wind" one of the "powerful, uplifting theme songs" from the [[Disney Renaissance]] and a "classic".<ref name=time>{{cite magazine|last1=Bruner|first1=Raisa|title=11 Classic Disney Songs Performed Flawlessly by Famous Pop Stars|url=https://time.com/4700367/11-classic-disney-songs-performed-flawlessly-by-famous-pop-stars/|magazine=Time|access-date=February 12, 2017|date=July 7, 2018}}</ref> Jordan Appugliesi of [[Mic (website)|Mic]] ranked it the sixth best song from a Disney soundtrack, saying that it is "a poignant, memorable ballad" in the vein of "[[Reflection (Mulan song)|Reflection]]" from ''[[Mulan (1998 film)|Mulan]]'' (1998).<ref name=mic/> Rita Kempler of ''The Washington Post'' felt that the "stirring anthem" is the song from ''Pocahontas'' which "comes closest to a show-stopper."<ref name=wapo/> The staff of ''Billboard'' called the song "artistic" and "wistful" and ranked it the ninth best song of the Disney Renaissance.<ref name=billboard/> Writing for ''[[The Austin Chronicle]]'', Hollis Chacona opined "Unlike so many film composers of late, Menken knows when to keep quiet and when to let loose his powerful score. That power soars through its centerpiece (and no doubt Oscar-bound) song, 'Colors of the Wind,' performed by Judy Kuhn."<ref name=ac>{{cite web|last1=Chacona|first1=Hollis|title=Pocahontas|url=https://www.austinchronicle.com/calendar/film/1995-06-23/pocahontas/|work=[[The Austin Chronicle]]|access-date=February 13, 2018|date=June 23, 1995}}</ref>

Dorkys Ramos of ''[[Time Out (magazine)|Time Out]]'' said that the song and "[[When You Wish Upon a Star]]" from ''[[Pinocchio (1940 film)|Pinocchio]]'' (1940) are "at the top of our list when it comes to songs we don't tire of hearing again and again."<ref>{{cite web|last1=Ramos|first1=Dorkys|title=The best Disney songs of all time|url=https://www.timeout.com/new-york-kids/things-to-do/best-disney-songs|work=[[Time Out (magazine)|Time Out]]|access-date=February 14, 2018|date=September 26, 2017}}</ref>  ''[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]]''{{'s}} Andrew Unterberger criticized the track's "patronizing" portrayal of Native American beliefs, but said that "man...Judy Kuhn's voice soars, with those little trills and sweeping highs. It makes it much easier to get behind what's ultimately an agreeable message of environmental awareness and acceptance."<ref name=":14">{{Cite web|url = http://www.spin.com/2015/02/oscars-academy-awards-best-original-song-every-winner-ranked/3/|title = Every Oscar Winner for Best Original Song, Ranked|date = February 19, 2015|access-date = May 27, 2015|website = Spin|publisher = SpinMedia|last = Unterberger|first = Andrew}}</ref> Aylin Zafar of [[BuzzFeed]] ranked "Colors of the Wind" the ninth best Disney song, commending it for "encourag[ing] people to appreciate the world around them and to seek to understand others before judging them."<ref>{{Cite web|url = https://www.buzzfeed.com/azafar/the-definitive-ranking-of-the-102-best-animated-disney-songs|title =The Definitive Ranking Of The 102 Best Animated Disney Songs|date = April 21, 2014|access-date = February 14, 2018|website = [[BuzzFeed]]|last =Zafar|first = Aylin}}</ref> [[Screen Rant]]'s Turner Minton viewed "Colors of the Wind" as the tenth best Disney song and "an anthem about the harmonious nature of the shared world which embraces all races of people."<ref>{{Cite web|url =https://screenrant.com/best-disney-songs-ever-all-time-ranked/|title =The Best Disney Songs Of All Time, Ranked|date =March 16, 2017|access-date = February 14, 2018|website = [[Screen Rant]]|last =Turner|first =Minton |archiveurl =https://web.archive.org/web/20190206052557/https://screenrant.com/best-disney-songs-ever-all-time-ranked/ |archivedate =2019-02-06 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

Charles Solomon of the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' viewed "Colors of the Wind" and "[[When She Loved Me]]" from ''[[Toy Story 2]]'' (1999) as the only Disney songs released since Howard Ashman's death which "approached the standards" of the music from ''[[Beauty and the Beast (1991 film)|Beauty and the Beast]]'' (1991) and ''[[Aladdin (1992 Disney film)|Aladdin]]'' (1992).<ref>{{cite web|last1=Solomon|first1=Charles|title=But It Was Big Enough Already|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2001-dec-31-et-solom31-story.html|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|access-date=February 13, 2018|date=December 31, 2001}}</ref> The staff of ''[[People (magazine)|People]]'' said that the track is "performed effectively within the body of the film by Kuhn".<ref name=people2>{{cite web|author=People Staff|title=Picks and Pans Review: Pocahontas Soundtrack|url=http://people.com/archive/picks-and-pans-review-pocahontas-soundtrack-vol-44-no-4/|work=[[People (magazine)|People]]|access-date=February 13, 2018|date=July 24, 1995}}</ref>  [[CollegeHumor]]'s Willie Muse wrote that "even though ''Pocahontas'' as a whole is completely forgettable, I guarantee everyone reading this knows every single lyric of ["Colors of the Wind"]. Beautiful to listen to and epic in its scope, 'Colors of the Wind' transcends the movie that birthed it to earn its place as an undeniable classic."<ref name=ch>{{cite web|last1=Muse|first1=Willie|title=The 10 Best Disney Songs of All Time, Objectively|url=http://www.collegehumor.com/post/7054133/the-10-best-disney-songs-of-all-time-objectively|work=[[CollegeHumor]]|access-date=February 13, 2018|date=November 6, 2017}}</ref>  [[Janet Maslin]] of ''[[The New York Times]]'' deemed the song "heartfelt" but less catchy than previous Disney songs.<ref>{{cite web|last=Maslin|first=Jane|url=https://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=990CEFD81639F932A25755C0A963958260|title=History as Buckskin-Clad Fairy Tale|newspaper=The New York Times|date=June 11, 1995|access-date=July 29, 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170729110554/http://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=990CEFD81639F932A25755C0A963958260|archive-date=July 29, 2017}}</ref> [[Owen Gleiberman]] of ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' stated that ''Pocahontas''{{'}} "Alan Menken-Stephen Schwartz songs have all the flavor of uncooked dough".<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://ew.com/article/1995/06/16/pocahontas-4/|last=Gleiberman|first=Owen|title=Pocahontas|date=June 16, 1995|access-date=July 29, 2017|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170729131657/http://ew.com/article/1995/06/16/pocahontas-4/|archive-date=July 29, 2017}}</ref> [[Peter Travers]] of ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' criticized the song for its "[[political correctness]]" and for "sermoniz[ing] about ecology by using pedestrian conceits".<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Travers|first=Peter|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/reviews/pocahontas-19950623|title=Pocahontas|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|date=June 23, 1995|access-date=July 29, 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170729093514/http://www.rollingstone.com/movies/reviews/pocahontas-19950623|archive-date=July 29, 2017}}</ref>
The track won the [[Academy Award for Best Original Song]],<ref name=oscar>{{cite news|url=http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1996|title=The 68th Academy Awards 1996|access-date=November 24, 2017|publisher=Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402004458/http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1996|archive-date=April 2, 2015}}</ref> the [[Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song]],<ref name=gg>{{cite news|url=https://www.goldenglobes.com/winners-nominees/1996|title=Winners & Nominees 1996|access-date=November 24, 2017|publisher=Hollywood Foreign Press Association|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170701112330/http://www.goldenglobes.com/winners-nominees/1996/|archive-date=July 1, 2017}}</ref> and the [[Grammy Award for Best Song Written for Visual Media]].<ref name=Grammy1996>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1996/01/05/arts/new-faces-in-grammy-nominations.html|title=New Faces in Grammy Nominations|first=Neil|last=Strauss|author-link=Neil Strauss|date=January 5, 1996|access-date=April 24, 2010|work=The New York Times|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101222200518/http://www.nytimes.com/1996/01/05/arts/new-faces-in-grammy-nominations.html|archive-date=December 22, 2010}}</ref>

==Certifications==
{{Certification Table Top}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|type=single|artist=Judy Kuhn|title=Colors of the Wind|award=Gold|relyear=2006|certyear=2024|access-date=August 12, 2024|id=16058-5127-1}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|award=Platinum|number=2|type=single|title=Colors of the Wind|artist=Judy Kuhn|relyear=2009|certyear=2025|accessdate=March 21, 2025|refname=RIAA}}
{{Certification Table Bottom|nosales=true|noshipments=true|streaming=true}}

==Vanessa Williams version==
{{Infobox song
| name       = Colors of the Wind
| cover      = Colors of the Wind.jpg
| alt        =
| type       = single
| artist     = [[Vanessa Williams]]
| album      = [[Pocahontas (soundtrack)|Pocahontas: An Original Walt Disney Records Soundtrack]] {{noitalic|and}} [[The Sweetest Days]]
| B-side     =
* "Listen to Your Heart II"
* "I'll Never See Him Again"
| released   = {{start date|1995|06|06}}
| recorded   = 1995
| studio     =
| genre      = [[Pop music|Pop]]
| length     = {{duration|m=4|s=17}}
| label      =
* [[Walt Disney Records|Walt Disney]]
* [[Hollywood Records|Hollywood]]
| composer   = [[Alan Menken]]
| lyricist   = [[Stephen Schwartz]]
| producer   =
* [[Keith Thomas (producer)|Keith Thomas]]
* Robbie Buchanan
| prev_title = [[The Way That You Love]]
| prev_year  = 1995
| next_title = You Can't Run
| next_year  = 1995
| misc       = {{External music video|{{YouTube|YRSmToaXySU|"Colors Of The Wind - End Title"}}|header=Audio video}}
}}

===Background and composition===
[[Vanessa Williams]] was chosen to perform "Colors of the Wind" due to the success of her [[Grammy Award]]-nominated single "[[Save the Best for Last]]".<ref>{{cite web|title=Vanessa Williams comes to Fallsview Casino in August|url=http://www.niagarafallsreview.ca/2017/05/10/vanessa-williams-comes-to-fallsview-casino-in-august|work=[[Niagara Falls Review]]|access-date=February 13, 2018|date=May 10, 2017|archive-date=February 14, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180214073841/http://www.niagarafallsreview.ca/2017/05/10/vanessa-williams-comes-to-fallsview-casino-in-august|url-status=dead}}</ref> Williams' cover is a pop song<ref name=forbes>{{cite web|title=Lana Del Rey Covers 'Once Upon A Dream' For Angelina Jolie's 'Maleficent'|last1=Mendelson |first1=Scott|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/scottmendelson/2014/01/26/lana-del-ray-covers-once-upon-a-dream-in-new-trailer-for-angelina-jolies-malificent/#5a48424573ec|work=[[Forbes]]|access-date=February 13, 2018|date=January 26, 2014}}</ref> which omits the opening lyrics of the original version of the track.<ref name=schwartz/> The cover features [[Bill Miller (musician)|Bill Miller]] playing the [[Native American flute]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Native American singer Bill Miller tells why Bethlehem's Godfrey Daniels is a favorite club|last1=Nerl|first1=Daryl|url=http://www.mcall.com/entertainment/mc-ent-bill-miller-godfrey-daniels-bethehem-20171204-story.html|work=[[The Morning Call]]|access-date=February 13, 2018|date=January 26, 2014}}</ref> Scott Mendelson of ''[[Forbes]]'' wrote "The practice of having what amounts to a radio-friendly pop version of a given Disney song for a new Disney movie is of course an old tradition going back at least to" [[Celine Dion]] and [[Peabo Bryson]]'s cover of the [[Beauty and the Beast (Disney song)|title track]] of ''Beauty and the Beast'' (1991); Mendelson noted that this practice was continued with Williams' version of "Colors of the Wind" and [[Demi Lovato]]'s rendition of "[[Let It Go (Disney song)|Let It Go]]" from ''[[Frozen (2013 film)|Frozen]]'' (2013). According to Mendelson, Williams' cover "was considered an 'all is forgiven' note" following the [[Vanessa Williams and Miss America|removal]] of her [[Miss America]] title.<ref name=forbes/> The cover was produced by [[Keith Thomas (producer)|Keith Thomas]] and Robbie Buchanan. It was a commercial success, reaching number four on the [[Billboard Hot 100]] chart and reaching number two on the [[Adult Contemporary chart]], almost close to become Williams' second single to top this chart. It was also included the 1995 re-release of her third studio album, ''[[The Sweetest Days]]'' (1994).

Williams performed a Spanish version of the song which was included as the single's b-side. The Spanish version of the song featured in the film was sung by Mexican singer and actress [[Susana Zabaleta]].

At the [[Grammy Awards]] in 1996, the song received a [[Grammy Award]] nomination for [[Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance|Best Female Pop Vocal Performance]].

===Critical reception===
Raisa Bruner of ''Time'' said that Williams' rendition was "performed flawlessly", adding that "The powerful ''Pocahontas'' song finds the crystal-clear voice of Vanessa Williams painting a vision of 17th-century Native American life—and the importance of the environment—that still resonates with audiences today." Bruner said that the cover stood alongside [[Elton John]]'s version of "[[Can You Feel the Love Tonight]]" from ''[[The Lion King]]'' (1994) as one of "the best radio-ready versions of Disney's finest melodies".<ref name=time/> [[MTV]]'s Jessica Norton felt that the cover is "even more magical" than the original and "fitting...for free-spirited 'Nessa to cover."<ref>{{cite web|last1=Norton|first1=Jessica|title=17 Times Your Fave Stars Made Disney Songs Even More Magical|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/2280201/disney-song-covers-pop/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151022081310/http://www.mtv.com/news/2280201/disney-song-covers-pop/|url-status=dead|archive-date=October 22, 2015|work=[[MTV]]|access-date=February 13, 2018|date=October 21, 2015}}</ref> The staff of ''People'' opined that the song is "not well served by the former Miss America’s pop diva turn. Indeed, her overblown interpretation seems directly at odds with the song’s message. Stay tuned to Kuhn."<ref name=people/>

===Credits and personnel===
* Vanessa Williams: lead vocals
* [[Alan Menken]]: composer
* [[Stephen Schwartz]]: lyricist
* Robbie Buchanan: arranger, keyboards
* [[Keith Thomas (record producer)|Keith Thomas]]: producer, arranger, additional keyboards, synthesizers, drum programming, bass synth
* Mark Hammond: drum programming
* Jerry McPherson: guitars
* [[Bill Miller (musician)|Bill Miller]]: flute
* Ronn Huff: orchestra arrangements
* [[The Nashville String Machine]]: orchestra

===Charts===
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}

====Weekly charts====
{|class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable"
|-
!Chart (1995–1996)
!Peak<br />position
|-
{{single chart|Australia|16|artist=Vanessa Williams|song=Colors of the Wind|rowheader=true|access-date=June 7, 2023}}
|-
{{single chart|Flanders|38|artist=Vanessa Williams|song=Colors of the Wind|rowheader=true|access-date=June 7, 2023}}
|-
{{single chart|Canadatopsingles|11|chartid=2749|rowheader=true|access-date=March 16, 2023}}
|-
{{single chart|Canadaadultcontemporary|1|chartid=2737|rowheader=true|access-date=June 7, 2023}}
|-
{{single chart|Ireland2|16|song=Colours of the Wind|rowheader=true|access-date=June 7, 2023}}
|-
{{single chart|Dutch40|9|artist=Vanessa Williams|rowheader=true|access-date=June 7, 2023}}
|-
{{single chart|Dutch100|8|artist=Vanessa Williams|song=Colors of the Wind|rowheader=true|access-date=March 16, 2023}}
|-
{{single chart|New Zealand|25|artist=Vanessa Williams|song=Colors of the Wind|rowheader=true|access-date=June 7, 2023}}
|-
{{single chart|Scotland|21|date=19950910|rowheader=true|access-date=March 16, 2023}}
|-
{{single chart|UK|21|date=19950910|rowheader=true|access-date=March 16, 2023}}
|-
{{single chart|Billboardhot100|4|artist=Vanessa Williams|rowheader=true|access-date=March 17, 2023}}
|-
{{single chart|Billboardadultcontemporary|2|artist=Vanessa Williams|rowheader=true|access-date=March 17, 2023}}
|-
{{single chart|Billboardadultpopsongs|10|artist=Vanessa Williams|rowheader=true|access-date=March 17, 2023}}
|-
{{single chart|Billboardrandbhiphop|53|artist=Vanessa Williams|rowheader=true|access-date=March 17, 2023}}
|-
{{single chart|Billboardpopsongs|18|artist=Vanessa Williams|rowheader=true|access-date=March 16, 2023}}
|-
{{single chart|Billboardrhythmic|37|artist=Vanessa Williams|rowheader=true|access-date=March 16, 2023}}
|}
{{col-2}}

====Year-end charts====
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable"
|-
!Chart (1995)
!Position
|-
!scope="row"|US ''Billboard'' Hot 100<ref>{{cite web|url=http://longboredsurfer.com/charts.php?year=1995 |title=Billboard Top 100 - 1995 |access-date=August 27, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090815124541/http://longboredsurfer.com/charts.php?year=1995 |archive-date=August 15, 2009 }}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|31
|-
!scope="row"|US Adult Contemporary (''Billboard'')<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/90s/1995/BB-1995-12-23.pdf|title=1995 The Year in Music|magazine=Billboard|volume=107|issue=51|page=YE-80|date=December 23, 1995|access-date=August 29, 2021|archive-date=June 28, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210628190958/https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/90s/1995/BB-1995-12-23.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|14
|}
{{col-end}}

===Certifications===
{{Certification Table Top}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|artist=Vanessa Williams|title=Colors of the Wind|type=single|award=Gold|salesamount=700,000|salesref=<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3g4EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA56 |title=Best-Selling Records of 1995 |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|publisher=BPI Communications|date=January 20, 1996 |access-date=May 5, 2015 |page=56 |issn=0006-2510|volume=108|number=3}}</ref>}}
{{Table end}}

===Release history===
{|class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
!scope="col"|Region
!scope="col"|Date
!scope="col"|Format(s)
!scope="col"|Label(s)
!scope="col"|{{abbr|Ref.|Reference}}
|-
!scope="row" rowspan="2"|United States
|May 31, 1995
|{{hlist|[[Contemporary hit radio|Top 40]]|[[adult contemporary]]|[[rhythmic contemporary|R&B]]|Spanish|[[talk radio]]}}
|rowspan="2"|{{hlist|[[Walt Disney Records|Walt Disney]]|[[Hollywood Records|Hollywood]]}}
|rowspan="2"|<ref>{{cite magazine|title='Pocahontas' Push: Disney's Biggest Yet|last=Atwood|first=Brett|author-link=Brett Atwood|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|volume=107|issue=25|page=91|date=June 24, 1995|quote=Hollywood Records delivered [...] 'Colors of the Wind,' to top 40, AC, R&B, Spanish, and talk radio outlets on May 31. It was released commercially June 6.}}</ref>
|-
|June 6, 1995
|{{hlist|7-inch vinyl|CD|cassette}}
|-
!scope="row"|Japan
|June 21, 1995
|Mini-CD
|rowspan="2"|Walt Disney
|<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/257941/products/179506/1/|title=カラー・オブ・ザ・ウインド {{!}} ヴァネッサ・ウィリアムス|trans-title=Color of the Wind {{!}} Vanessa Williams|publisher=[[Oricon]]|language=ja|access-date=September 12, 2023}}</ref>
|-
!scope="row"|United Kingdom
|September 4, 1995
|{{hlist|7-inch vinyl|CD|cassette}}
|<ref>{{cite magazine|title=New Releases: Singles|magazine=[[Music Week]]|page=31|date=September 4, 1995}}</ref>
|}

==Other covers==
Actor and singer [[Michael Crawford]] covered "Colors of the Wind" on ''[[The Disney Album]]'' (2001). The album ''[[Disneymania]]'' (2002) includes [[Ashanti (singer)|Ashanti]]'s version of the song.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/74477/n-sync-usher-ashanti-dip-into-disneymania|title='N Sync, Usher, Ashanti Dip Into 'Disneymania'|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|date=August 22, 2002|access-date=April 26, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230423013247/https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/n-sync-usher-ashanti-dip-into-disneymania-74477/|archive-date=April 23, 2023|url-status=live}}</ref> Actress [[Christy Carlson Romano]] covered the song for her debut EP ''[[Greatest Disney TV & Film Hits]]'' (2004). Actress and singer [[Vanessa Hudgens]] covered the song for ''[[Disneymania 5]]'' (2007).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/disneymania-5-mw0000770591|title=Disney – Disneymania 5|publisher=AllMusic|access-date=March 14, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180315070548/https://www.allmusic.com/album/disneymania-5-mw0000770591|archive-date=March 15, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Brian Wilson]] released a [[funk]]-influenced version of "Colors of the Wind" on his album ''[[In the Key of Disney]]'' (2011).<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.avclub.com/brian-wilson-in-the-key-of-disney-1798170208|last=Murray|first=Noel|title=Brian Wilson: In The Key Of Disney|newspaper=[[The A.V. Club]]|date=November 1, 2011|access-date=April 25, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230422231358/https://www.avclub.com/brian-wilson-in-the-key-of-disney-1798170208|archive-date=April 22, 2023|url-status=live}}</ref> American singer [[Tori Kelly]]'s rendition of the song was included on the album ''[[We Love Disney (2015 album)|We Love Disney]]'' (2015). Kelly decided to cover the song because she was obsessed with ''Pocahontas'' as a child.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://people.com/celebrity/tori-kelly-covers-pocahontas-colors-of-the-wind-we-love-disney-album/|title=Tori Kelly Covers ''Pocahontas'' Colors of the Wind: We Love Disney|last=Nelson|first=Jeff|date=March 27, 2007|magazine=[[People (magazine)|People]]|access-date=April 25, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161220070735/http://people.com/celebrity/tori-kelly-covers-pocahontas-colors-of-the-wind-we-love-disney-album/|archive-date=December 20, 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> She also sang it for ''[[The Disney Family Singalong]]'' in 2020 due to the COVID awareness.<ref name="ELLE 2020">{{cite web|last=Walsh|first=Savannah|title=How to Watch the Disney Family Sing-Along Special with Ariana Grande and High School Musical|magazine=[[Elle (magazine)|Elle]]|date=April 16, 2020|url=https://www.elle.com/culture/movies-tv/a32146586/how-to-watch-disney-family-sing-along-abc/|access-date=July 11, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230711030025/https://www.elle.com/culture/movies-tv/a32146586/how-to-watch-disney-family-sing-along-abc/|archive-date=July 11, 2023|url-status=live}}</ref> [[The Chipettes]] covered the song for the 1995 album ''[[When You Wish Upon a Chipmunk]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.com/When-You-Wish-Upon-Chipmunk/dp/B000002B9N/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=when+you+wish+upon+a+chipmunk&qid=1567789608&s=gateway&sr=8-1
|title=When You Wish Upon a Chipmunk|website=[[Amazon (company)|Amazon]]|access-date=September 6, 2019}}</ref> Australian soprano [[Mirusia Louwerse]] covered "Colors of the Wind" for ''This Time Tomorrow'' (2016),<ref>{{cite web|url=https://shop.abc.net.au/mirusia-this-time-tomorrow-cd|title=Mirusia - This Time Tomorrow|website=ABC Shop|access-date=March 14, 2018}}</ref> her fourth solo album.<ref name=":0">{{cite web|url=https://www.thecultureconcept.com/mirusia-this-time-tomorrow-meldi-arkinstall-cd-review|title=Mirusia: This Time Tomorrow - Meldi Arkinstall CD Review|last=Arkinstall|first=Meldi|date=July 14, 2016|website=The Culture Concept Circle|access-date=March 14, 2018}}</ref> The singer's arrangement has been described as featuring "a simple and unobtrusive accompaniment on acoustic guitar."<ref name=":0" /> [[Postmodern Jukebox]], a musical collective that creates vintage-style covers of popular songs, released a cover of the song in the style of 1970s [[soul music]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.mercurynews.com/2017/02/03/making-modern-music-in-older-creative-ways/|last=Freeman|first=Paul|title=Making modern music with Postmodern Jukebox|newspaper=[[Mercury News]]|date=February 3, 2017|access-date=April 28, 2018|url-access=subscription|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170206140100/https://www.mercurynews.com/2017/02/03/making-modern-music-in-older-creative-ways/|archive-date=February 6, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> German band [[Tokio Hotel]] covered the song for the Disney [[pop-punk]] cover album ''[[A Whole New Sound]]'' (2024).<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Carter|first=Emily|date=August 16, 2024|title=Disney confirm artists and full tracklist for their official pop-punk covers album|url=https://www.kerrang.com/disney-confirm-artists-and-full-tracklist-for-their-official-pop-punk-covers-album|access-date=October 7, 2024|magazine=[[Kerrang!]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240921030400/https://www.kerrang.com/disney-confirm-artists-and-full-tracklist-for-their-official-pop-punk-covers-album|archive-date=September 21, 2024|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Usage in media==
Actress [[Melissa McCarthy]] lip synced the song during an episode of ''[[Lip Sync Battle]]''. Before lip syncing the track, McCarthy donned protective goggles. Then a high-powered wind machine blew water, stuffed animals, confetti, streamers and fake leaves at her as the song played. The performance received a [[standing ovation]], and [[Jimmy Fallon]] deemed her the winner of the battle.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.etonline.com/tv/186042_melissa_mccarthy_pulls_out_all_the_stops_for_epic_confetti_covered_lip_sync_battle| last=Kile| first=Meredith B.| title=Melissa McCarthy Pulls Out All the Stops for Epic, Confetti-Covered Lip Sync Battle| publisher=[[Entertainment Tonight]]| date=April 4, 2016| access-date=April 28, 2018}}</ref>

The song's opening and closing bars are used for the jingle of [[Steve Wright's Sunday Love Songs]] on [[BBC Radio 2]].

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Bibliography==
* {{cite book|first=Justyna|last=Fruzińska|year=2014|title=Emerson Goes to the Movies: Individualism in Walt Disney Company's Post-1989 Animated Films|publisher=Cambridge Scholars Publishing|isbn=978-1-4438-6657-6}}
* {{cite book|first=Paul|last=Laird|year=2014|title=The Musical Theater of Stephen Schwartz: From Godspell to Wicked and Beyond |publisher=[[Rowman & Littlefield Publishers]]|isbn=978-0810891913}}

==External links==
* {{YouTube|O9MvdMqKvpU|Disney Sing-Along}} (on Disney's official channel)

{{Pocahontas}}
{{Vanessa Williams}}
{{Disney Renaissance}}
{{Navboxes
|title = Awards for "Colors of the Wind"
|titlestyle = background: lightblue
|list1 =
{{AcademyAwardBestOriginalSong 1991–2000}}
{{Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song}}
{{Grammy Award for Best Song Written for Visual Media}}
}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:1995 songs]]
[[Category:1995 singles]]
[[Category:Songs from Pocahontas (1995 film)]]
[[Category:Environmental songs]]
[[Category:Best Original Song Golden Globe–winning songs]]
[[Category:Best Original Song Academy Award–winning songs]]
[[Category:Grammy Award for Best Song Written for Visual Media]]
[[Category:Walt Disney Records singles]]
[[Category:Hollywood Records singles]]
[[Category:Pop ballads]]
[[Category:Disney Renaissance songs]]
[[Category:Songs with music by Alan Menken]]
[[Category:Songs written by Stephen Schwartz (composer)]]
[[Category:Vanessa Williams songs]]
[[Category:1990s ballads]]
[[Category:Songs about racism and xenophobia]]
[[Category:Brian Wilson songs]]
[[Category:Pam Tillis songs]]
[[Category:Tori Kelly songs]]
[[Category:Ashanti (singer) songs]]
[[Category:Song recordings produced by Alan Menken]]
[[Category:Indigenous peoples of North America and the environment]]