The original lineup included three lead vocalists — Danny Hutton, Chuck Negron, and Cory Wells — along with Michael Allsup on guitar, Jimmy Greenspoon on keyboards Floyd Sneed on drums and Joe Schermie (from the Cory Wells Blues Band) on bass.
Three Dog Night recorded some tracks with Beach Boys producer, composer, vocalist, and instrumentalist Brian Wilson before signing with Dunhill Records and at the time went under the name Redwood. The band changed their name based on an article describing how Australian Aborigines slept with their dogs for warmth on cold nights, the coldest being a "three-dog night."
Black & White
Three Dog Night Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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
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
The lyrics of Three Dog Night's "Black and White" touch upon the theme of racial equality and how it is vital for people to come to a unification that goes beyond the colour of their skin. The opening lines, “The ink is black, the page is white / Together we learn to read and write," emphasize how regardless of the differences such as color, we are all capable of learning the same things together.
Further, the lyrics highlight that it is important for children to be taught from a young age that everyone is equal before the law, and that regardless of their race or ethnicity, they have the same rights and freedoms as anyone else. The lines "And now a child can understand / That this is the law of all the land, all the land" speak about the importance of instilling such values into the younger generation to ensure a future with more equality.
The repetition of lines like "The world is black, the world is white / It turns by day and then by night" emphasizes the idea that while we might have differences, we are all still a part of the same world and that coming together will provide a brighter future for everyone. The final lines, "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" emphasizes the importance of working together to provide a better future, regardless of our differences.
Line by Line Meaning
The ink is black, the page is white
We all start with a blank slate; the color of our skin means nothing.
Together we learn to read and write
We can learn and grow together despite our differences.
A child is black, a child is white
We are all just children; our race doesn't define us.
The whole world looks upon the sight, a beautiful sight
It's beautiful to see children of different races playing together.
And now a child can understand
That this is the law of all the land, all the land
Children can learn that equality for all is the law of the land.
The world is black, the world is white
It turns by day and then by night
The world keeps turning, regardless of our racial differences.
Together they grow to see the light, to see the light
When we grow up together, we can learn to see the goodness in each other.
We'll have a dance of liberty, liberty
When we all dance together as equals, we experience true freedom.
Come on, get it, get it
Oh-oh, yeah, yeah
Let's all work together to achieve equality.
Keep it up now, around the world
Little boys and little girls
Yeah, yeah, oh-oh
We need to keep working towards equality for all children, around the world.
Lyrics © MUSIC SALES CORPORATION
Written by: Earl Robinson, David Arkin
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
BlueGreyFogg
These guys know not, what they gave to me as a child, in my world, a living hell on earth, in the year this song was out....but the thing is, this song beamed me out of it, straight into heaven! It saved me in that it gave me hope. They knocked it out of the park with this one! Thank you, with all my heart for this song! And play it at my funeral, would you please?
Tyrone
Naah! Live on buddy. The song is too powerful to die. Chin up.
BlueGreyFogg
@Tyrone I appreciate that but I’m ok, not suicidal or anything. Big hugs Tyrone.
Joanne Falkinder
Enjoy life sweet heart. Only once on this earth. Respect 💯🇬🇧
BlueGreyFogg
@Joanne Falkinder that’s so sweet thank you. I just meant play this song one day when I die happy and thankful.
Miri boheme
so sorry you went through that. music is our saviour.
Rosemary Magrino
50 years later, still just as powerful!
Louisa Vevers
Yes I remember this being played on my 5th bday
Mark Tarasiewicz
This song could not have more meaning today than ever before
They history comes back who those who forget their meaning
The 60' have made a full circle 👍
Theo θEΩ
My father played this album till it had no treads left. When my father passed away from cancer i was just a teen. Yesterday I heard this song drift out the Windows of a VW bus in Venice CA. I fell on my knees and wept and laughed. Goodnight Papa.