Nearly four decades after it was first recorded, Cyndi Lauper has finally released “The River Cried,” a previously unfinished song from the sessions for her 1986 album True Colors.
Written by Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly—the songwriting duo behind the album’s unforgettable title track—“The River Cried” is a deeply emotional ballad about loneliness, heartbreak and the lingering pain of lost love. Lauper began recording the song during the original True Colors era, but her version was never completed or included on the album.
The song did not disappear entirely. Patty Smyth recorded a version that was released in 1987, while Russell Hitchcock of Air Supply later included it on his 1988 solo album. Still, Lauper’s original interpretation remained hidden in the archives.
The 40th anniversary of True Colors gave Lauper the opportunity to return to that unfinished recording, complete it and finally allow listeners to hear what she had begun all those years ago. Her unmistakable voice gives the song an aching vulnerability that fits beautifully beside the album’s more reflective moments.
“The River Cried” is included as an additional track on the 40th-anniversary edition of True Colors. Although Lauper has concluded her farewell tour and is not announcing another tour with this release, the song offers fans something equally special: a lost piece of her musical history, finally finished and brought into the light.
It is not the beginning of a touring comeback or a new album campaign. Instead, “The River Cried” is a gift from the past—an emotional recording that waited 40 years for its story to be completed.
