Peak
1
Weeks
11
Score
2,553
Chart Year
1972
An influential American folk singer named Earl Robinson wrote this in 1954 with lyricist David Arkin (who is the father of actor Alan Arkin). The song is about racism, and was inspired by a US Supreme Court ruling that segregation in public schools is illegal. The original folk song (but not Three Dog Night's version) includes the line, "Their robes were black, their heads were white" which refers to the judges. The Jamaican reggae group Greyhound recorded this in 1971; their version made #6 in the UK. Greyhound went on to have two more hits: a cover of Henry Mancini's "Moon River" and another message song called "I Am What I Am," which was a plea for recognition in a white-dominated society. When Three Dog Night recorded this, it came at a time when civil rights was a big issue in America. The message of racial equality was emphasized by their use of a children's choir in the repeated chorus during the closing moments of the song. Other artists to record this include Gregory Isaacs, Freddie McGregor and Inner Circle. Three Dog Night had three lead vocalists: Danny Hutton, Chuck Negron and Cory Wells. Hutton sang lead on this track.
The ink is black, the page is white Together we learn to read and write A child is black, a child is white The whole world looks upon the sight, a beautiful sight And now a child can understand That this is the law of all the land, all the land The world is black, the world is white It turns by day and then by night A child is black, a child is white Together they grow to see the light, to see the light And now, at last, we plainly see We'll have a dance of liberty, liberty The world is black, the world is white It turns by day and then by night A child is black, a child is white The whole world looks upon the sight, a beautiful sight The world is black, the world is white It turns by day and then by night A child is black, a child is white Together they grow to see the light, to see the light The world is black, the world is white It turns by day and then by night A child is black, a child is white Together they grow to see the light, to see the light Come on, get it, get it Oh-oh, yeah, yeah Keep it up now, around the world Little boys and little girls Yeah, yeah, oh-oh
| Week | Chart Date | Position | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aug 12, 1972 | 61 | 65 |
| 2 | Aug 19, 1972 | 47 | 79 |
| 3 | Aug 26, 1972 | 23 | 103 |
| 4 | Sep 2, 1972 | 14 | 112 |
| 5 | Sep 9, 1972 | 9 | 117 |
| 6 | Sep 16, 1972 | 1 | 125 |
| 7 | Sep 23, 1972 | 2 | 124 |
| 8 | Sep 30, 1972 | 2 | 124 |
| 9 | Oct 7, 1972 | 8 | 118 |
| 10 | Oct 14, 1972 | 21 | 105 |
| 11 | Oct 21, 1972 | 33 | 93 |