O-o-h Child

"O-o-h Child"
Single by Five Stairsteps
from the album Stairsteps
Released	1970
Genre	Chicago soul
Length	3:11
Label	Buddah Records
Writer(s)	Stan Vincent

"O-o-h Child" is a seminal 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 ten 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 #392 on the Rolling Stone magazine's list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

Cover versions

• Laura Nyro covered the song on her 1971 album Gonna Take A Miracle
• Dusty Springfield covered the song in November 1971 for possible inclusion on See All Her Faces but her recording went unreleased for almost 30 years until its inclusion on the posthumous Atlantic/Rhino compilation Love Songs, 16 January 2001. Producers: Johnny Franz and Dusty Springfield.
• Beth Orton covered the song on her album The Other Side of Daybreak, which was also featured on the Alias episode entitled "Repercussions" and CSI: NY episode entitled "Unusual Suspects". This is a soft, acoustic guitar version.
• Mary Wilson from The Supremes covered this song in 1989, and released it as a single.
• Dino's version hit #27 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1993.
• Nina Simone covered it on Here Comes the Sun
• Valerie Carter covered this song for her 1977 release Just a Stone's Throw Away.
• Trey Anastasio has covered this song live in concert numerous times.
• Kelly Rowland recorded a live version of the song in Rotterdam, Holland which was released on the Destiny's Child World Tour DVD.
• Grammy Award winning gospel musician Donnie McClurkin covered the song featuring Kirk Franklin from the 2004 album Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs and appeared on the soundtrack for 2005 film The Gospel, starring Boris Kodjoe.

Used in Movies/Film

• In the 1979 movie Over the Edge, the closing scene (while the prison bus drives away) is underscored by the Valerie Carter version.
• In 1991, "O-o-h Child" was featured prominently in a notable scene of the 1991 motion picture Boyz n the Hood, directed by Academy Award nominee John Singleton.
• The song is played in the 1994 film Crooklyn when the main character Troy Carmichael attends the funeral of her mother with the entire family.
• In a 2005 Episode of TV series Judging Amy entitled "You Don't Know Me" (Season 6, Episode 12).
• In the film Bridge to Terabithia, music teacher Ms. Edmunds sings the song accompanied by her class.
• In December 10, 2007, "O-o-h Child" was used in How I Met Your Mother in Season 3, episode 11, "The Platinum Rule".

Sampled

• In 1993, the song's chorus was used in the 2Pac song "Keep Ya Head Up".
• It was sampled in UK Grime artist Bashy's 2007 song "Black Boys".
• Janet Jackson interpolated this song on her 2001 song "Truth".

External links

• Over the Edge - Soundtrack

References