Motherless Children Is A Blues Standard That Has Been Recorded By Innumerable Artists Including The Carter Family In 1929. It Is Not Clear Who Wrote The Song. When Rosanne Cash Was 18 Years Old Her Famous Father Johnny Cash Gave Her A List Of What He Deemed The '100 Essential Country Songs'. One Of The Songs On The List Was Motherless Children. This And Other Songs From The List Appear On Rosanne's Album Appropriately Called 'The List'. It Is Said That Blind Willie Johnson's Version From 1927 Mislabeled 'Mother's Children Have A Hard Time' Inspired Both Eric Clapton's 1974 Recording On His Best-Selling Album 461 'Ocean Boulevard' And The Steve Miller Band's Rendition On 'Your Saving Grace' 1968 .