Can we now finally get rid of 'Do they know it's Christmas'?

[Tokenminority]

This song drives me absolutely up the wall. It's patronising, reductive, and it completely harms efforts towards equality.

I understand the focus on equal opportunities and stopping police brutality, but other narratives, such as the pictures painted in the 'Do they know it's Christmas' song, can be just as harmful.

'Africa' is not a country. You did not go on holiday to 'Africa', similarly to how you wouldn't have sent that you went on holiday to 'Europe' when you in fact went to France.

Of course there are major problems surrounding poverty on the African continent, just as there are in other places, but African countries are not only filled with begging, malnourished children who have never seen a Christmas present.

The picture attached is a photograph of Lagos. If I went on the street and asked random people on which continent that photo was taken, would anyone even consider the possibility that it may have been Africa?

As a song, it is problematic and I totally agree it should not be wheeled out as a Christmas song every year because it's a catchy tune and I don't think people really engage with or listen to the lyrics. Midge Ure admits it's crap, but it was thrown together on the back of a fag packet in 24 hours in 1984. I was 9 at the time, I am now 44. It's a long time ago. But I also believe it was written in a more sarcastic, cynical time. There was mass unemployment. Margaret Thatcher was PM.

That Michael Buerk film is etched on my mind. It was a George Floyd moment for me. I went out and bought the single. It's only now years later (when you realise that Geldof and Bono didn't actually pay any tax so give us your fucking money sticks in your craw even more) that you realise the money didn't get to the right place.

We should be using it as a learning tool. Let's get more critical thought going. Let's move away from the white saviour thing. And yes I agree with you that the 2014 version should not have happened.

I definately think more carefully about charity than I did when I was 9 and support small and local UK causes. I think that's a good thing.

We all understand that the best thing is not to give someone food, but to give them the means to produce their own food, and that is the policy followed nowadays. But a million starving people can't wait 6 months or a year to grow their own food. You can't grow food in a dustbowl. The only option was to provide aid to as many people as possible, in order to save their lives. People were dying in their thousands every single day.

Members of the public not only bought the record and tickets to Live Aid, they raised money in many other ways, sponsored runs, you name it. I worked in a bank at the time and there were people coming in every day for many months to pay donations into the fund.

Nobody was going to fuck around worrying about what people might think of their lyrics in future decades.

Insisting on getting rid of this song would be an insult to the people whose lives were saved by the money raised, to the fundraisers who did the best they could, to all the many people who worked tirelessly to provide the relief on the ground, and most of all, an insult to the million or so people who didn't make it.

I have always found that song maddeningly racist. So the white saviours are going to save "Africa" by bringing them - Christmas? So ignorant, Christian-centric, insensitive and superior. "Do they know it's Christmas time at all, (those ignorant savages)"? Wake up, Bono! Christmas is not an observable fact - it"s a story! It's only Christmas if you are Christian, you moron! If you don't know it's Christmas it's not goddamn Christmas!!

And as for snow, there won't be snow in California at Christmas either. Or in Australia or Bermuda. Should we pity them too? And if you are doing all this for people who have been forced into refugee camps due to famine or war, why are you wishing subzero temperatures on them???

Husbo says they wrote and recorded it fast, with good intentions, but I say not too fast that someone couldn't have put the brakes on some of the worst lyrics. And djs should definitely stop playing it.

Sorry. My kids have heard my rant on this so much they play the song to wind me up.

Don't get me started on " Living Doll" or "Every Breath You Take" , AKA the Stalkers Anthem.

Sigh. Every Breath You Take is about a stalker. Sting has commented on how weird it is that people treat it as a love song.

And you are totally missing the point of Do They Know It's Christmas's lyrics too with your absurdly literal take.

If this thread has taught me anything, it's that there is no metaphor so obvious that people won't miss it

Fucking Hell

Do you people want to ban EVERYTHING you don't agree with now days ?
Self entitled prats

White saviours
How damn patronising and racist (and if you are a white who said it, self hating) .

@Localocal You have misunderstood the entire situation so completely it is almost unbelievable.

Please go and watch that Michael Buerk news report. And then come back and tell the so-called 'white saviours' what they should have done instead.

The song isn't about bringing Christmas to the poor Africans, ffs.

It is shaming the privileged comfortable Christians into doing what their faith tells them to, which is to give to the needy. Can you genuinely not see that?

Why wake up Bono? He didn,t write it. Your not saying wake boy george or wake up bannarama. (they were on the record too.).

blacksax except not everyone who is privileged and comfortable is Christian and there are plenty of Christians in Africa!

@Bflatmajorsharp

blacksax except not everyone who is privileged and comfortable is Christian and there are plenty of Christians in Africa!

I know, I was trying to explain in terms that Localocal might be able to comprehend, since they are clearly unimpressed with both Christians and the rich white people in the UK who wrote the lyrics.

Incidentally, there was someone from South Africa who posted upthread, and they were asked a direct question about what South Africa did as a country to help, but they never came back to the thread with an answer.

Given that South Africa was still living under apartheid in the 1980s, I can't imagine that they did anything to help during the famines.

I grew up watching live aid etc. It was the first big fundraiser and was amazing.
As a young kid in 1984 I always assumed the line "there won't be snow in Africa" was referring to the famine, the drought. They hadn't had rain for an eternity, so They were unlikely to get snow.

I thought the ‘do they know it’s Christmas line’ just meant ‘would you even notice that’s it Christmas if there was a terrible famine’ not that Ethiopians weren’t Christian.

I hate the lyrics but god i love the tune. Can we just rewrite it?

Exactley Marzipan.

@Bflatmajorsharp

Given that South Africa was still living under apartheid in the 1980s, I can't imagine that they did anything to help during the famines.

Yes, and presumably because of the political situation in Ethiopia at the time, it wasn't easy for the governments of other African countries to offer aid either. It hasn't always been a politically stable region, has it? And of course many of those countries had limited resources themselves.

Which made it all the more important then, for people in other parts of the world to step up.

@TheMarzipanDildo

I thought the ‘do they know it’s Christmas line’ just meant ‘would you even notice that’s it Christmas if there was a terrible famine’ not that Ethiopians weren’t Christian.

There have been Christians in Ethiopia for a very long time indeed (since the 4th century), and make up a large percentage of the population.

I also hate this song, as other have said: good intentions, bad lyrics.

I don't believe in sending money to Africa anyway. We've been sending billions in aid since the 50's and it's barely touched the sides (mainly due to corrupt governments taking as much as 80% of money raised).

It's a problem that cannot be solved and as you've pointed out, the whole of Africa is not the wasteland it's painted to be. Until governments change, their status quo won't change.

@TheMarzipanDildo

I thought the ‘do they know it’s Christmas line’ just meant ‘would you even notice that’s it Christmas if there was a terrible famine’ not that Ethiopians weren’t Christian.

Exactly. I don't think religion was really on their minds when they wrote it

The lyrics are clumsy and use ridiculously general terms to describe a very specific situation but I always thought it was clear what Geldof and Ure meant. They sing about Africa when most people know they mean that famine-struck region in Ethiopia on the news report. The song has done much more good than harm though and to get rid of it because of some imprecise and well intentioned but silly lyrics is absurd.

It’s of its time and raised a lot of awareness and money. I was about 14 and remember the impact created, especially by the ensemble of the day’s pop stars - a first I think, and a catalyst for much more high profile fundraising. I think it’s well known that it was written very quickly, and the lyrics are cringeworthy in places. I wouldn’t mind never hearing it again, but I think it represents a moment in history and is significant in that respect.

@Localocal - do get over yourself! The song was released to raise money to help people in Africa - do you really think any of them cared about the lyrics? Unbelievable.

I can't believe it's getting such a bashing. It was done good intentions and bought to light, bought to the forefront the issues. Raised millions.

You can ban songs that cause offence. You'd be banning 1000's.

Pulling down statues is ridiculous aswell.

Yes all the issues need addressing. But neither of these ways are the answer.

@Tokenminority YABU. I’m getting very concerned at the amount of people just wanting to desecrate history. Just because this doesn’t suit your narrative it doesn’t mean it has to go. Just don’t listen to it.

There have been Christians in Ethiopia for a very long time indeed (since the 4th century), and make up a large percentage of the population

We know. Geldof knew. The song doesn't make sense otherwise. The whole point is that you can't celebrate Christmas if you are dying of hunger. The lyrics contrast the conditions of Christmas in Ethiopia with Christmas in the UK. The song is saying, 'These people are the same as you, but are suffering terribly'.