It was first recorded by Pete Seeger featuring an African-American child, in 1956 from the album Love Songs for Friends & Foes.

[1] Danny Hutton sang the lead vocals with a children's chorus adding their voices to the song.

[4][5] Having heard the Greyhound version, Three Dog Night covered the song and included it on their 1972 album Seven Separate Fools.

[1] The album version featured a freely spoken recitation by Danny Hutton in the coda section of the song.

[8][9] The song was inspired by the United States Supreme Court decision of Brown v. Board of Education (1954), which outlawed racial segregation of public schools.