Meme: "What was the no. 1 song when you were born?"

[veronica_rich]

Seriously - do any of you have one of these you've ever actually heard of?

Comments

[heartofslash.livejournal.com]

I totally know that song. in fact, I taught it to the guitar club at my daughter's grade school, and the kids performed it with a choir to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Brown vs School Board Decision that got rid of segregated schools, which is what the song was written for. (The school was having a big concert with people from Bono's One organization. The concert was cool, but none of the One folks had heard of it, surprisingly, as it has a very strong protest pedigree.

It was a pretty radical song, first recorded by Sammy Davis Jr. as a fund-raiser for the NAACP. It was written by David Arkin (father of Alan Arkin, father of Adam Arkin) and Earl Robinson.

A somewhat obscure reggae band called Greyhound covered it in 1969, then Mick and Bianca Jagger played it at their wedding, and it because a hit in Europe. Three Dog Night heard it when they were on a tour of Scandanavia. They covered it shortly thereafter.

They changed the words though. On the second chorus, it's supposed to go:
And now a child
Can plainly read
The alphabet
Of liberty...

The original version also had a verse about how the Supreme Court judge's heads are white and robes are black.

I LOVED this song when I was a kid. Still love it. the message is beautiful.

[veronica-rich.livejournal.com]

Well, I'm glad it brings *somebody* joy. I just wish I'd heard it once before the other day. :-D

[heartofslash.livejournal.com]

If it's any consolation, I got the Singing Nun and her #1 hit Dominique (lalalala lalalala).

Even worse - I know the song. Oh, yes. I know it. *head desk*