Great Uses of Songs in Movies: Ooh Ooh Child by The Spinners in “Boyz ‘n the Hood”

Boyz N the Hood was kind of a dark look into the reality faced by those kids living in the kind of neighborhoods where crime and poverty go hand in hand. Ooh Ooh Child by The Spinners was just one of many amazing songs that spelled it out in a way that helped to make the movie what it was. Where the song was used and what it’s about kind of contradict one another but you get the idea that The Spinners kind of had the idea that as bad as things could get at times there was always a chance that they could get better as well. The sad part was that things didn’t get better for most of the main characters throughout the movie.

Ricky had a ticket to ride since his SAT’s came back and were good enough to get into college, and they definitely wanted him. Doughboy didn’t have much chance since his mother hardly ever believed in him from the start. He died the way he lived, by the gun, and the sad part was he didn’t outlive his brother by that long. The others went their own way and did their own thing, but Tre at least got out. He might not have taken all the teachings that his parents gave him, but he had the good sense to get out when he could and keep away as much as possible. So really if the song was for anyone it was for Tre, because he was the only hopeful in the hood that didn’t have anyone that was trying to tie him back to the place. Ricky might have gone off and done great things, but he’d always have his mother to come back to. Tre had his dad, but his dad would have likely read him the riot act day in and day out if he’d come back to stay.

There was a brighter day on the horizon, it just took getting past all the other stuff to get there. Sometimes a person becomes so entrenched in their own life that they can’t see past the day to day misery that seems to taint everything, including the good parts. Every last one of the main characters had a chance to get out and do something else with their lives, but it only happened for the last one standing. By that point Tre had seen and experienced so much that he knew just what awaited him if he stayed. Getting out was no longer an option at that point, it was a necessity.

For the rest of them, Doughboy and Ricky’s mother, Tre’s father, and all the friends that hung around, life could get better as well, but they would have to look past a lifetime of dark times in order to make it anything more than what it had already become. For Ricky’s mother, her grandchild could be the chance to do something right, to see one of her own go to school with a chance at a real life. For Tre’s father though the ‘someday’ would no doubt be seeing Tre do something positive with his life.