Colours of The Wind – English Lyrics

• By: Connie Talbot
• Album: Beautiful World

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the enchanting world of "Colours of the Wind" as performed by the remarkable Connie Talbot. This song, originally from Disney's *Pocahontas*, offers a beautiful opportunity to explore English vocabulary and poetic expression. Through its poignant lyrics about nature's wisdom and interconnectedness, learners can grasp lyrical storytelling and expand their understanding of environmental themes in English music. Connie's clear and heartfelt rendition makes it an accessible and special piece 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 mountains?

Can you paint with all the colors of the wind?

Can you paint with all the colors of the wind?

...

Come run the hidden pine trails of the forest

Come taste the sunsweet 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 asked the grinning bobcat why he grinned?

Can you sing with all the voices of the mountains?

Can you paint with all the colors of the wind?

Can you paint with all the colors of the wind?

How high will 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 mountains

We need to paint with all the colors of the wind

You can own the Earth and still

All you'll own is Earth until

You can paint with all the colors of the wind

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
land /lænd/ A1	noun - the part of the earth's surface that is not covered by water verb - to arrive on the ground or other surface after moving down through the air
Earth /ɜːrθ/ A1	noun - the planet on which we live
life /laɪf/ A1	noun - the condition that distinguishes animals and plants from inorganic matter, including the capacity for growth, reproduction, functional activity, and continual change preceding death
name /neɪm/ A1	noun - a word or set of words by which a person, animal, place, or thing is known verb - give a name to
walk /wɔːk/ A1	verb - to move at a regular pace by lifting and setting down each foot in turn
stranger /ˈstreɪndʒər/ A2	noun - a person whom one does not know or with whom one is not familiar
cry /kraɪ/ A1	verb - to shed tears
moon /muːn/ A1	noun - the natural satellite of the earth, visible (chiefly at night) by reflected light from the sun
sing /sɪŋ/ A1	verb - make musical sounds with the voice
paint /peɪnt/ A1	verb - apply paint to (a surface) noun - a colored substance which is spread over a surface and dries to leave a thin decorative or protective coating.
wind /wɪnd/ A1	noun - the perceptible natural movement of the air, especially in the form of a current of air blowing from a particular direction
hidden /ˈhɪdn/ B1	adjective - that cannot be seen; out of sight or concealed
forest /ˈfɔːrɪst/ A2	noun - a large area covered chiefly with trees and undergrowth
taste /teɪst/ A2	verb - perceive or experience the flavor of noun - the sensation of flavor perceived in the mouth and throat on contact with a substance.
riches /ˈrɪtʃɪz/ B2	noun - abundance of valuable possessions or money.
brothers /ˈbrʌðərz/ A1	noun - a male sibling
friends /frendz/ A1	noun - a person whom one knows and with whom one has a bond of mutual affection
grow /ɡroʊ/ A1	verb - increase in size or number

Key Grammar Structures

• You think you **own** whatever land you land on

  ➔ Present Simple Tense: General truths or habitual actions

  ➔ The verb "own" is in the present simple tense to express a general belief or a habitual attitude. This implies a recurring or consistent behavior of thinking about owning the land.

• The Earth is just a dead thing you **can claim**

  ➔ Modal Verb 'Can': Expressing ability or possibility

  ➔ "Can claim" expresses the perceived ability or possibility to claim ownership of the Earth. It suggests that someone believes the Earth is something they have the power to control.

• But if you walk the footsteps of a stranger, You'll learn things you never **knew you never knew**

  ➔ Past Simple & Past Perfect (Implying something was unknown until a point in the past). Conditional sentences (type 1)

  ➔ "knew you never knew" - Uses both past simple and repetition for emphasis. It implies a complete lack of awareness. The first "knew" refers to knowledge one possessed, while the second "knew" refers to the realization of what was previously unknown. "If you walk...you'll learn" is a type 1 conditional, expressing a likely outcome if the condition is met.

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

  ➔ Present Perfect Tense: Experience

  ➔ "Have you ever heard" uses the present perfect tense to inquire about a past experience. It asks if the listener has ever had the experience of hearing a wolf cry.

• Can you **sing** with all the voices of the mountains?

  ➔ Modal Verb 'Can': Expressing ability

  ➔ "Can you sing" questions the listener's ability to sing along with the voices of the mountains. It's a metaphorical question about understanding and appreciating nature.

• Come **run** the hidden pine trails of the forest

  ➔ Imperative Mood: Giving a command or invitation

  ➔ "Come run" uses the imperative mood to invite or command someone to run along the trails. It's an encouragement to experience the forest firsthand.

• And for once, never wonder what they**'re** worth

  ➔ Contraction of 'they are'

  ➔ "'re" is a contraction of "they are". This indicates that the things around you (riches) have an intrinsic, unquantifiable value beyond monetary worth. The imperative "never wonder" emphasizes to appreciate without monetary questioning.

• How high will the sycamore **grow**?

  ➔ Future Simple Tense (expressing a prediction)

  ➔ "will grow" uses the future simple tense to express a prediction about the future height of the sycamore tree. This question is rhetorical, emphasizing the potential that remains unknown.