Band Aid Feed The World

[ll_billym]

Does anyone else find the lyrics of this song to be patronising?

 

In the same vein.....

 

"...thank God it's them instead of you..."  I have always taken particular offence to this line.  Okay, thank God for what you have, and ask God to help starving children, but don't thank him for the fact that there are starving children and you are not one of them.  This line sounds smug to me.

[turquoise]

Yeah i feel the same. I've always wondered how they could actually say something like that, especially when it's one of those songs where enerybody knows of it. It is pretty offensive.

[andytreble99]

i've always thought that particular line is appalling- and to think thats the line they all fight over singing!

[FP]

Yes, I too totally agree and find it offensive.

[Glossopswift]

When the original came out I heard Midge Ure explain that the lyric is meant to point out to people that that is what they are thinking and it is intended to make people look at themselves. Since then I think it is one of the most powerful lyrics I have heard, but I suppose to anyone who hadn't heard that explanation then it might seem a tadge provocative. Bono asked Bob and Midge to change the lyric but they stood their ground and now, as has been pointed out, they all want to sing it. But they can't, because Bono will probably do it in the Band Aid 40 version in 2024 which will merely point out that the problem won't go away until politicians and large organisations do their bit. Note to self - descend from soapbox before posting.

[l_h_kings]

Hi, I used to think that about the line in the song, but since its second release I have had a rethink. After my son died, I used to think a lot that other people  should thank God it was my son that died and not theirs. Does that make sense? I think it is the same principle, If you were one of the starving in Africa would you be thinking that those who are not starving should be thanking God its you and not them?

[smorodina]

The line is a very effective example of irony.

[ludwig]

I remember the very first time I heard the lyric thinking 'you can't say that!!! - what the hell are they thinking???'. Having heard the explanations since I can sort of see what they're getting at, but it still makes me uncomfortable. Maybe that's the point.

[brachiopod]

I think I've always taken it to mean:-

"Well, tonight thank God it's them (that we're thinking about, raising money for, doing something for etc) instead of you."

 

Considering the circumstances of the song's creation (written and recorded within a couple of days etc), it's not going to be a lyrical masterpiece. I would tend to think that, at the time of writing, Messrs Geldof and Mure had no idea what impact the record would have. They were probably expecting it would sell a few copies and raise a couple of quid , and then be promptly forgotten.

I remember at the time, there was criticism about the "Let them know it's Christmas" lyric, in that it was stated that a large proportion of Ethiopians were muslim, and besides, "they would be more concerned with avoiding starvation than worrying whether they knew it was Christmas or not." This was a moot point.

It may be twee, or lyrically a poor record, but by tapping into the Western psyche, with it's love of a 'Christmassy pop record', it surely sold more copies (and hence raised both money and awareness) than a starkly accurate description of  the events in Ethiopia at that time. I don't think the lyrics don't really bear close examination, then or now.

[brachiopod]

Sorry about the double negative - an extra 'don't' managed to stray into the last sentence. !

[rinkytink]

 

Offensive !!! That's a bit strong.

I don't particularly like the song in itself but it has raised lots of money for a great cause. Regardless of any of the lyrics that can't be a bad thing.

 

[sambojason]

you are all a bunch of *****, its a ******* charity song what the **** is your problem ******* !!!! pull your heads out of your arses and find sumthing alse to do... i no why dont you all sing your own ******* charity song if you dont like this one and we will slate the **** out of you ********..... you can call yourselfs the ******* ********.

[simontrumpet]

Never mind "feed the world", how about:

"stop arming and bombing the world"?