There is definitely some major wisdom to be gleaned from Disney's Pocahontas. For example, this lyrical gem from "Colors of the Wind" is both incredibly sensible as well a good argument against unnecessary deforestation: "How high will the sycamore grow / If you cut it down, then you'll never know." See? Brilliant.
The rest of the song is a little less transparent, though. So much so, in fact, that even Judy Kuhn — the actress who brilliantly voiced the Pocahontas character — didn't quite understand what the tune was getting at. Khun, who is currently starring in Fun Home on Broadway, recently sat down with the show's composer Jeanine Tesori to rework the song in different lyrical styles in honor of the upcoming 20th anniversary of the Disney classic. The actress also answered a few pressing questions about "Colors of the Wind" for Entertainment Weekly.
"I have no idea what a blue corn moon is," she told EW, adding that she's always hoped someone would eventually explain it to her. "I don’t believe I have ever heard a wolf cry. I do live in New York City where we now apparently have coyotes, but I have not heard of any wolf sightings. Yet."
Khun also demystifies the friendship between the heron and the otter, and explains how Fun Home is changing the face of Broadway by singing with all the colors of the wind. We're still not totally sure how that works, but some things are just better left shrouded in mystery.
AdvertisementADVERTISEMENT