The Message Behind "Colors Of The Wind"
Start writing a post
Entertainment

The Message Behind "Colors Of The Wind"

A song that you probably haven't heard in years.

83306
The Message Behind "Colors Of The Wind"
Josh Peterson

If you have never seen "Pocahontas" the Disney movie, I’m sorry that you missed out on your childhood. Even though it was an amazing movie with messages we should recognize every day, it was not historically correct. I encourage you to read the true story of Matoaka, maybe it will give you more perspective.

However, the messages of this movie should not be forgotten. Remember the song Pocahontas sang, "Colors of the Wind"? 21 years later and it seems like we still turn our head to important messages this song brings to the table.

“You think I’m an ignorant savage,
And you’ve been so many places I guess it must be so
But still I cannot see, if the savage one is me.
How can there be so much you don’t know?”

Pocahontas called John out for being ignorant and savage. When you point one finger, three are pointing back at you. You go Pocahontas, tell him how it is!

“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.”

In these next few lines we see Pocahontas' perspective of the land. The settlers saw it as pure dollar signs. The Powhatans saw the life and beauty the earth provided and how everything coexisted. Why try to change something that doesn’t need to be fixed? Why tear down something so beautiful and damage all the lives that actually need and appreciate it?

In the movie, John Smith and Pocahontas came across a bear. John Smith, just as startled as the bear, gets his gun to kill it.

“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.”

Spitting out some rhymes, Pocahontas starts opening everyone’s eyes to the bigger picture, especially John Smith. Not everything is the way that it seems. The bear isn’t going to come after you John, she's just trying to get home to her kids… relax.

If you want to be rich John. Look around. All you could ever need in life is staring right at you in the face, and no it is not just Pocahontas.

"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."

Don’t try to look for what everything is worth. What is worth more than life?

The song carries on to the lyrics, “Can you paint with all the colors of the wind."

Hold up. Hold the phone. Did she just ask if we could paint with all the colors of the wind? What colors? Wind is invisible.

Yes, the wind is invisible. But yet it holds beauty. Her main purpose is to open your eyes to all the beauty this land has to offer when nature is appreciated and accepted as a whole rather than land being looked on as profit.

"You can own the Earth and still
All you'll own is Earth until
You can paint with all the colors of the wind."

What’s the Earth without the coexistence between the beauty of nature and man? If you destroy the beauty it naturally provides, you’ll never see the colors of the wind for yourself.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Student Life

Waitlisted for a College Class? Here's What to Do!

Dealing with the inevitable realities of college life.

59204
college students waiting in a long line in the hallway
StableDiffusion

Course registration at college can be a big hassle and is almost never talked about. Classes you want to take fill up before you get a chance to register. You might change your mind about a class you want to take and must struggle to find another class to fit in the same time period. You also have to make sure no classes clash by time. Like I said, it's a big hassle.

This semester, I was waitlisted for two classes. Most people in this situation, especially first years, freak out because they don't know what to do. Here is what you should do when this happens.

Keep Reading...Show less
a man and a woman sitting on the beach in front of the sunset

Whether you met your new love interest online, through mutual friends, or another way entirely, you'll definitely want to know what you're getting into. I mean, really, what's the point in entering a relationship with someone if you don't know whether or not you're compatible on a very basic level?

Consider these 21 questions to ask in the talking stage when getting to know that new guy or girl you just started talking to:

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

Challah vs. Easter Bread: A Delicious Dilemma

Is there really such a difference in Challah bread or Easter Bread?

38270
loaves of challah and easter bread stacked up aside each other, an abundance of food in baskets
StableDiffusion

Ever since I could remember, it was a treat to receive Easter Bread made by my grandmother. We would only have it once a year and the wait was excruciating. Now that my grandmother has gotten older, she has stopped baking a lot of her recipes that require a lot of hand usage--her traditional Italian baking means no machines. So for the past few years, I have missed enjoying my Easter Bread.

Keep Reading...Show less
Adulting

Unlocking Lake People's Secrets: 15 Must-Knows!

There's no other place you'd rather be in the summer.

959724
Group of joyful friends sitting in a boat
Haley Harvey

The people that spend their summers at the lake are a unique group of people.

Whether you grew up going to the lake, have only recently started going, or have only been once or twice, you know it takes a certain kind of person to be a lake person. To the long-time lake people, the lake holds a special place in your heart, no matter how dirty the water may look.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

Top 10 Reasons My School Rocks!

Why I Chose a Small School Over a Big University.

197058
man in black long sleeve shirt and black pants walking on white concrete pathway

I was asked so many times why I wanted to go to a small school when a big university is so much better. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure a big university is great but I absolutely love going to a small school. I know that I miss out on big sporting events and having people actually know where it is. I can't even count how many times I've been asked where it is and I know they won't know so I just say "somewhere in the middle of Wisconsin." But, I get to know most people at my school and I know my professors very well. Not to mention, being able to walk to the other side of campus in 5 minutes at a casual walking pace. I am so happy I made the decision to go to school where I did. I love my school and these are just a few reasons why.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments