I have heard that it is cheesy but I don't hear that it is hated.

It is a classic and a great song with a good social message.

MotownSubdivision said:

sexton said:

I've never cared about coolness and I don't like "We Are The World". "Do They Know It's Christmas" is a charity song I can still listen to today, but not "We Are The World". Bleh.

Well "We are the World" doesn't have the privilege of doubling as a Christmas song. It's a pure charity tune.

"Do They Know It's Christmas" being a holiday song is irrelevant to why it appeals to me. "Sun City" is not a Christmas song and I like it more than "Do They Know It's Christmas".

because the song is...

It's not the kinda song you're convinced it's good... When I listen to it personally I can't help but imagine the music video and the whole event (All artists gathering and all...). Musically, the song is nice and has a killer chorus.. Just like anything from the 80's.

sexton said:

SuperSoulFighter said:

sexton said:

"Do They Know It's Christmas" being a holiday song is irrelevant to why it appeals to me. "Sun City" is not a Christmas song and I like it more than "Do They Know It's Christmas".

How can you take a song seriously that says: There won't be snow in Africa this christmas??!?!

I like the song but I don't get why people act like it's so much better than WATW. It doesn't even make sense. I understand the message but considering that Christmas isn't celebrated in Africa, the premise is pretty stupid and can come off as ethnocentric.

avasdad said:

because the song is...

...Gas?

sexton said:

MotownSubdivision said:

Well "We are the World" doesn't have the privilege of doubling as a Christmas song. It's a pure charity tune.

"Do They Know It's Christmas" being a holiday song is irrelevant to why it appeals to me. "Sun City" is not a Christmas song and I like it more than "Do They Know It's Christmas".

Just curious then, why does DTKIC appeal to you more? It's message is much more convoluted than WATW's simplistic "pitch in and help out" and is gimmicky in comparison.

[Edited 10/6/14 5:25am]

As one of those people who "hated" We Are The World in 1985 here's a few things I have to say about it.

The first time I watched the video, it was kind of touching and cute... how nice that all these people care so much about the less fortunate. Not a great piece of music, but a pretty good commercial for UNICEF or American Way or whatever. Dylan and Cyndi Lauper are funny. Who wouldn't want to get behind something with the message "help your brother out"?

By the nine millionth time I watched it, I was well tired of it, to the point where I might want to say less than nice things about the people who were part of it despite their good intentions.

It also made me a little cynical, once I heard what happenned to the money. Like, really, you people led us to believe we could raise the money to feed these hungry people, but they're being kept hungry on purpose? All that food we sent over there is being eaten by rich people in the cities or rotting on boats that aren't allowed to dock? WTF?

I read an interesting quote about the "White Savior Complex" a couple years ago when Joseph Kony was in the news. I forget which African journalist said it but basically he said - "The white savior promotes brutal policies for breakfast, then engages in humanitarian work aimed at minimizing perhaps 5% of the damage he has wrought over lunch. Then he goes to a fancy dinner to collect awards for his great charity." Change out "White" for "American" and that's a pretty good sumary of Reagan's America in the middle 1980s. We're all putting our hands across America, making ourselves feel good about being such good charitable people. Meanwhile we are promoting brutal regimes in South America and actively misinforming people about the political situations behind African famine.

Michael Jackson & Lionel Richie did not create that situation, and they were probably doing the best thing they knew how to do. I don't fault them for trying or anyone else for being part of it.

But there was something that bugged me that I didn't realize till Greil Marcus wrote something about it. This was right at the time MJ and Lionel Ritchie were Pepsi spokesmen, with the tag line "The Choice Of A New Generation." Now is it total coincidence that one of the big lines in the chorus the repeats endlessly is about how "There's a CHOICE we're making..."? Am I really that cynical? Wellll....

MotownSubdivision said:

Just curious then, why does DTKIC appeal to you more? It's message is much more convoluted than WATW's simplistic "pitch in and help out" and is gimmicky in comparison.

Lyrics take a back seat to melody for me. "Do They Know It's Christmas" just has that right progression of notes to my ear which makes it preferable regardless of whatever it is they are saying.

sexton said:

SuperSoulFighter said:

How can you take a song seriously that says: There won't be snow in Africa this christmas??!?!

MotownSubdivision said:

Just curious then, why does DTKIC appeal to you more? It's message is much more convoluted than WATW's simplistic "pitch in and help out" and is gimmicky in comparison.

Lyrics take a back seat to melody for me. "Do They Know It's Christmas" just has that right progression of notes to my ear which makes it preferable regardless of whatever it is they are saying.

Fair enough. I actually lean more towards the music as well though lyrics can sometimes vary in importance depending on the intention of the song with me.

I have the 2disc DVD, Structually i've always thought it's a good song, certainly one of the better charity records. I love the practice solos on the DVD, MJ, Stevie and Bruce are mindblowing. The run through of the song by all the artists is lots of fun. As is 'The Banana Boat song' in front of Harry Belafonte. Funny as fuck to see Dylan in that for some reason.

.

The second disc where you see the 50m or whatever was raised, being distributed by some of the artists in Ethiopia is great. Whether it all got through or not (hardly the artists fault if it didn't), It was still a worthwhile venture. I dare say some lives were saved too, which ultimately is all that really is all that matters.

.

The only thing i disliked is the self-congratulatory back slapping at the Grammy's the year after, but that seems to be an American behaviour that they can't help but do.

[Edited 10/6/14 18:26pm]

Some conspiracy researchers (especially the Christian-based ones) dislike the We Are The World song because it supposely promotes the need for an One World Government (TRANSLATION: New World Order) and a New Age Movement to solve all of the world's problems. Also, there is a issue with a few of the song's lyrics that are biblically incorrect.

And lets not overlook the fact that Lennon/McCartney was never given co-writing credit due to the fact that the "love is all we need" part was taken from The Beatles' All You Need Is Love.

Marrk said:

I have the 2disc DVD, Structually i've always thought it's a good song, certainly one of the better charity records. I love the practice solos on the DVD, MJ, Stevie and Bruce are mindblowing. The run through of the song by all the artists is lots of fun. As is 'The Banana Boat song' in front of Harry Belafonte. Funny as fuck to see Dylan in that for some reason.

The DVD is great! Total `80's smörgåsbord.