THREE DOG NIGHT- "BLACK AND WHITE" (WRITTEN IN RESPONSE TO A SUPREME COURT DECISION)

"Black and White" is a song written in 1954 by David I. Arkin and Earl Robinson. The most successful recording of the song was the pop version by Three Dog Night in 1972, when it reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

The song was inspired by the United States Supreme Court decision of Brown v. Board of Education that outlawed racial segregation of public schools. The original folk song was first recorded by Sammy Davis Jr. in 1957.[1] The original lyrics of the song opened with this verse, in reference to the court: "Their robes were black, Their heads were white, The schoolhouse doors were closed so tight, Nine judges all set down their names, To end the years and years of shame." LYRICS: - words by David Arkin, music by Earl Robinson, 1956

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
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

C'mon, get it, get it
Ohh-ohhhh, yeah, yeah
Keep it up now, around the world
Little boys and little girls
Yeah, yeah-eah, oh-ohhh

• Category

  Music

[5urrealk1ller]

Excellent sound quality. Thank you, very much, for sharing this.

[rwells47]

You're very welcome!

[Princeboy99]

Just because they have similar titles doesn't mean they are the same song. The two songs are completely different musically at least. The messages are similar though. This one in particular is an extremely uplifting song. Three Dog Night is so underrated! If ABBA and Madonna can be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Three Dog Night can't..there's something seriously wrong with the Rock Hall of Fame

[David Cook]

Back then, I was 13 year old, man that a real Rock N Roll. We should lived in peace brothers and sisters, I am half Cherokee Indian, half white.

[TK LIM]

Many thanks for the information. I thought it was written in early the 1970s all the while. Great stuff indeed.

[Regina Philange]

From 1992-1996 I used to spend all and I mean all of my Saturday evenings listening to Dick Bartley's American Gold from 5pm-9pm. And Sunday evenings with Dick Clark's Rock And Roll And Remember from 5pm-10pm. I remember buying blank tapes within weekdays to record all of this great music,I used to have a backpack full with about 64 tapes front and back with great artists' info,highlighting years,and this great song too..BRINGS BACK THE BEST MEMORIES EVERR!!!

[Regina Philange]

I used to listen to this song when I was a grooving teen back in 1996 when there was an oldies station that used to play this song and thanks to youtube listening to this brings me right back to those good ol days!!

[Neil Dishon]

One of many great songs by Three Dog Night. It is simply a joke they are not in the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame.

[avis langkilde]

i have been trying to find this song forever awesome song

[pegasigirl2010]

One of my professors was the curator of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and he admits that their system is seriously flawed. It doesn't nearly do justice to some of the best and most influential groups.

[ranwolf76]

did you just take the Lord's name in vain? shame on you

[ranwolf76]

who says you can't learn something while being entertained?

[Vincent Cerniglia]

The song was originally written by Earl Robinson and David Arkin, (father of Alan Arkin and Grandfather of Adam Arkin). The First recording was by Pete Seeger in 1956. In 1957 Earl Robinson recorded it himself and then Smmy davis Jr.