It was 1995. You couldn’t escape it. Whether you were browsing the aisles of a Tower Records or stuck in traffic with the radio on, that bluesy, scratching guitar riff followed by a high-pitched, questioning vocal was everywhere. When you listen to Joan Osborne One Of Us, you aren't just hearing a pop song; you’re stepping back into a very specific moment in cultural history where a major label took a massive gamble on a song about God being a slob on a bus.
People forget how weird that was.
In an era dominated by the jagged edges of grunge and the glossy rise of boy bands, a soulful woman from Kentucky decided to ask the world’s most uncomfortable question. And the world actually listened. Honestly, it’s a miracle it ever got played on the radio at all.
The Song That Almost Didn't Happen
Eric Bazilian, a member of The Hooters, wrote the song in one night to impress a girl. He wasn't trying to change the world. He just wanted to see if he could write a hit. When he showed the demo to producer Rick Chertoff, who was working on Joan Osborne’s debut album Relish, the reaction wasn't immediate praise. Osborne herself was hesitant. She was a blues singer, a regular at the Delta 88 club in New York, more comfortable channeling Etta James than singing quirky pop-rock mid-tempos.
But they tried it. They slowed it down. They added that weird, grainy intro—which is actually an old field recording of an airplane hangar—and suddenly, the track had gravity.
It’s easy to dismiss it as a "one-hit wonder," but that’s factually lazy. Relish was nominated for seven Grammys. Seven. You don’t get seven nominations by accident. When you listen to Joan Osborne One Of Us now, pay attention to the production. It’s remarkably sparse compared to the over-compressed tracks of 2026. There’s air in the recording. You can hear the pick hitting the strings.
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Why Religious Groups Actually Hated It
You’d think a song about God would be welcomed by the faithful. Nope. The Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, led by William Donohue, absolutely loathed it. They called it "near-sacrilegious."
Their beef? The idea of God being "just a slob like one of us." They felt it diminished the divine. But looking back, they kinda missed the point entirely. The song wasn't mocking the creator; it was a thought experiment in empathy. It asked if we would still have faith if the divine was unremarkable, dirty, and sitting right next to us on public transit. It was a 4-minute exercise in the "Incarnation," just wrapped in a radio-friendly package.
Interestingly, many progressive clergy members loved it. They used it in sermons. It became a bridge between secular culture and spiritual inquiry. It’s one of the few songs from the 90s that manages to be deeply philosophical without being incredibly annoying about it.
The Sonic Architecture of the Track
Let’s talk about that opening. Most people skip the first few seconds if they’re using a "Greatest Hits" shuffle, but the album version has that haunting, crackly recording of a woman singing "The Aeroplane Ride." It sets a mood of nostalgia and slight discomfort.
Then the drums kick in. They’re dry. They sound like they were recorded in a small, wooden room.
Osborne’s vocal performance is the real MVP here. She doesn’t oversing. In a post-American Idol world, we’re used to singers doing gymnastics all over the melody. Joan stays grounded. She sounds like she’s actually asking the question, not performing it for an audience.
The "One-Hit Wonder" Myth
Is Joan Osborne a one-hit wonder? Technically, "One Of Us" was her only massive Billboard Top 10 hit. But her career since then has been a masterclass in artistic longevity. She spent years touring with The Dead (the remaining members of the Grateful Dead). She’s released acclaimed soul covers, blues records, and even a Bob Dylan tribute album that puts most modern covers to shame.
If you only listen to Joan Osborne One Of Us, you’re missing out on the fact that she is one of the premier vocalists of her generation. She chose integrity over repeating the "One Of Us" formula. She could have spent the late 90s chasing another pop hook. She didn't. She went back to the blues.
Why it Still Trends in 2026
We live in a hyper-connected, yet deeply lonely era. The song’s central thesis—finding the extraordinary in the mundane—is more relevant now than it was in the mid-90s. We’re all "strangers on the bus" now, staring at our screens.
The song has seen a massive resurgence on streaming platforms lately. It pops up in TikTok "nostalgia" edits and TV soundtracks constantly. Why? Because it’s safe. It’s familiar. But it also has a bite that modern pop lacks. It dares to be earnest.
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How to Listen Properly
If you want the full experience, don't just find a tinny YouTube rip.
- Find a high-fidelity version on a platform like Tidal or a well-pressed vinyl of Relish.
- Use open-back headphones. The spatial imaging on this record is surprisingly good for a 90s pop-rock production.
- Listen for the subtle Hammond B3 organ in the background. It provides the "church" feel that contrasts with the "slob" lyrics.
- Pay attention to the bridge. The way the intensity builds before dropping back into that lonely guitar riff is textbook songwriting.
Beyond the Radio Edit
The song has been covered by everyone from Prince to Glee. Prince's version is particularly wild—he changed some of the lyrics because he was a Jehovah's Witness and found the original "slob" line a bit much. He turned it into more of a celebratory funk jam.
But no one captures the yearning of the original. There’s a specific grit in Osborne’s voice when she hits the word "Yeah" in the chorus. It’s not a "Yeah" of celebration; it’s a "Yeah" of realization.
Actionable Steps for Music Lovers
To truly appreciate the depth of this track and the artist behind it, don't stop at the single. The 90s was the era of the "one-good-song" album, but Relish is the exception. It’s a cohesive piece of work.
- Stream the full "Relish" album. Tracks like "St. Teresa" and "Right Hand Man" show a much darker, more complex side of Osborne’s artistry. "St. Teresa" in particular uses a mandolin hook that is just as catchy as the "One Of Us" riff but twice as haunting.
- Watch the 1996 Grammy performance. You can see the raw talent. No Auto-Tune, no backing tracks, just a band and a singer who knows exactly what she’s doing.
- Explore her "Songs of Bob Dylan" record. If you want to hear how her voice has matured, this is the place to start. Her version of "Buckets of Rain" is soul-crushing in the best way possible.
- Check out the 2002 documentary "Standing in the Shadows of Motown." Joan appears in this, performing with the Funk Brothers. It cements her status as a legitimate soul singer, not just a 90s pop star.
Listening to this song in 2026 feels like a reset. It reminds us that pop music used to be allowed to ask questions without having all the answers. It didn't need to be a "banger" to be important. Sometimes, it just needed to be a question asked by a girl on a bus.