Jim On Film
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(c) Disney

The poetic phrasing in the song is astounding, presenting the necessary content in such a way as to make the astute listener take a new look at what is being said. For example, it would have been simple for Schwartz to say, "You’ll learn things you never knew about," but instead, he presents it as "You’ll learn things you never knew you never knew." This original presentation of a stale concept forces the listener to really think about what is being said. The first phrasing suggests general knowledge (such as the name of a shrub) whereas the phrasing Schwartz uses goes much deeper, to suggest a life-changing understanding (or at least, something one would really want to know).

Similarly, the lines "Come roll in all the riches all around you/And for once, never wonder what they’re worth" is a challenge not only for John Smith but also for the viewer. As established in the film, the English characters arrive to find wealth and financial prosperity. In today’s world, money drives lives. With the use of the word riches, both John Smith and the viewer are challenged to redefine their senses of wealth and prosperity.

Unlike most songs in the Disney canon (or in any musical film or stage production), Colors of the Wind not only fills its duty as a catalyst for plot or character advancement, it is also a song of big-picture ideas. Listening to the song once is not enough to fully appreciate or understand what it is saying. The song, as a whole, is a metaphor. To be able to paint with the colors in the wind is to see and appreciate the beauty in the world around you. It is neither a superficial look at nature nor a simple hug a tree passion. It is the kind of love that inspires the writer to find escape in a tree-lined park, a painter to find inspiration in a mountain, or hunters to find joy in hours of wandering the forests, even when their search ends with as many bullets in their gun as they began. But the song never states this directly; instead, it provides the listener with phrases which force them to think more deeply about the meaning.

Another great play on words in the song is "You can own the earth and still/All you’ll own is earth until/You can paint with all the colors of the wind." Besides containing a brilliant rhyme, the word earth is used in two meanings, one being the planet, the second meaning dirt. This awesome phrasing is the equal sign to the whole song, reinforcing the idea that true value is not found in worldly wealth. As if these rich images, word choices, and phrases weren’t powerful enough, the tune of the song is also beautiful.

Likewise, the images presented on the screen during the song are visual poetry. The breathtaking image of Pocahontas forming in the wind suggests that she is part of the beauty of the New World that John Smith is learning to love. This image then blends into the sight of her holding his hand, leading him to jump over a steep cliff and waterfall, representing the great leap of ideas which she is leading John Smith to make. As further visual representation of the main metaphor, the image of deer frolicking in the wind, besides being an amazing image, reinforces the concept of the wind representing the beauty of nature.

And this is just a hint of the visual poetry in the song.

(c) Disney

Despite all this, one must not think Colors of the Wind is the only song worth investigating, for the rest of the songs are also very good. Some people comment that the songs are not fun or that there are too many ballads, but this is only because Menken and Schwartz were following the artistic needs of the film, not a preconceived formula where there’s one introductory song, a love ballad, one song for the villain, a showstopper, etc. Furthermore, the music and lyrics of the other songs also stand up to scrutiny. From the metaphor in Just Around the Riverbend, to the play on words in Mine, Mine, Mine, to the gentle metaphor in Listen With Your Heart, the songs are amazingly well-written and composed. While maybe not as fun-filled as might have been expected, the songs in Pocahontas are excellent.