Cindy Lauper’s rendition of True Colours was a major hit for her and became a standard in the LGBT community and the inspiration behind the design of the rainbow flag.
Apart from discussing the lyrics briefly, in this edition of Music & Mediation we listen to Billy Steinburg who, together with his muscical partner Tom Kelly, wrote the song. We will discover how Cindy changed the original style and ‘feel’ of the song and we will listen to her explaining the significance of the song to her personal life.
The guests
Billy Steinberg wrote many big hits for several big artists like Cindy Lauper, The Bangles, Madonna and The Pretenders. In this episoce of Music & Mediation, Billy explains how he got the idea to write the song True Colors. He also explains what kind of song he and his partner Tom Kelly had in mind and how Cindy Lauper changed the original “feel” of the song.
Caroline Paige was a pilot in the Royal Airforce. She was born a boy, but from an early age she felt that she identified as a girl and that she was trapped in a boy’s body. We listen to her compelling story and find out how important the song True Colors was for her. She became the first ever openly serving transgender officer in the British military, garnering awards flying battlefield helicopters in Bosnia, Iraq and Afghanistan.
Cindy Lauper explains what the song True Colors meant to her and to the LGBT community in general. She also explains that the song was the inspiration for the rainbow flag that became the symbol of the LGBT social movement.
