Soul music isn't always polite. It’s usually described as smooth or "vibey," but if you actually listen to what was happening in Chicago in the late sixties, it was heavy. Really heavy. When people talk about the civil rights movement and music, they usually jump straight to James Brown shouting about being black and proud. That’s great, honestly. It's iconic. But Choice of Colors by Curtis Mayfield—performed with The Impressions—does something much more uncomfortable and, frankly, more sophisticated.
It asks a question. It doesn't just give you a slogan.
If you’ve ever sat with the lyrics, you know it starts with a hypothetical that feels like a punch in the gut. Mayfield asks you, if you had the chance to change your features or your skin color, would you do it? It’s a test of self-worth wrapped in a gorgeous, orchestral soul arrangement. Released in 1969 on the album The Young Mods' Forgotten Story, this track didn't just climb the R&B charts; it forced a mirror in front of a country that was currently on fire.
The Chicago Soul Sound vs. The World
Most people think of Motown when they think of sixties soul. Berry Gordy had that hit factory going in Detroit, and it was polished. It was meant to cross over to white audiences. Chicago soul was different. It had more grit, more "church," and Curtis Mayfield was the architect.
By the time Choice of Colors by Curtis Mayfield hit the airwaves, Curtis had already written "People Get Ready." He was the unofficial poet laureate of the movement. But while "People Get Ready" was optimistic and metaphorical, "Choice of Colors" was psychological. He wasn't talking about a train coming to pick everyone up anymore. He was talking about the internal struggle of identity.
The production on this track is staggering. You have these sweeping strings and a rolling percussion that feels like a heartbeat. But listen to the harmonies. The Impressions—Sam Gooden and Fred Cash—create this wall of sound that supports Curtis’s high, delicate tenor. It sounds like a lullaby, but the message is a wake-up call. It’s that contrast that makes it stick. You’re nodding your head to the groove while he’s literally asking you if you’re ashamed of your ancestors.
What the Lyrics Actually Mean
Let's get into the weeds of the songwriting. Curtis starts with:
"If you had a choice of colors / Which one would you choose, my brothers?"
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This isn't just about black and white. It’s about the burden of choice and the reality of systemic pressure. In 1969, the United States was reeling from the assassination of Dr. King. The Black Power movement was rising. There was a massive push toward Afrocentricity. Mayfield was checking the pulse of the people. He asks if you'd choose to be "a man of any other kind" just to make life easier.
He’s calling out the desire to assimilate. He’s calling out the pain of being a second-class citizen.
Later in the song, he moves away from the individual and looks at the collective. He mentions how we’re "all people" who want the same thing, but he doesn't do it in a cheesy, "we are the world" kind of way. He does it by acknowledging the frustration. He mentions "the people who have suffered." He’s validating the anger of the era while trying to steer it toward a sense of dignity. It’s a tightrope walk. Most songwriters would fall off. Curtis just glides.
Why 1969 Was the Breaking Point
You can't separate the choice of colors by curtis mayfield from the timeline of the 1960s. The song peaked at #1 on the Billboard Best Selling Soul Singles chart. It stayed there for weeks. Why? Because the "Summer of Love" was over. The hippies had moved on, but the urban centers of America were still struggling with redlining, police brutality, and lack of economic opportunity.
Curtis was a businessman as much as an artist. He started Curtom Records because he wanted to own his masters. He wanted control.
When he wrote this song, he was speaking as a man who had seen the industry try to box him in. He saw how black artists were treated as commodities. "Choice of Colors" was his way of saying that identity isn't something you put on like a suit. It’s not a costume.
Interestingly, the song also addresses the internal divisions within the black community. He mentions "the white man" and "the black man," but he also talks about the "misfits." He’s looking at the fringes. He’s wondering if we can ever get to a place where the "choice" doesn't matter because the value of the person is inherent. It’s incredibly deep stuff for a song that’s under four minutes long.
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The Influence on Hip-Hop and Beyond
If you think this song died in the seventies, you haven't been listening to music for the last thirty years. The DNA of Mayfield’s social commentary is everywhere.
- Sampling culture: Producers like Kanye West, Just Blaze, and J Dilla worshipped at the altar of Curtis Mayfield.
- The Message: When Grandmaster Flash or Public Enemy spoke about the "struggle," they were using the blueprint Curtis laid down.
- The Vibe: That high-register vocal style influenced everyone from Prince to D'Angelo.
But specifically, the "Choice of Colors" sentiment—the idea of questioning the social hierarchy through song—is what paved the way for Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp a Butterfly. It’s that same willingness to be vulnerable and political at the same time.
The Misconception of "Quiet" Soul
A lot of critics at the time labeled The Impressions as "soft." They didn't have the gravelly roar of Otis Redding or the frantic energy of Wilson Pickett. But that was the point. Curtis knew that you could say more with a whisper than a shout.
Choice of Colors by Curtis Mayfield is a quiet song. It’s polite. But the lyrics are revolutionary. It’s a velvet glove with a brick inside.
He wasn't trying to start a riot. He was trying to start a conversation in your living room. He wanted families to hear this on the radio and actually talk about what it meant to be proud of who they were. He was fighting the psychological effects of racism, which are often much harder to heal than the physical ones.
How to Listen to It Today
If you’re going to dive into this track, don't just stream it on crappy phone speakers. Find a high-quality version. Listen to the way the bass sits right in the pocket.
Notice how the song doesn't really have a traditional "hook" in the sense of a pop song. It’s more of a movement. It builds. It breathes. It feels alive.
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There’s a live version of Curtis performing this later in his career, after he became a solo artist. It’s even more haunting. By then, he had seen the seventies and eighties play out. He had seen how some of the promises of the sixties were broken. The song took on a new weight. It went from being a question about the future to a reflection on the past.
Actionable Insights for the Modern Listener
Music isn't just background noise. If you want to really appreciate what Mayfield was doing, you have to engage with it.
Analyze the lyrics vs. the melody. Try to find another song that discusses racial identity so bluntly while sounding so beautiful. It’s a rare feat. Most "protest" songs are angry. This one is melancholic and thoughtful.
Look into the Curtom Records story. Curtis Mayfield’s choice to be independent was just as radical as his lyrics. He was one of the first black artists to really take the reins of the business side of music. This gave him the freedom to release songs like "Choice of Colors" without a label head telling him it was "too political."
Compare it to "Move On Up." "Move On Up" is the upbeat, motivational anthem everyone knows. "Choice of Colors" is the internal monologue that happens before you’re ready to move on up. They are two sides of the same coin.
Study the arrangement. If you’re a musician or a producer, look at how the horns and strings interact. They never crowd the vocals. Everything is in service of the message.
Curtis Mayfield didn't just write songs; he wrote manifestos. Choice of Colors by Curtis Mayfield remains a masterclass in how to use art to challenge the status quo without losing the soul of the music. It reminds us that identity isn't a burden, even when the world tries to make it feel like one.
Next time this song comes on, don't just let it wash over you. Listen to the question he's asking. It's still just as relevant now as it was in 1969. Maybe even more so.
Next Steps for Deep Diving into Curtis Mayfield’s Legacy:
- Listen to the full album: The Young Mods' Forgotten Story (1969) to hear how "Choice of Colors" fits into the broader narrative of Chicago soul.
- Watch the 1972 "Superfly" live performances: Observe how Curtis transitioned his social commentary into the funk era, further evolving the themes of identity and survival.
- Read "Traveling Soul": The biography written by his son, Todd Mayfield, which gives incredible insight into the personal struggles Curtis faced while writing these anthems.
- Explore the "Curtom" Catalog: Look for artists like Leroy Hutson and The Five Stairsteps to see how Mayfield’s production style influenced an entire generation of Chicago artists.