The song "God Bless The Child" is about all the children of the world. How they all interact on Earth. The artist really touches on how the children of today are neglected. The listener is able to visualize the children described in the song. The connection between the song and the Inferno is shown by Dante's journey through hell. All the different people he sees along the way illustrate the children in the song.
    In the Inferno by Dante Alighieri, he describes his trip through hell.  In Canto 3,the reader is able to see what hell is like. Virgil tells Dante about why the souls of the dead are in hell. "And he to me: ' These are the nearly soulless whose lives concluded blame nor praise. They are mixed here with that despicable corps of angels who were neither for God nor Satan, but only for themselves'"(752 lines 32-36). The songwriter also tells about the children in our world and what they must go through. "This child is homeless, that child's on crack. One plays with a gun, while the other takes the bullet in his back. This boy's a beggar, that girl sells her soul. They both work the same street, the same hell hole." Dante describes the people he sees around him in hell, "I saw a banner there upon the mist. Circling and circling, it seemed to scorn all pause. So it ran on, and still behind it pressed a never-ending rout of souls in pain" (753 lines 49-52). The artist describes all the different children in the United States. She even compares their troubles and sorrow to a hell hole. "They both work the same street, the same hell hole." As Dante ventures through hell and its many levels, he finds that each level has a separate purpose for the souls to be there. As people walk down a crowded street, they see children who are beaten by their parents. Some children who need food to keep from starving. Society has created its own hell for the children of the future.
    Even though the people in the Inferno are dead, they still did something to get themselves in that level of hell. The children that are being described in the song are all doing deeds that may cause them to be in the same situation as those in the Inferno. With the actions that society takes in solving the problems the children are facing, it is no wonder why people believe in hell. Everyone must contribute in helping to clean up the world around us. The children are not the only ones having to suffer for what happened in the past. If society stops the violence and the neglect of others, then the world might change for the better.

Alighieri, Dante. "Inferno." World Literature, Revised Edition. Austin: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, 1998. 751-754.
    The textbook contains excerpts form different literatures from around the world and throughout time. Editors include in the "Inferno" background                            information about the author, the style of writing, time period, and the characters. After Cantos 1,3, and 5 there are review questions.
Twain, Shania. "God Bless The Child." God Bless The Child/ (If You're Not In It For Love) I'm Outta Here! (Remix). Mercury Records. 1996. Track #1.
        The sales from the song raised money to feed the hungry children throughout North America. Shania Twain is a country singer. Most of her songs have a       theme. For example, "Black Eyes, Blue Tears" is about a woman being beaten by her husband.
 

The song: "God Bless The Child" by Shania Twain

Hallelujah, Hallelujah, God bless the child who suffers
Hallelujah, Hallelujah, God bless the young without mothers

This child is homeless, that child's on crack
One plays with a gun, while the other takes the bullet in his back
 This boy's a beggar, that girl sells her soul
They both work the same streeet, the same hell hole

Chorus:
Hallelujah, Hallelujah, God bless the child who suffers
Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Let every man help his brother

Some are born addicted and some are just thrown away
Some have daddies who make them play games they don't want to play

Bridge:
But there is hope and faith
We must understand
All God's children need is love
And us to hold their little hands

This boy is hungry, he ain't got enough to eat
That girl's cold and she ain't got no shoes on her feet
When a child's spirit's broken
And feels all hope is gone
God help them find the strength to carry on

Bridge:
But with hope and faith
Yea, we can understand
All God's children need is love
And us to hold their little hands

Chorus:
Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Let us all love one another
Hallelujah, Hallelujah, make all our hearts blind to color
Hallelujah, Hallelujah, God bless the child who suffers