Colour My World – Chicago | Top 40 Chart Performance, Story and Song Meaning
Chart Performance: Pop (#7); 1971
Story Behind The Song By Ed Osborne
Chicago Transit Authority’s first album marked an ambitious debut for an unknown band. First off, it was a two-disc album, released at a time when even the biggest artists in the world stayed with single LPs.
Secondly, it yielded four hit sides, all edited down from long album versions to produce radio friendly singles. Plus, acts typically released 45’s from their current album, then moved on to the next LP and did the same.
However, after Make Me Smile and 25 Or 6 To 4 succeeded from Chicago II, the band backtracked and pulled its next two singles – Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is? and Beginnings – from their first LP .
Beginnings, Chicago’s fourth Top 10 single, featured Colour My World (written by trombonist James Pankow) on the flip, which introduced radio listeners to the band’s more mellow side. Both tunes received significant airplay and charted as a double-sided hit.
This content and all Song Meaning articles were created and written by Top 40 Contributing Editor Ed Osborne. © 2024 Ed Osborne. All Rights Reserved. In addition to these song meaning articles, Ed has written our “Year in Music 1960s-1990s” articles.
Produced by:
- James William Guercio
Lyrics Written by:
- James Pankow
Ed Osborne
Hi. I got my first record at age two and never looked back, spending a decades-long career in radio and the music business. Even after years of reading about and listening to all types of music, I am still fascinated by it. Apart from that, I’m endlessly intrigued by art, nature, and the inner lives of people (and dogs).