Do they know it's Christmas? Awful song

[lottieandmia22]

'Well tonight thank God it's them instead of you'

Every year, every time I hear this line it makes me cringe. Although I see how it can be argued that nobody would actually swap places with someone in that adversity. It's still ok not to want anybody to suffer! I hate the song anyway and can't even put my finger on why.

Geldof gets very angry when people criticise the lyrics to this song; however I think we can all agree, they are bollox.

I think they had, like, an hour or something to write it and it shows.

I hate the whole thing, do they know it's Christmas? well no and as not everyone is Christian they probably don't care.

I believe it was written in a taxi or something.

It was hardly going to be poet laureate stuff, which wasn't really the point.

Everyone knows the lyrics are shit, that the spawned rerecordings are abysmal and that Bob Geldof berates himself for being responsible, directly or indirectly, for 2 of the worst songs in history (Do they know and We are the World)

He also got off his arse and did something that mattered so much, that crap lyrics might be forgiven.

Apparently Bono wasn't happy about singing that line. I think it's supposed to mean sort of "there but for the grace of God" or be thankful that you have enough food in your belly.

Yy that Geldof and Ure wrote it in about an hour.

You should be bloody thankful it’s not you. And Sir Bob has done such phenomenal stuff in the Name of charity I can forgive for those lyrics. The song (original) is fab.

Or a sanctimonious bell end. 🛎
Depends how you look at it.

I don't know, of course it is not a great song, but that line is the one I dislike the last, because if we were honest, we would all be thanking God it is" them" instead of "us" rather then pretending we somehow deserve our good fortune and therefore all is well!

Least that should say!!

Complete drivel.

If 'they' are not Christian, they don't care because it's not their festival.

If 'they' are Christian, it's condescening bollox. Are poor black people too stupid to observe their own religion?

Whatever. Geldof’s ‘shit’ song and live aid raised £150 million and still raise £2 million a year ( according to The Independant).

I think it's a demand, not a passing comment.

"You should/ must thank God that you're not in that position because some people are".

Realise how lucky you are.

It's a turn of phrase. It doesn't literally mean be really glad they are suffering!

Also, are you aware Geldof came up with the idea after seeing a news report, was appalled, rang round a few mates and got them to agree to sing and then wrote the song and music in just a few hours? It's better than I could accomplish in that time!

Perhaps wowimamazing would like to share how many lives she has saved recently?

The documentary on how Band Aid came to be, and what happened afterwards is on YT and worth a watch.

Interesting to compare, as well, to the oily Ed Sheeran and his relentless promoting of Ed Sheeran to the point of "winning" the annual worst example of journalistic poverty porn earlier this year for his Liberian.photoshoots.

Worth remembering that BG refused to be photographed with any children when he eventually went out to Ethiopia.

Why does BG get angry about it?

'There won't be snow in Africa this Christmastime.'

Except in the places where there is.

I just find the song embarrassing. I can't quite put my finger on why.

I mean imagine a song about how we're glad some poor U.K. citizens are homeless instead of us.

It was a silly pop song designed to raise a bit of money to help those in need. Lyrics are irrelevant once you see the good achieved by Band Aid and Live Aid. No one knew what that song would become.

YANBU.

The worst line is the one about the clanging chimes of doom, surely?

Criticise all you like, it did so much good. Its intentions were honorable, and Bob Geldof and Midge Ure have raised a lot more money to help the poor than you have I'm sure, OP.

YY to the clanging chimes of doom - I don't care how good your intentions are, or how much time you had to write the song, that line is a genuine crime against humanity!

I find Bob Geldoff massively annoying but at that time he did something when everyone else just sat at home watching the famine on the news. The song might not be the greatest ever written but it raised a huge amount of money and got the public involved in a way that I don’t e we remember seeing before. There are lots of people who should shoulder some of the blame for the deaths in Ethiopia during the 80’s but Bob Geldoff isn’t one of them.en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/1983–1985_famine_in_Ethiopia

I can't see anyone saying Geldof is to blame for any deaths, or that band aid didn't raise lots of money...
It's still an utterly shit song. And ignorant. And racist. And condescending.