Children

Album: Dreamland (1995)
Charted: 2 21
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This instrumental blend of a basic trance sound with live strings, guitar and piano was Robert Miles' most successful song. It topped the charts in many countries, and earning the Italian DJ Platinum records in several territories, including the UK and Germany.
  • Miles had a couple of motives for writing the track. He was originally inspired by a collection of photos taken by his father while stationed in war-torn Yugoslavia. In addition, the DJ was disturbed by the large number of deaths in car accidents within the Italian rave community, specifically among younger participants. These fatalities occurred as clubbers drove across the country overnight, falling asleep at the wheel from strenuous dancing as well as alcohol and drug use. The rave community faced opposition from the mothers of these dance music fans, who had banded together to form a coalition that was applying pressure on the Italian parliament to create stricter standards on raves.

    "Children" was created by Miles as a slower track to conclude a night's set that would calm ravers prior to their driving home as a means to reduce car accident deaths. He said he hoped the track would help stop Italy's "Saturday night slaughter."
  • The song was recorded in a studio built by the artist in Venice at a cost of only £150 ($250). It was first released in Italy in January 1995 on Joe T. Vanelli's DBX imprint label, as part of the Soundtracks EP. The single slowly emerged as an international blockbuster, topping charts in twelve countries across the globe including Austria, Germany, France, Holland, Italy and Spain. It was the biggest European single of 1996.

Comments: 2

  • Dan13 from FranceThe best EDM song in history
  • Sinatr6 from United StatesAmazing song! Listening to it puts you in a trance. Absolute classic!
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Alice Cooper

Alice CooperFact or Fiction

How well do you know this shock-rock harbinger who's been publicly executed hundreds of times?

Gavin Rossdale of Bush

Gavin Rossdale of BushSongwriter Interviews

On the "schizoid element" of his lyrics, and a famous line from "Everything Zen."

Tom Johnston from The Doobie Brothers

Tom Johnston from The Doobie BrothersSongwriter Interviews

The Doobies guitarist and lead singer, Tom wrote the classics "Listen To The Music," "Long Train Runnin'" and "China Grove."

Rufus Wainwright

Rufus WainwrightSongwriter Interviews

Rufus Wainwright on "Hallelujah," his album Unfollow The Rules, and getting into his "lyric trance" on 12-hour walks.

British Invasion

British InvasionFact or Fiction

Go beyond The Beatles to see what you know about the British Invasion.

Judas Priest

Judas PriestSongwriter Interviews

Rob Halford, Richie Faulkner and Glenn Tipton talk twin guitar harmonies and explain how they create songs in Judas Priest.