Diana Ross & The Supremes, Love Child | Controversial Songs

In the first edition of Controversial Songs (2025), we explore the controversy behind the “Love Child” by Diana Ross and The Supremes.

Bring on the controversy! Controversial Songs is a column that provides background information and insight into songs that raised eyebrows, stirred the pot, or were banned. The more censorship censor$hit, the better! The records that grace Controversial Songs are old and new alike, with all genres of music welcome.  In the first edition of Controversial Songs (2024), we explore the controversy behind the “Love Child” by Diana Ross and The Supremes.

“In those eyes, I see reflected (I’ll always love you) / A hurt, scorned, rejected (Love you)…” “Love Child” was the penultimate number one hit by Diana Ross and The Supremes – number 11! It spent two weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100 in 1968. It is the opening track from the iconic Motown collective’s 1968 album, Love Child. Post Holland-Dozier-Holland, The Clan composed and produced “Love Child”: Deke Richards (Dennis Lussier, 1944 – 2013), Pam Sawyer (1938 – ), Frank Wilson (1940 – 2012), and R. Dean Taylor (1939 – 2022). Another terrific song from The Supremes, “Love Child” is groovy from the get-go.  It features a colorful music accompaniment comprised of that signature Motown rhythm section (including robust bass, and rhythmic guitar) and strings. Ross is the ‘star of the show’ delivering compelling lead vocals.  She’s supported by solid backing vocals courtesy of, wait for it, The Andantes.

The fact that Mary Wilson and Cindy Birdsong, members of The Supremes, don’t sing on “Love Child” should be a source of its controversy.  But what makes “Love Child” more controversial than other songs from ‘the collective’ are the theme and lyrics.  In the 2020s, as I write about “Love Child,” there are far more controversial songs.  Arguably, the controversy is modest, evidenced by the gargantuan success this single achieved. But, the song is about a love child, defined by Merriam-Webster as ‘a child whose parents were not married when the child was conceived.’  Today, ‘love children’ are far more prevalent – it is a far different time with far fewer people marrying before conceiving children (or marrying at all).  Back then, being a love child was different.  The chorus, which arrives early on, is potent:

“Love child, never meant to be

Love child, born in poverty

Love child, never meant to be

Love child, take a look at me.”

The storytelling and lyrics are sweet, despite the ‘misfortune’ you might say.  “I shared the guilt my mama knew,” Ross sings in the first verse, adding, “So afraid that others knew I had no name.” She mentions the guilt again in the second verse, as she highlights being poor and being “So afraid my friends would see the guilt in me.” Is “Love Child” really controversial? No, but face it – there wasn’t an abundance of songs about having children out of wedlock.

Diana Ross & The Supremes // Love Child // Motown // 1968

Diana Ross and The Supremes, Love Child: Controversial Songs No. 1 (2025) [📷: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; Motown; Andrea Mosti from Pexels; AcatXlo, OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay; christian buehner on Unsplash]