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Band Aid - Do They Know It's Xmas

194 replies

Avondklok · 23/12/2020 23:33

Everyone loves to hate this now, but it's not so far off 40 years old!!!! And everyone meant well. I was a teenager back then and to see everyone join together in a way never seen before at that point was just marvellous. Ditto Bandaid that followed. I hate that it gets so slagged off these days, though I do understand the arguments.

OP posts:
Shaniac · 23/12/2020 23:35

To be fair its a shit and offensive song. Thats why people hate it.

OhioOhioOhio · 23/12/2020 23:36

Why is it offensive?

Bagamoyo1 · 23/12/2020 23:36

It’s not shit or offensive. It was representative of the time. And it raised a load of money.

DynamoKev · 23/12/2020 23:39

It’s a shit song - it was then. I would give a large donation to never have to hear the fucker again.
Well intentioned but a shit song.

MissMarks · 23/12/2020 23:43

I think it is a lovely song. It is really poignant and always makes me emotional and reminds me how fortunate I am at a time of year when people can become focussed on over indulgence.

ShatnersWig · 23/12/2020 23:46

Loathed it then. Didn't think it offensive or anything at the time, just thought it was shit.

CallmeIT · 23/12/2020 23:51

It was crass even then. I remember my Mum pointing out how offensive it was (and why). I still sing along if I hear it though, pure nostalgia.

Shaniac · 23/12/2020 23:54

Its offensive because "do they know its Christmas time at all?"... Well for part of the continent they dont celebrate it at all, and also being from a country in africa does not make you ignorant to dates. If they celebrate Christmas then they bloody know when its celebrated.

Shaniac · 23/12/2020 23:56

There wont be snow in africa... Well yes, typically it wont snow that means fuck all.

Getting so many famous people on board also really doesnt help it. Each one of them has enough money they could fund a lot of things in a small african village yet never did.

Quaagars · 23/12/2020 23:58

Why is it offensive?

There was a massive thread on it the other day, it'll still be kicking about!
It's a classic Christmas song, I love it as I love all Christmas songs
is a bit dated and can see why people find it offensive though

SkySports · 24/12/2020 00:02

Trying to raise money for people starving at the time is offensive... yes it is dated and stupid in places but raised a lot of cash.

Better to be politically correct naturally than say the wrong thing whilst attempting to do some good with money raising. Sigh.

VinylDetective · 24/12/2020 00:03

@Bagamoyo1

It’s not shit or offensive. It was representative of the time. And it raised a load of money.
This. But far better apparently to mouth woke platitudes.
LindaEllen · 24/12/2020 00:05

I don't like this song for a really, really pathetic reason. And I do know it's pathetic.

"The greatest gift they'll get this year is life."

That's the greatest gift ANY of us get each year. The rest is just consumerist crap - and not something the rest of the world should aspire to!

Youseethethingis · 24/12/2020 00:07

It puzzles me why hyperbole and metaphors etc are ok in most songs but not in the one that was intended to (and succeeded in) raising millions of pounds for famine relief.
“Oh I’m so thoroughly modern in my thinking that I simply hates band aid yah”
Give me a break🙄
It’s not a very good song though.

Shaniac · 24/12/2020 00:13

Raising money does not give a free pass to basically imply that these starving people are ignorant idiots with no knowledge of christian customs.

ktp100 · 24/12/2020 00:14

Of course it meant well but it hasn't aged well at all.

It's genuinely shit and I'd be happy to never have to hear it again, in honesty.

Annoy · 24/12/2020 00:16

There was snow when I went to Africa once... on top of Toubkal.

FlamedToACrisp · 24/12/2020 00:16

@LindaEllen

I don't like this song for a really, really pathetic reason. And I do know it's pathetic.

"The greatest gift they'll get this year is life."

That's the greatest gift ANY of us get each year. The rest is just consumerist crap - and not something the rest of the world should aspire to!

You've missed the point, surely? The song's saying that we should give money so they stay alive. That life - instead of death from starvation and disease - is literally a gift from us to them.

That is not the case for 'ANY of us' in the First World.

Positivevibesonlyplease · 24/12/2020 00:18

Have you seen and heard the Boris and the Cabinet version? Lyrics are way less offensive and it may even make you like the song. Very clever IMHO.

FunkBus · 24/12/2020 00:20

"Its offensive because "do they know its Christmas time at all?"... Well for part of the continent they dont celebrate it at all, and also being from a country in africa does not make you ignorant to dates. If they celebrate Christmas then they bloody know when its celebrated."

They don't literally mean do they know it's the 25th of December for Gods sake. They mean "do they feel the spirit of Christmas given they are starving to death and no one seems to give a shit."

All of this generation x, too cool to care, everything is shit mentality is so draining.

The song is not without flaws but what exactly did you do to combat the issue of poverty in Africa that was so much better? Let me guess, fuck all.

FlouncingBabooshka · 24/12/2020 00:20

@Shaniac

Its offensive because "do they know its Christmas time at all?"... Well for part of the continent they dont celebrate it at all, and also being from a country in africa does not make you ignorant to dates. If they celebrate Christmas then they bloody know when its celebrated.
Surely what is meant by that is if you're huddled on the ground, starving and cradling a tiny child in your arms, a child barely clinging to life, not going to be thinking about anything other than if you and you child will survive - you certainly won't be giving a thought to whether it's Christmas or not, even if you might otherwise celebrate or acknowledge it.I think the lyric is meant to contrast the Christmas experience of the audience, possibly full of presents and excessive food and good cheer, with and the terrible human tragedy unfolding in Ethiopia.

Yes, from a 2020 perspective it sounds dated and naff, and some of the lyrics seem a bit off, but it's a song that was written and recorded at breakneck speed in response to a very urgent and tragic situation. It was done with the very best of intentions and raised a phenomenal amount of money.

It's a pop song, written to raise money and it worked. It's not an broadsheet opinion piece that's meant to be taken so literally.

Positivevibesonlyplease · 24/12/2020 00:20

This:

FunkBus · 24/12/2020 00:21

"That's the greatest gift ANY of us get each year. The rest is just consumerist crap - and not something the rest of the world should aspire to!"

Literally the point of the song.

Ahorsecalledseptember · 24/12/2020 00:23

I like it and I think people take it at face value far too much.

‘Do they know it’s Christmas?’ isn’t literal. But when you are starving to death, Christmas might sort of slip by the wayside Hmm

1Morewineplease · 24/12/2020 00:23

I applaud the sentiment but the song is outdated in its thinking. Several anomalies and smacks a bit of The Great White Hope.

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