"O-o-h Child" is a 1970 single recorded and released by Chicago soul family group the Five Stairsteps, who released it on the Buddah label. Written by Stan Vincent and included on the band's The Stairsteps album from 1970, it has become the Stairsteps' signature song and has inspired more than twenty covers since its release. The song featured various members including lone female member and eldest sister Alohe, brothers Keni, Dennis, James, and lead singer Clarence Burke, Jr. singing in various parts of the song.
The lyrics tell young children that "things are gonna get easier" in times of strife. The song's uplifting message helped the song to become popular among pop and rhythm and blues audiences when it was released.
This was the Stairsteps' only single to reach the top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100 peaking at number eight on that chart while peaking at number fourteen on the R&B chart. It would be their last R&B top 40 (they had several top 40 R&B hits in the 1960s) until 1976's "From Us to You". The song is ranked #402 on the Rolling Stone magazine's list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
Read more about O-o-h Child: Cover Versions, Used in Movies/Film, Sampled, External Links
Famous quotes containing the word child:
“The reason child care is such a loaded issue is that when we talk about it, we are always tacitly talking about motherhood. And when we’re talking about motherhood we’re always tacitly assuming that child care must be a very dim second to full-time mother care.”
—Anna Quindlen (b. 1952)