Colors Of The Wind – English Lyrics

• By: Vanessa Williams

Lyrics & Translation

"Colors Of The Wind" by Vanessa Williams is more than just a song; it's an invitation to see the world with new eyes and an open heart. Its rich vocabulary and poetic metaphors offer a beautiful way to immerse yourself in English, especially for understanding themes of nature, empathy, and challenging perspectives. Learning the lyrics allows you to appreciate its message of interconnectedness and cultural harmony, making it a truly special song for language learners.

[English]

You think you own whatever land you land on

The Earth is just a dead thing you can claim

But I know every rock and tree and creature

Has a life, has a spirit, has a name

You think the only people who are people

Are the people who look and think like you

But if you walk the footsteps of a stranger

You'll learn things you never knew

You never knew

Have you ever heard the wolf cry to the blue corn moon?

Or asked the grinning bobcat why he grinned?

Can you sing with all the voices of the mountain?

Can you paint with all the colours of the wind?

Can you paint with all the colours of the wind?

...

Come run the hidden pine trails of the forest

Come taste the sun-sweet berries of the Earth

Come roll in all the riches all around you

And for once, never wonder what they're worth

The rainstorm and the river are my brothers

The heron and the otter are my friends

And we are all connected to each other

In a circle, in a hoop that never ends

Have you ever heard the wolf cry to the blue corn moon?

Or let the eagle tell you where he's been?

Can you sing with all the voices of the mountain?

Can you paint with all the colours of the wind?

Can you paint with all the colours of the wind?

How high does the sycamore grow?

If you cut it down, then you'll never know

And you'll never hear the wolf cry to the blue corn moon

For whether we are white or copper-skinned

We need to sing with all the voices of the mountain

Need to paint with all the colours of the wind

You can own the Earth and still

All you'll own is Earth until

You can paint with all the colours of the wind

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
paint /peɪnt/ A2	verb - to make pictures or designs using paint
colors /ˈkʌlərz/ A2	noun - colors; the property of things that we see because of the way they reflect light
wind /wɪnd/ A2	noun - the natural movement of air
sing /sɪŋ/ A1	verb - to make musical sounds with the voice
mountain /ˈmaʊntən/ A2	noun - a very high hill, often with rocks near the top
earth /ɜːrθ/ B1	noun - the planet that we live on noun - soil or dirt
own /oʊn/ B1	verb - to have something as your property
claim /kleɪm/ B2	verb - to say that something is yours, often without a right to it
creature /ˈkriːtʃər/ B1	noun - any living thing
rock /rɒk/ A2	noun - a large stone
tree /triː/ A1	noun - a tall plant with a trunk and branches made of wood
spirit /ˈspɪrɪt/ B2	noun - the immaterial part of a person, believed to exist after death or in non-human entities
stranger /ˈstreɪndʒər/ B1	noun - a person you do not know
learn /lɜːrn/ A2	verb - to get knowledge or skill by studying, practicing, or being taught
wolf /wʊlf/ B1	noun - a wild animal that looks like a large dog and lives in packs
moon /muːn/ A2	noun - the round object that moves around the Earth and looks bright at night
grin /ɡrɪn/ B1	verb - to smile widely, often showing teeth
forest /ˈfɔːrɪst/ A2	noun - a large area of land covered with trees
run /rʌn/ A1	verb - to move quickly on foot
blue /bluː/ A1	adjective - having the color of the sky on a clear day

Key Grammar Structures

• You think you own whatever land you land on

  ➔ Present Simple with 'think'

  ➔ The verb 'think' is in the present simple tense, used to express habitual actions or general truths.

• But I know every rock and tree and creature

  ➔ Present Simple with 'know'

  ➔ The verb 'know' is in the present simple tense, indicating a permanent state or general knowledge.

• Has a life, has a spirit, has a name

  ➔ Present Simple with 'have'

  ➔ The verb 'have' is repeated in the present simple tense to emphasize possession or characteristics.

• If you walk the footsteps of a stranger

  ➔ Second Conditional

  ➔ The structure 'If you walk...' is a second conditional, used for hypothetical situations in the present or future.

• Can you sing with all the voices of the mountain?

  ➔ Modal Verb 'can' for ability

  ➔ The modal verb 'can' is used to ask about ability or possibility.

• And we are all connected to each other

  ➔ Present Simple with 'be'

  ➔ The verb 'be' is in the present simple tense, emphasizing a permanent state of connection.

• In a circle, in a hoop that never ends

  ➔ Prepositional Phrases

  ➔ The phrases 'in a circle' and 'in a hoop' are prepositional phrases providing additional information about location.

• For whether we are white or copper-skinned

  ➔ Subordinating Conjunction 'whether'

  ➔ The conjunction 'whether' introduces a subordinate clause expressing a condition or alternative.