"One of Us" is a song by American singer

Joan Osborne Joan Elizabeth Osborne (born July 8, 1962) is an American singer, songwriter, and interpreter of music, having recorded and performed in various popular American musical genres including rock, pop, soul, R&B, blues, and country. She is best kn ...

for her debut studio album, ''

Relish A relish is a cooked and pickled product made of chopped vegetables, fruits or herbs and is a food item typically used as a condiment to enhance a staple. Examples are chutneys and the North American relish, a pickled cucumber jam eaten with ho ...

'' (1995). Written by

Eric Bazilian Eric M. Bazilian (born July 21, 1953) is an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, arranger and producer. Bazilian is a founding member of the rock band The Hooters. He wrote " One of Us", a song first recorded by Joan Osborne in 1 ...

the Hooters The Hooters are an American rock band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The band combines elements of rock, reggae, ska, and folk music to create its sound. The Hooters first gained major commercial success in the United States in the mid-198 ...

and produced by

Rick Chertoff Richard E. Chertoff (born March 29, 1950 in New York, NY) is an American five-time Grammy-nominated producer responsible for such hits as Joan Osborne's " One of Us", Cyndi Lauper's "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" and " Time After Time" and Sophie ...

, the song was released on November 21, 1995, as Osborne's debut single and

lead single A lead single (also known as a debut single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date. Release s ...

from ''Relish'', and it became a hit in November of that year, peaking at number four on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and earning three

Grammy The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...

nominations. "One of Us" was also a hit around the world, topping the charts in Australia, Belgium, Canada, and Sweden, reaching number six on the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

, and becoming a top-20 hit in at least 12 other countries. The song went on to serve as the opening theme for the American television series ''

Joan of Arcadia ''Joan of Arcadia'' is an American fantasy family drama television series telling the story of teenager Joan Girardi ( Amber Tamblyn), who sees and speaks with God and performs tasks she is given. The series originally aired on Fridays on CBS ...

''.

Background

Regarding

's experience with "One of Us", he said, "I wrote that song one night — the quickest song I ever wrote — to impress a girl. Which worked, because we're married and have two kids. But we were in the middle of writing Joan's album, which was a group effort with Rick Chertoff and Joan and Rob and I, and I did a demo of 'One of Us,' this wacky little demo which I ended up putting as a hidden track on the CD of my first solo record, and I played tfor them. And it really hadn't even occurred to me that it was something that Joan might do, but Rick, in his wisdom, asked Joan if she thought she could sing it. And I think it was better that he asked it that way rather than 'Do you want to sing it?' Because the answer to that might not have been yes. But she definitely said she could sing it, and we did a little live demo of a guitar and her singing it. And when I got into my car and popped the cassette in, I started practicing the Grammy speech that I should've gotten to give." For the lead and solo, Bazilian used his 1954 Gibson Gold Top Les Paul for the studio recording.

Lyrics

The song deals with various aspects of belief in an anthropomorphic

God In monotheistic thought, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator, and principal object of faith. Swinburne, R.G. "God" in Honderich, Ted. (ed)''The Oxford Companion to Philosophy'', Oxford University Press, 1995. God is typically ...

by asking questions inviting the listener to consider how one might relate to such a God: for example "Would you call od's nameto his face?" or "Would you want to see od's faceif seeing meant that you would have to believe in things like

heaven Heaven or the heavens, is a common religious cosmological or transcendent supernatural place where beings such as deities, angels, souls, saints, or venerated ancestors are said to originate, be enthroned, or reside. According to the belie ...

and in

Jesus Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label= Hebrew/ Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and relig ...

and the

saint In religious belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of holiness, likeness, or closeness to God. However, the use of the term ''saint'' depends on the context and denomination. In Catholic, Eastern Or ...

s and all the

prophets In religion, a prophet or prophetess is an individual who is regarded as being in contact with a divine being and is said to speak on behalf of that being, serving as an intermediary with humanity by delivering messages or teachings from the s ...

?" The album version starts off with the first four lines of a recording titled "The Aeroplane Ride", made on October 27, 1937, by American folklorist

Alan Lomax Alan Lomax (; January 31, 1915 – July 19, 2002) was an American ethnomusicologist, best known for his numerous field recordings of folk music of the 20th century. He was also a musician himself, as well as a folklorist, archivist, writer, s ...

and his wife Elizabeth for the Archive of American Folk Song at the

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The libra ...

, with Mrs. Nell Hampton of

Salyersville, Kentucky Salyersville () is a home rule-class city on the Licking River in Magoffin County, Kentucky, in the United States. It is the seat of its county. According to the 2010 census, the population was 1,883. History Early history After an attempt a ...

, singing a variation of the 1928 John S. McConnell hymn "Heavenly Aeroplane".

Critical reception

Roch Parisien from

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Music ...

called the song "a simple, direct statement of faith, honest and unadorned, one framed in a near-perfect chorus and delectable

Neil Young Neil Percival Young (born November 12, 1945) is a Canadian-American singer and songwriter. After embarking on a music career in Winnipeg in the 1960s, Young moved to Los Angeles, joining Buffalo Springfield with Stephen Stills, Richie Fu ...

-ish guitar riff". Alan Jones from ''

Music Week ''Music Week'' is a trade publication for the UK record industry distributed via a website and a monthly print magazine. It is published by Future. History Founded in 1959 as '' Record Retailer'', it relaunched on 18 March 1972 as ''Music W ...

'' wrote, "

has come up with a delicious debut single "One of Us" – an electrically charged and retro-styled song with an intimate vocal. The track addresses the question "What if God was one of us?, just a slob like one of us" placing him on the bus and taking phone calls from

The Pope The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...

, doing so with humour, energy and a great tune, in a taut clutter-free production. A real find." Paul Evans from ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...

'' said it "imagines a God as hurt as any human". In 2007, the song was ranked at number 54 on VH1's "100 Greatest Songs of the '90s" and number ten on the network's "40 Greatest One Hit Wonders of the '90s".

Music video

The accompanying

music video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing devic ...

for "One of Us" was directed by Mark Seliger and Fred Woodward, and was mainly shot in

Coney Island Coney Island is a peninsular neighborhood and entertainment area in the southwestern section of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The neighborhood is bounded by Brighton Beach and Manhattan Beach, Brooklyn, Manhattan Beach to its east, L ...

, with various attractions like

rollercoasters A roller coaster, or rollercoaster, is a type of amusement ride that employs a form of elevated railroad track designed with tight turns, steep slopes, and sometimes inversions. Passengers ride along the track in open cars, and the rides are o ...

ferris wheel A Ferris wheel (also called a Giant Wheel or an observation wheel) is an amusement ride consisting of a rotating upright wheel with multiple passenger-carrying components (commonly referred to as passenger cars, cabins, tubs, gondolas, capsule ...

s and the New York Aquarium shown, interchanged with vintage-looking shots in sepia, and Osborne singing in front of the camera.

Track listings

* US and Australian CD and cassette single # "One of Us" (album version) – 5:21 # "Dracula Moon" – 6:21 * European CD single and UK cassette single # "One of Us" (edit) – 4:16 # "One of Us" (album version) – 5:21 * UK CD single # "One of Us" (edit) – 4:16 # "Dracula Moon" – 6:21 # "One of Us" – 5:21 # "Crazy Baby" (live from Fox Theatre) – 8:06

Personnel

– lead vocals *

– guitars, backing vocals, electric piano * Mark Egan – bass *

Rob Hyman Robert Andrew Hyman (born April 24, 1950) is an American singer, songwriter, keyboard and accordion player, producer, arranger and recording studio owner, best known for being a founding member of the rock band The Hooters. Early life Hyman st ...

– drums,

Mellotron The Mellotron is an electro-mechanical musical instrument developed in Birmingham, England, in 1963. It is played by pressing its keys, each of which pushes a length of magnetic tape against a capstan, which pulls it across a playback head. ...

, backing vocals * William Wittman –

engineering Engineering is the use of scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad range of more speciali ...

, mixing

Charts and certifications

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

Release history

Cover versions and parodies

* In 1996,

Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. ...

covered this song from on his album ''Emancipation'' with backing vocals from his wife

Mayte Garcia Mayte Jannell Garcia (; born November 12, 1973) is an American dancer, actress and singer. She was married to Prince for four years and has worked with various music artists. Early life Garcia was born on November 12, 1973, at Fort Rucker, Al ...

. *

Bob Rivers Robert Rivers (born July 7, 1956 in Branford, Connecticut) is a retired American rock and roll radio on-air personality in the Pacific Northwest, as well as a prolific producer and songwriter of parody songs, most famous for his Christmas son ...

wrote the parody "What If God Smoked Cannabis?" in 1997 (often incorrectly attributed to

"Weird Al" Yankovic Alfred Matthew "Weird Al" Yankovic ( ; born October 23, 1959) is an American singer, musician, songwriter, record producer, actor and author. He is best known for creating comedy songs that make light of pop culture and often parody specific ...

). A less well-known parody with the same title but different lyrics was produced in 1995 by Cincinnati radio station WEBN. * The 1999 film '' Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me'' features a scene where Dr. Evil performs the song on piano, accompanied by his clone Mini-Me. * In the 2001 film ''

Vanilla Sky ''Vanilla Sky'' is a 2001 American science fiction thriller film directed, written, and co-produced by Cameron Crowe. It is an English-language remake of Alejandro Amenábar's 1997 Spanish film '' Open Your Eyes'', which was written by Amenábar ...

'', the character David Aames (Tom Cruise) sings the song while lying down on bed before having an operation. * The song is covered on the '' Glee'' episode "

Grilled Cheesus "Grilled Cheesus" is the third episode of the second season of the American television series '' Glee'', and the twenty-fifth episode overall. It was written by Brad Falchuk, directed by Alfonso Gomez-Rejon, and premiered on the Fox network on Oct ...

", by the actors

Jenna Ushkowitz Jenna Noelle Ushkowitz (; born April 28, 1986) (born Min Ji []) is a South Korean-born American actress, singer, producer and podcast host. She is known for her performances in Broadway musicals such as ''The King and I'' and '' Waitress (musica ...

Lea Michele Lea Michele Sarfati (; born August 29, 1986) is an American actress, singer, songwriter, and author. She began her career as a child actress on Broadway, appearing in productions of ''Les Misérables'' (1995–1996), ''Ragtime'' (1997–1999) ...

Cory Monteith Cory Allan Michael Monteith (; May 11, 1982 July 13, 2013) was a Canadian actor and musician who played Finn Hudson on the Fox television series '' Glee''. As an actor based in British Columbia, Monteith had minor roles on television series bef ...

Amber Riley Amber Patrice Riley (born February 15, 1986), sometimes known mononymously as RILEY, is an American actress and singer. She is best known for her portrayal of Mercedes Jones on the Fox comedy-drama series '' Glee'' (2009–2015). For her perf ...

Chris Colfer Christopher Paul Colfer (born May 27, 1990) is an American actor, singer, and author. He gained international recognition for his portrayal of Kurt Hummel on the television musical '' Glee'' (2009–2015). Colfer's portrayal of Kurt received cr ...

, and

Dianna Agron Dianna Elise Agron ( ; born April 30, 1986) is an American actress and singer. After primarily dancing and starring in small musical theater productions in her youth, Agron made her screen debut in 2006, and in 2007, she played recurring charac ...

. * German singer/songwriter Stefan Stoppok published his version of the song in 2000, with him performing together with bass player Reggie Worthy. *

Lavie Tidhar Lavie Tidhar ( he, לביא תדהר; born 16 November 1976) is an Israeli-born writer, working across multiple genres. He has lived in the United Kingdom and South Africa for long periods of time, as well as Laos and Vanuatu. As of 2013, T ...

referenced the song's chorus in his 2020 book ''By Force Alone'' that reimagines the

Arthurian legend The Matter of Britain is the body of medieval literature and legendary material associated with Great Britain and Brittany and the legendary kings and heroes associated with it, particularly King Arthur. It was one of the three great Wester ...

Merlin Merlin ( cy, Myrddin, kw, Marzhin, br, Merzhin) is a mythical figure prominently featured in the legend of King Arthur and best known as a mage, with several other main roles. His usual depiction, based on an amalgamation of historic and leg ...

ponders how he might be remembered: "...will they see him as he truly was, just a guy like all of us, just a stranger on a crumbling truss, trying to make his way home?"

References

External links

Rock on the Net link

"The Heavenly Airplane"
featured in the album version {{DEFAULTSORT:One Of Us (Song) 1995 debut singles 1995 songs 1996 singles Contemporary Christian songs Joan Osborne songs Number-one singles in Australia Number-one singles in Sweden Prince (musician) songs RPM Top Singles number-one singles Song recordings produced by Rick Chertoff Songs written by Eric Bazilian Ultratop 50 Singles (Flanders) number-one singles