We Are The World／Do They Know It's Christmas Time?

音樂可以改變世界


而這從內戰不斷與連年乾旱爆發大飢荒的非洲最古老獨立邦國衣索匹亞可以看到。


1984年聖誕節前，原「Boomtown Rats」合唱團的團員、也是愛爾蘭知名搖滾歌手Bob Geldof(鮑伯蓋朵夫)看到BBC新聞中非洲依索匹亞等地區的人民，長期處於飢荒與營養不良而死亡，遂提出構想，找來英籍電子團「Ultravox」的Midge Ure，合寫了一首「Do they know it's Christmas ?」(他們知道現在是聖誕節嗎？)由Bob Geldof擔任召集人，召集了當紅的英籍歌手與團體如Phil Collins(菲爾‧柯林斯)、Sting(史汀)、Paul Young(保羅‧楊)、Boy Geroge(喬治男孩)等等數十位當紅藝人以「Band Aid」為名共同灌錄單曲義賣，期望能募款七萬五千英鎊來幫助這些飢餓難民。
取「Band Aid」來做為名稱的原因，單就字面意義，可以說是「一群音樂人集合在一起做出奉獻與援助」；而大家所熟知的OK繃也叫「Band Aid」，借用此一涵意，希望能以此來癒合世界的傷口。
這張單曲推出後，立即在全世界引起迴響，光是英美兩地就賣出約三百廿萬張。

Band Aid - Do they know it's Christmas? (1984)

It's Christmas time

There's no need to be afraid

At Christmas time

We let in light and we banish shade

And in our world of plenty

We can spread a smile of joy

Throw your arms around the world

At Christmas time



But say a prayer

Pray for the other ones

At Christmas time it's hard

But when you're having fun

There's a world outside your window

And it's a world of dread and fear

Where the only water flowing

Is the bitter sting of tears

And the Christmas bells that ring

There are the clanging chimes of doom

Well tonight thank God it's them instead of you



And there won't be snow in Africa

This Christmas time

The greatest gift they'll get this year is life

Where nothing ever grows

No rain nor rivers flow

Do they know it's Christmas time at all?



(Here's to you) raise a glass for everyone

(Here's to them) underneath that burning sun

Do they know it's Christmas time at all?



Feed the world



Feed the world



Feed the world

Let them know it's Christmas time again

Feed the world

Let them know it's Christmas time again

Feed the world

Let them know it's Christmas time again....


美國的流行歌手們也不落人後，1985年，由黑人歌手Harry Belafonte(哈利貝拉方提)提出建議，獲得眾大牌歌手的鼎力支持，由Quincy Jones(昆西瓊斯)擔任製作人，在1985年2月28日，Stevie Wonder(史蒂夫‧汪達)、Kenny Rogers(肯尼‧羅傑斯)、工人皇帝Bruce Springsteen(布魯斯．史普林斯汀)等當紅歌星，以「USA For Africa」之名，陣容更勝「Band Aid」的超級樂團，雲集洛杉磯的錄音室，灌錄了「We are the world」(四海一家)這首義賣單曲；1985年3月23日在美發行，四週後拿下冠軍的同時也在英國上榜亦高居王座，此一單曲光美國一地便狂賣了四白金。

(當時這種大堆頭的演唱，各地紛紛起而效尤，1985年底「明天會更好」就是一個例子．．．)


「We Are The World」這首歌是由Lionel Richie(萊儂李奇)和Michael Jackson(麥可傑克森)合寫，兩人費了四天的時間寫曲，Lionel Richie 先完成一部分，Michael Jackson 看到後靈感大發，一夜之間就把全曲寫好；之後他們又花了兩個半小時作詞，為了普遍推廣此曲，歌詞也力求簡單易學。單曲完成後推出問世，受到的歡迎難以想像，更勝英國藝人的「Do they know it's Christmas ?」。


製作人Quincy Jones不愧為資深藝人，像「We Are The World」這樣一次將數十位大牌歌手集合，每人分唱幾句歌詞，要能充分發揮個人特色，又要兼顧歌曲流暢性，實為不易，而由此也更顯出其所有藝人對此一號召的向心力與貢獻；彌足珍貴之處，除了因前述結合眾星而成出色的製作之外，歲月不饒人，許多藝人已年老退休或去世，想再次一睹他們當年迷人風采，觀看MTV中的經典畫面，也成為許多人緬懷過去的儀式。

USA for Africa - We Are The World (1985)

There comes a time when we need a certain call

When the world must come together as one

There are people dying

Oh, and it's time to lend a hand to life

The greatest gift of all



We can't go on pretending day by day

That someone, somehow will soon make a change

We're all a part of God's great big family

And the truth - you know love is all we need



(CHORUS)
We are the world, we are the children

We are the ones who make a brighter day

So let's start giving

There's a choice we're making

We're saving our own lives

It's true we'll make a better day

Just you and me



Well, send'em you your heart

So they know that someone cares

And their lives will be stronger and free

As God has shown us

By turning stone to bread

And so we all must lend a helping hand



We are the world, we are the children

We are the ones who make a brighter day

So let's start giving

There's a choice we're making

We're saving our own lives

It's true we'll make a better day

Just you and me



When you're down and out

There seems no hope at all

But if you just believe

There's no way we can fall

Well, well, well, let's realize

That one change can only come

When we stand together as one



(REPET CHOURUS 8X)



We are the world, we are the children

We are the ones who make a brighter day

So let's start giving

There's a choice we're making

We're saving our own lives

It's true we'll make a better day

Just you and me

然而由「Band Aid」、「USA For Africa」點起的火苗並未劃下句點反而繼續燃燒，之後又陸續有重金屬團體的援非義唱(以Ronnie James Dio為首)還有為美國農民請命的「Farm Aid」(willie Nilson為首)，都讓社會大眾廣泛注意到貧困地區或弱勢團體需要救助的情形；但是1985年的巨星雲集援非義唱，無疑地將永遠烙印在每個人的記憶中，因為在這天，他們做到了「以音樂改變世界」。

P.S. 流行巨星首次齊聚一堂的大型慈善演唱，是1971年8月1日Beatles(披頭四)Geroge Harrison(喬治．哈里遜)發起的為孟加拉難民募款的演唱會「The Concert For Bangla Desh」。它舉行的地點在紐約麥迪遜花園廣場，共襄盛舉者亦是當時的搖滾菁英如Eric Clapton(艾力克萊普頓)、Linger Starr(林哥．史達)、Bob Dylan(巴布．狄倫)以及西塔琴大師拉維．香卡。