The lyrics of the classic charity single “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” by the gathered all-stars of the second British Invasion are now being mocked on social media, ostensibly because the words have not aged well.
Well, I find that to be an excess of wokeism, like trying to fix something that is not broken. It may not be the best lyrics ever written, but it has a good melody and captures the sound of Christmas.
The song, credited to Band Aid, featured legendary recording acts like George Michael, Boy George, Simon Le Bon, Bono, Sting, and more. It was the product of Bob Geldof and Midge Ure’s initiative to raise money for Ethiopia at the time. They’re the credited songwriters, with Geldof writing most of the lyrics based on a song he wrote for his band Boomtown Rats, called “It’s My World.”
It preceded the efforts of USA For Africa that produced “We Are The World,” an anthemic song we can say possesses better lyrics. Obviously, Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie are better lyricists.
The song, in essence, led to Live Aid, where the world witnessed Freddie Mercury and the rest of Queen deliver what is now billed as the greatest gig in pop history.
It’s almost blasphemous to raise the matter about the words to “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” 40 years after its recording. Why mock now something that was a great gift to music history and humanity? I say we should rather criticize the current crop of songs with arguably strong lyrics but lacking in recall melodically or digital singles crafted through simple tunes with elementary lyrics and rely more on their danceability on TikTok.
“Do They Know It’s Christmas?” became effective primarily because of its novelty as a new record showcasing some hitmakers singing certain lines. But if the lyrics couldn’t stand the test of time, it made up for its melody. The “feed the world” hook holds up as a straightforward clarion call for people to reach out to the needy.
The opening lines sung by Paul Young were both plaintive and hopeful, while George Michael’s part, accentuated by Phil Collins’ entry on the drums, heightened the spirit of the song as a communal track.
Personally, the juiciest part came at halftime, when Young returned and sang “raise a glass for everyone” and “underneath that burning sun.” Why Young was given a longer spotlight than anyone is unclear. But David Bowie was supposed to sing the opening words.
I think that hearing Young’s voice again before the sing-along somehow wrapped up the solo parts properly. His voice, too, wasn’t distinctive enough, which benefited the track’s “singability” rather than if you had to mimic Bono or Le Bon’s voice when going over his parts. The more you can imagine yourself singing a line in such an all-star affair, the closer the song comes to achieving its universal appeal.
I’d rather not discuss what the naysayers bubble about. There’s so much negativity in the world already, it doesn’t make sense to make an issue out of a beloved Christmas single. I remember as a young boy witnessing the groundbreaking release of the track. It was a major event, like the Beatles performing “All You Need Is Love” on the world’s first live TV satellite link-up in 1967.
The ‘80s produced some of the best tunes on record. Not because anyone can say something on social media gives us the right to make fun of a gem pulled off by people who planted the seeds of the future we now enjoy.
Turning them into a laughing stock is not a classy move. That’s one problem with today’s music. It’s sometimes so focused on what it wants to spit out that it forgets that a song should first and foremost be a tune with good recall.