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Song from the Disney film Pocahontas (1995)

"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). 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. 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 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 May 23, 1995, by Walt Disney Records from the film's soundtrack, and became a top ten hit on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was also included on her third album, The Sweetest Days. "Colors of the Wind" would also be covered by other artists, including Ashanti and Brian Wilson, and was featured on an episode of Lip Sync Battle.

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 (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. Schwartz did not feel he was well suited to the job. Schwartz wanted to write a song for the film wherein Pocahontas confronts the Eurocentrism of John Smith. The track was inspired by Native American poetry, music and folklore, as well as a now debunked 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. 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 paradoxical and thought provoking. 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. 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. Menken views "Colors of the Wind" as one of the most important songs he has written. Schwartz believed that the Walt Disney Company would reject "Colors of the Wind" for being philosophical and different from previous Disney songs. Judy Kuhn sang the song to help "pitch" Schwartz's score to Disney, and the studio embraced the track. written by Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz and performed by Judy Kuhn. It has a length of three minutes and thirty four seconds. 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 It features lyrics about "painting with all the colors of the wind" and listening to "the voices of the mountains sing." The song also features a mention of a "blue corn moon"; there is no such thing according to Charisse, although in general the 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 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 moons 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.

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." Time Raisa Bruner deemed "Colors of the Wind" one of the "powerful, uplifting theme songs" from the Disney Renaissance and a "classic". Jordan Appugliesi of Mic ranked it the sixth best song from a Disney soundtrack, saying that it is "a poignant, memorable ballad" in the vein of "Reflection" from Mulan (1998). Dorkys Ramos of Time Out said that the song and "When You Wish Upon a Star" from Pinocchio (1940) are "at the top of our list when it comes to songs we don't tire of hearing again and again." Spin 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." 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." 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." 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) and Aladdin (1992). The staff of People said that the track is "performed effectively within the body of the film by Kuhn". 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." Janet Maslin of The New York Times deemed the song "heartfelt" but less catchy than previous Disney songs. Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly stated that Pocahontas "Alan Menken Stephen Schwartz songs have all the flavor of uncooked dough". Peter Travers of Rolling Stone criticized the song for its "political correctness" and for "sermoniz[ing] about ecology by using pedestrian conceits". The track won the Academy Award for Best Original Song, the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song, and the Grammy Award for Best Song Written for Visual Media.

RegionDateFormat(s)Label(s)Ref. (Reference)United StatesMay 31, 1995Contemporary hit radio, Top 40, adult contemporary, rhythmic contemporary, R&B, Spanish, talk radioWalt Disney Records, Walt Disney, Hollywood Records, HollywoodJune 6, 19957 inch vinyl, CD, cassetteJapanJune 21, 1995Mini CDWalt DisneyUnited KingdomSeptember 4, 19957 inch vinyl, CD, cassette

The album Disneymania (2002) includes Ashanti's version of "Colors of the Wind". 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). Brian Wilson released a funk influenced version of "Colors of the Wind" on his album In the Key of Disney (2011). American singer Tori Kelly's rendition of the song was included on the album We Love Disney (2015). Kelly decided to cover the song because she was obsessed with Pocahontas as a child. She also sang it for The Disney Family Singalong in 2020 due to the COVID awareness. The Chipettes covered the song for the 1995 album When You Wish Upon a Chipmunk. Australian soprano Mirusia Louwerse covered "Colors of the Wind" for This Time Tomorrow (2016), her fourth solo album. The singer's arrangement has been described as featuring "a simple and unobtrusive accompaniment on acoustic guitar." It was covered by Tori Kelly in The Disney Family Singalong.

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