Glee was an American musical comedy-drama television series that aired on t… Read Full Bio ↴Glee was an American musical comedy-drama television series that aired on the Fox network in the United States from May 19, 2009, to March 20, 2015. It focused on a high school show choir, also known as a glee club, set within the fictional William McKinley High School in Lima, Ohio.

Glee featured multiple major and secondary roles who have contributed vocals to the show: Lea Michele, Matthew Morrison, Dianna Agron, Cory Monteith, Amber Riley, Chris Colfer, Mark Salling, Jenna Ushkowitz, Kevin McHale, Naya Rivera, Heather Morris, Jayma Mays, Jane Lynch, Chord Overstreet, Darren Criss, Harry Shum, Jr., Damian McGinty, Vanessa Lengies, Samuel Larsen, Blake Jenner, Alex Newell, Melissa Benoist, Jacob Artist, and Dean Geyer. Numerous special guests have also featured on tracks, including Jonathan Groff, Kristin Chenoweth, Grant Gustin, Olivia Newton-John, John Stamos, Neil Patrick Harris, Idina Menzel, Charice, Gwyneth Paltrow, k.d. lang, Ricky Martin, Matt Bomer, Kate Hudson, and Sarah Jessica Parker.

The pilot episode of the show was broadcast on May 19, 2009 and the first season began airing on September 9, 2009. The show was created by Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan. Murphy selects all music featured within the series himself, with the intent of maintaining a balance between show tunes and chart hits. Songs featured on the show are available for digital download through iTunes up to two weeks before new episodes air, and through other digital outlets and mobile carriers a week later.

Their debut single, "Don't Stop Believin'", a cover of the 1981 Journey song, was a top ten hit, and was certified platinum in Australia and gold in the US. The group's cover of The All-American Rejects' "Gives You Hell" reached number one in Ireland, giving them their first number one single.

There has been Nineteen soundtracks released through Columbia Records: Glee: The Music, Volume 1, Glee: The Music, Volume 2, Glee: The Music, Volume 3 Showstoppers, Glee: The Music, The Christmas Album, Glee: The Music, Volume 4, Glee: The Music, Volume 5, Glee: The Music, Volume 6, Glee: The Music, Volume 7 and Glee: The Music, The Christmas Album Volume 2,Glee: The Music, Volume 7,Glee: The Music, The Graduation Album,Glee: The Music, Season 4, Volume 1,Glee: The Music, The Christmas Album Volume 3,Glee Sings the Beatles and Glee: The Music - Celebrating 100 Episodes.

Nineteen EPs have also been released: Glee: The Music, The Power of Madonna, Glee: The Music, Journey to Regionals,Glee: The Music, The Rocky Horror Glee Show.Glee: The Music, The Rocky Horror Glee Show,Glee: The Music, Love Songs,Glee: The Music, The Rocky Horror Glee Show,Glee: The Music, Love Songs,Glee: The Music, Dance Party,Britney 2.0,Glee: The Music Presents Glease,The Quarterback (Music from the TV Series),A Katy or a Gaga (Music from the Episode),Movin' Out,Glee: The Music, The Christmas Album Volume 4,City of Angels,New New York,Glee: The Music, Bash,Glee: The Music, Tested,Glee: The Music, Opening Night,Glee: The Music, the Back Up Plan,Glee: The Music, Old Dog, New Tricks,Glee: The Music – The Untitled Rachel Berry Project,Glee: The Music – Loser Like Me and Glee: The Music – Homecoming.

The cast is second behind The Beatles for most chart appearances by a group act in the Billboard Hot 100's history, and holds the record of sixth overall among all artists, with sixty-nine appearances. The cast has sold over thirty six million and over eleven million albums worldwide. The series' cover versions have also had a positive effect on the original recording artists, with sales of Rihanna's "Take a Bow" increasing by 189 percent after the song was covered in the Glee episode "Showmance".

The series features covers of numerous songs sung on-screen by the characters. Musical segments typically take the form of performances, as opposed to the characters singing spontaneously, as the intention is for the series to remain reality-based. Murphy is responsible for selecting all of the songs used, and strives to maintain a balance between show tunes and chart hits, as: "I want there to be something for everybody in every episode. That's a tricky mix, but that's very important — the balancing of that." Song choices are integral to script development, with Murphy explaining: "Each episode has a theme at its core. After I write the script, I will choose songs that help to move the story along."

Glee is choreographed by Zach Woodlee, and features five to eight production numbers per episode. Once music rights are cleared, songs are arranged and pre-recorded by the cast. Woodlee constructs the accompanying dance moves, which are then taught to the cast and filmed. Numbers can take several weeks to prepare, depending on complexity. Each episode costs at least $3 million to produce, and can take up to 10 days to film as a result of the elaborate choreography.

True Colors
Glee Cast Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Ah ah ah ah

You with the sad eyes
Don't be discouraged
Oh I realize
It's hard to take courage
In a world full of people
You can lose sight of it all

And darkness still inside you
Make you feel so small

And I see your true colors
Shinin' through
I see your true colors
And that's why I love you
So don't be afraid to let them show
Your true colors
True colors are beautiful,
Like a rainbow.

Show me a smile then,
Don't be unhappy,
Can't remember when I last saw you laughing
If this world makes you crazy
And you've taken all you can bear
You can call me up
Because you know I'll be there

And I see your true colors
Shining through
I see your true colors
And that's why I love you
So don't be afraid to let them show
Your true colors,
True colors, are beautiful,
Like a rainbow

Ah ah ah

Can't remember when I last saw you laughing

If this world makes you crazy
You've taken all you can bear
You call me up (call me up)
Because you know I'll be there

And I'll see your true colors
Shining through (I see 'em shining through)
I see your true colors
And that's why I love you (that's why I love you)
So don't be afraid (afraid) to let them show
Your true colors, true colors
I see your true colors are shining through (yeah)
I see your true colors
And that's why I love you
So don't be afraid (afraid) to let them show
Your true colors

True colors, true colors
Are beautiful, like a rainbow

Overall Meaning

The Glee Cast’s cover of True Colors by Cyndi Lauper is about seeing past someone’s sadness and finding the beauty within them. The song is a reminder that no matter how hard it may seem, we should not be afraid to show our true colors to the world. The first verse of the song addresses someone with sad eyes, reassuring them not to lose hope in a world full of chaos and confusion. The second verse encourages the person to smile and not be unhappy, reminding them that they are not alone in this world.

The chorus is the main focus of the song, with the repeated lines, “And I see your true colors, shining through. I see your true colors, and that’s why I love you. So don't be afraid to let them show, your true colors.” The song’s message is clear: it is important to embrace our true selves and not be afraid to show the world who we truly are. The song ends with a final reminder that true colors are beautiful, like a rainbow.

Line by Line Meaning

You with the sad eyes
I know you're feeling down

Don't be discouraged
Don't lose hope

Oh I realize
I understand

It's hard to take courage
It's difficult to be brave

In a world full of people
When everyone around you is going through their own struggles

You can lose sight of it all
You can forget what's truly important

And darkness still inside you
Your own negativity and pain

Make you feel so small
That can make you feel insignificant

And I see your true colors
I see who you truly are

Shinin' through
Your positive qualities are radiating

And that's why I love you
That's why I care about you