God Bless the Child (Shania Twain song)
Encyclopedia
"God Bless the Child" is the title of a song
co-written and recorded by Canadian country music
artist Shania Twain
. It was released in October 1996 as the eighth and final single
from her 1995 album
The Woman in Me. The song was written by Twain and an extended version cowritten by Mutt Lange. The song became Twain's first single off The Woman in Me to not hit the top 40 at country radio. The original album version is more a poem than a song, done completely a cappella
. For radio airplay, the song had to be expanded lyrically and musically. It was included on Twain's Come on Over Tour
usually accompanied by a local choir, but was not included on her 2004 Greatest Hits
release. All singles sales from the United States
were donated to Second Harvest/Kids Cafe, and from Canada
to Breakfast for Learning. Twain performed the song at the 1996 Country Music Association Awards
.
gave the song a fairly favorable review, giving it a B grade and saying "while her sentiments are pretty naive, her pipes sound plenty experienced" and that Twain gives "enough passion to make us temporarily forget her pinup looks".
for "God Bless the Child" was shot in Nashville
, Tennessee
and directed by Larry Jordan
It was filmed on October 3, 1996 and debuted on October 26, 1996. The video features two choirs. One included the Fisk University Jubilee Singers and the second was a local performing arts choirs singing along with Twain in a hanger at the Nashville airport. Two versions of the video were released, one with the banjo included in the audio, another without. The video is available on Twain's DVD The Platinum Collection
.
where it peaked at number 75, it also reached number 50 on the Hot 100 Singles Sales
chart. In Canada the song hit number-one for eight weeks. It was also her first single to make the Canadian Singles Chart
.
Canada Maxi-CD http://www.discogs.com/Shania-Twain-God-Bless-The-Child-If-Youre-Not-In-It-For-Love-Im-Outta-Here-Remix/release/902717
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
co-written and recorded by Canadian country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
artist Shania Twain
Shania Twain
Shania Twain, OC is a Canadian country pop singer-songwriter. Her album The Woman in Me , brought her fame and her 1997 album Come On Over, became the best-selling album of all time by a female musician in any genre, and the best-selling country album of all time. It has sold over 40 million...
. It was released in October 1996 as the eighth and final single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
from her 1995 album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
The Woman in Me. The song was written by Twain and an extended version cowritten by Mutt Lange. The song became Twain's first single off The Woman in Me to not hit the top 40 at country radio. The original album version is more a poem than a song, done completely a cappella
A cappella
A cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
. For radio airplay, the song had to be expanded lyrically and musically. It was included on Twain's Come on Over Tour
Come on Over Tour
The Come On Over Tour is the first concert tour by Canadian recording artist, Shania Twain. Visiting North America, Australia and Europe, the tour supported Twain's third studio album Come On Over...
usually accompanied by a local choir, but was not included on her 2004 Greatest Hits
Greatest Hits (Shania Twain album)
Greatest Hits is a greatest hits album by Shania Twain, released in 2004 . The album contains 21 tracks from her three Diamond albums The Woman in Me, Come on Over and Up!. Also included are three new songs: "Party for Two" which hit the top ten at country in the U.S...
release. All singles sales from the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
were donated to Second Harvest/Kids Cafe, and from Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
to Breakfast for Learning. Twain performed the song at the 1996 Country Music Association Awards
Country Music Association Awards
The Country Music Association Awards, also known as the CMA Awards, or the CMAs, and not to be confused with the ACM Awards, are voted on by business members of the Country Music Association. The first CMA awards were presented at an untelevised ceremony in Nashville's Municipal Auditorium in 1967...
.
Critical reception
Entertainment WeeklyEntertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
gave the song a fairly favorable review, giving it a B grade and saying "while her sentiments are pretty naive, her pipes sound plenty experienced" and that Twain gives "enough passion to make us temporarily forget her pinup looks".
Music video
The music videoMusic video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for "God Bless the Child" was shot in Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
and directed by Larry Jordan
Larry Jordan
Larry Jordan is an independent filmmaker who has been working in the Bay Area in California since 1955, and making films since 1952. He has produced some 40 experimental and animation films, and three feature-length dramatic films. He is most widely known for his animated collage films. In 1970 he...
It was filmed on October 3, 1996 and debuted on October 26, 1996. The video features two choirs. One included the Fisk University Jubilee Singers and the second was a local performing arts choirs singing along with Twain in a hanger at the Nashville airport. Two versions of the video were released, one with the banjo included in the audio, another without. The video is available on Twain's DVD The Platinum Collection
The Platinum Collection (DVD)
The Platinum Collection is the first music video compilation by Canadian singer Shania Twain. Released on November 6, 2001 by Mercury Nashville Records, the video comprises of the music videos from the singles from Twain's first three studio albums, Shania Twain , The Woman in Me , and Come on Over...
.
Chart performance
"God Bless the Child" debuted on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart the week of November 30, 1996 at number 74. The song spent 9 weeks on the chart and climbed to a peak position of number 48 on January 11, 1997, where it remained for one week. The single became Twain's second consecutive song from The Woman in Me to miss the top 20. It did however, top the Country Singles Sales chart for one week. Despite failure at country radio, "God Bless the Child" became Twain's fourth appearance on the Billboard Hot 100Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
where it peaked at number 75, it also reached number 50 on the Hot 100 Singles Sales
Hot 100 Singles Sales
The Hot Singles Sales chart is a chart released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States. It measures sales of commercial singles and is one of three component charts, along with the Hot 100 Airplay and the Hot Digital Songs, that determine the chart positions of singles on the...
chart. In Canada the song hit number-one for eight weeks. It was also her first single to make the Canadian Singles Chart
Canadian Singles Chart
The Canadian Singles Chart is currently compiled by the U.S.-based music sales tracking company, Nielsen SoundScan . The chart is compiled every Wednesday, and is published by Jam! Canoe on Thursdays....
.
Track listing
US Single http://www.discogs.com/Shania-Twain-God-Bless-The-Child-If-Youre-Not-In-It-For-Love-Im-Outta-Here-Remix/release/902704- God Bless the Child [New Previously Unreleased Version] 3:48
- (If You're Not In It for Love) I'm Outta Here! [Remix] 4:21
Canada Maxi-CD http://www.discogs.com/Shania-Twain-God-Bless-The-Child-If-Youre-Not-In-It-For-Love-Im-Outta-Here-Remix/release/902717
- God Bless the Child 3:49
- (If You're Not In It for Love) I'm Outta Here! [Remix] 4:40
- Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under? [Dance Mix] 4:50
- The Woman in Me (Needs the Man in You) [Steel Guitarless Mix] 4:50
Charts
| Chart (1996) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canadian Singles Chart Canadian Singles Chart The Canadian Singles Chart is currently compiled by the U.S.-based music sales tracking company, Nielsen SoundScan . The chart is compiled every Wednesday, and is published by Jam! Canoe on Thursdays.... |
1 |
| Canada RPM Country Singles | 7 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks | 48 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 75 |