O-o-h Child has been comforting me for decades, and has the rare distinction of having been featured prominently in not one but two movies I’d put in my top ten of all time: Guardians of the Galaxy and Boyz N The Hood. Off the top of my head, I’d probably round that list out with Godfather, Godfather 2, Goodfellas, Key Largo, Airplane!, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, and Cinema Paradiso. But that’s just a quick list, without a lot of thought. The song also appears in Spike Lee’s Crooklyn, which was a decent movie with a great soundtrack.
It’s also big in the rap community, being sampled or referenced in songs like the Beastie Boys’, “Intergalactic,” and Tupac’s, “Keep Ya Head Up,” among many others.
Anyhow, the tune is full of the kind of soul you’d expect from Curtis Mayfield—who produced some of The 5 Stairsteps’ earlier works—with a Gospel flavor.
Oh, and by the way, if you like the G.O.A.T. feature, check out the G.O.A.T. page!
Further listening: It was their only hit.
Cover versions: Some cool ones…And then the Hall and Oates one. I love me some good H&O but…Ugh is that awful.
