Band Aid - Do They Know It's Xmas

[Avondklok]

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.

I think it’s pathetic that people need a song to get them to do the right thing.

No internet, no ‘just giving’, no donations by text, no social media... The list is endless.

The record was the only way to make money through sales.
Every other donation was collected by hand or taken by an actual person. Over the phone, in a bank, in a shop, in a school, on the street...
They did a pretty good job I think. It was a new way to fundraise.
Not pathetic at all.

Lol at the absolutely failure to identify a joke.

I wish Bob Geldof no harm. The song is fucking patronising though.

I think at the time it was for a good cause but I cringe whenever I hear it on the radio and dont understand why its still played

It was groundbreaking at the time. And then Live Aid a couple of years later. I was a teenager and remember going into the bank to donate my fiver - a lot of money to me then.

I too hate this song - very patronising of "Africa" I'm no leftie snowflake either I just think it reeks of rich people pretending to care.
Africa is synonymous with poverty - the continent is developing and for all its ills it is the birthplace of our species. I just think It would be nice if we could talk of it in a tone of respect rather than pity. It's various countries problems aren't unique in the world, its biggest problem coming down the line is China - they have sold huge parts of their future mineral reserves and strategic ports in exchange for development. They will be yet again exploited out of their own riches. Only difference is China won't sing a bullshit song to make them feel better about themselves

Yeah maybe they shouldn't have tried to help kids dying with stomachs 10 times the size they should be and screaming in distress. Bob should have realised that in 40 years time some people would be whinging about it and chucked the whole idea.

I always took 'do they know it's christmas time at all?' as does the day seem different and special to them or is it pretty much just a normal day? They'll know it's December etc but whether or not they feel christmassy or festive on the day and in the run up is a different story.

For a lot of people in very poor countries, it is just a normal day.

I remember vividly watching the footage of the swollen-bellied children with the flies and the death and despair and crying with my mum.

Yeah naff song - but the humanitarian response was profound. The speed and the turn around was awe inspiring. Just 7 days from concept to release. £130 million raised (with Live Aid) and Bob stood up to Thatch over VAT and won!

Less sneering and more recognition of the achievements please

DS and I watched the 1984 TOTP Christmas Special and he said "Mum, do you get much snow in Africa? Isn't the whole point there's a famine because stuff didnt grow because it was so hot and dry?"
I don't mind it, remind some of being a kid, and DP went to Live Aid the year after (lucky git)
I think we do over think things now. It's a cheesy 80s song and regardless of the fact it asks about people knowing it's Christmas who don't observe it, it raised an absolute tonne of money so I find it very difficult to slate it.
It was after all written in about 20 minutes.

Wow people here really really love band aid

Yes it was very of its time. So why is it still played repeatedly and re-record by new artists now with the same lyrics?

Its very patronising. And yes it reeks of white saviourism. As for asking what me and other people do for africa, well a lot of us support charities on an ongoing basis not as a one off fucking event in 1984.

Gosh I wonder if I’d rather be patronised about how my country isn’t growing anything or hear about how there’s still water in the Nile and watch as my baby starves to death.... 🤔
Can’t believe people are still insisting this song is to be taken seriously and literally.

@Shaniacseems to have interpreted the line more like, “Don’t they even know it’s Xmas? Like, how stupid are they?” Which is just bizarre!

@Cocomarine Totally agree with this!

As an "African", I would like for once...FOR ONCE...that if someone is speaking about a country in Africa, that they speak about THAT COUNTRY in Africa. You can withhold its name if you want but stop saying "Africa" as though it's an actual destination - " Boarding Gate 52 is now open for Flight 133 to Africa . Passengers on Flight 133 to Africa please make your way to the boarding gate ".

Many people, even on this thread, still see and speak of Africa as one country, one place, one location, either through ignorance or laziness and songs like this perpetuate that.

" Yes it sounds better to say Africa than Ethiopia even though we're singing about the 1 country and not the other 53 countries. We all know Africa is one anyway . Who cares - we mean well/we're raising money, amirite ?'

Perhaps when talking about the UK, I'll say Europe instead. That's exactly what I may start doing from now.

Everywhere has areas of poverty, including the UK Europe. One of the greatest shock in moving to the UK Europe is realising just how much poverty is within. We didn't see this in "Africa" because we didn't have a TV, we only had trees to climb it wasn't shown to us on TV. We only saw the good parts so most people in "Africa" are unpleasantly surprised when they come to the UK Europe with high expectations.

Don't care about the song as a whole. Congrats to them for raising money but stop patronising a whole continent, people.

Meanwhile, many people here in the UK Europe are still struggling.

I wish they'd do a remake with less horrible words. "Thank god its them instead of you" lovely.

It just seems so self serving and we're better than them, so demeaning.

Although fairytale in New York has foul language, its two people on equal footing arguing, I love it. But do they know its Christmas has got such a white supremacy kind of undertone I just can't stand it.

I guess it was well intentioned, but the people participating seem as dumb as rocks by today's standards by characterising a whole continent very simplistically.

To be honest I can't stand Bob Geldof and find it hilarious that the main thing he is known for is now not politically correct.

Also never really liked the song even when it first came out (when I was at junior school)

if you are going to take the lyrics so literally I'm curious as to how some of you feared in the poetry element of your GCSEs and A Levels

@Shaniac.
it's played repeatedly at Christmas for the same reason Slade, Mud, John and Yoko and Shakin Steven's are played - nostalgia.

it's re-recorded with new artists for awareness beyond backyard for a new generation who wouldn't get the nostalgia of the original, which in turn raises more money for charity.

Re White saviour. Feed the world had hokey lyrics, and not written by white people and sang by a majority of black people. What would that be?

As a black person I saw and continue to see good intentions. I cant speak for all black people, just me and that's what I see.

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

Agree.

Fgs, Christmas is a time of feasting and joy, yet there was a famine in Ethiopia, a predominately christian country. It was horrific, the images of those starving children will stay with me for the rest of my life. They needed aid fast, this song raised money to deliver that. No one else was helping. It was incredible, if one child was saved then it was worth it. I doubt they care that a few over privileged wokesters think it is patronising or whatever. If your neighbours were starving and you could give them a loaf of bread you would, how is this any different.

Perhaps when talking about the UK, I'll say Europe instead. That's exactly what I may start doing from now.

That’s what people who live outside of Europe do!
Where are you going on holiday?
‘Europe’

Every fucking year.
It's has raised more than £200million for charity and written in 10 minutes on the back of a fag packet because they wanted to do something. And they did and it was incredible.
Slagging it off now, just because lyrics are a bit shit and ignorant ( retrospect is amazing isn't it) makes you an arsehole.

@Nottherealslimshady I wish they'd do a remake with less horrible words. "Thank god its them instead of you" lovely

Best line of the song. Always makes me think. Which I think it was there to do.

@Goodbye2020Hello2021

Perhaps when talking about the UK, I'll say Europe instead. That's exactly what I may start doing from now.

That’s what people who live outside of Europe do!
Where are you going on holiday?
‘Europe’

I have lived outside of Europe, I never did and don't know anyone who does!

Not a lot of people say 'Europe' when they're only referring to the UK. They may say that more with Eastern European countries.

But I will now, outside or in. If you can't beat them, join them.

It's my favourite Christmas song and I think the lyrics are very powerful

Slagging it off now, just because lyrics are a bit shit and ignorant ( retrospect is amazing isn't it) makes you an arsehole.

Perfect! Why do we have to go through this every year? If you weren't there at the time you have no idea of the impact of the song, so just shut up and go and find something else to offend you (it shouldn't be difficult).

I can remember Bob Geldof appearing on TV interviews and telling people "Look, I know it's shit, I don't care if you hate it. Say what you like about it, I don't care. Just buy it!! It's saving lives!"

Interesting that no-one seems to mind the truly embarrassing "We Are The World", or to criticise the US Live Aid. I remember Bob Dylan trying to use it to highlight poor US farmers and Geldof raging about how insensitive and crass he was.