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.

Thank god its them instead of you is the worst line in the song for sure

Shape of You, 32 years on. In fact, Shape of You now

Tonight thank god it's them makes perfect sense to me. I think this song has a resonance that comes from being in the UK at that time and the energy of that moment. I saw a bunch of builders singing it as I walked to work last week and found it hilarious and moving in equal measure.

It's a part of my life, and I'm thankful for it.

It shouldn't be on the radio year on year. Because, as illustrated on the twitter thread, it's a song which conveniently ignores truths about white privilege.

It was done with good intentions and it did raise a lot of awareness and money.
I think most song lyrics are pretty rubbish when you look at them more closely. They are however, just songs not factual documents so I can't get particularly worked up about it.

I tend to keep the radio firmly off at this time of year anyway.

I feel sorry for anyone that works in retail that has to put up with Christmas songs on a loop.

I get irrationality angry when I hear this song being criticised because of its lyrics.
In 1984 the words didn't seem important but feeding those starving children and adults did.
Just stop for a moment and think how lucky you are to have the wherewithal to moan about some words written quickly and with the very best of intentions.
First world issues at their finest..

Lottie:

Embarrassing is one way of putting it. I'm not a Christmas person, but I really think we should strike that off playlists because of the patronising batwank it represents. When people from the African continent are telling us it's BAD, we need to listen.

Of course the words are important when they are offensive! It's pretty ironic to say it's a first world problem to notice that.

I agree Laud.

It’s a shit sing - but I think you’re taking that line out of context. I hear it as you should count your blessings.

But anyway, I think Bob Geldof and his ilk are sanctimonious twats of the highest order and cannot stand his perpetual virtue signalling in particular. FFS, they gave up a few fucking hours of their time and demanded everyone else “give us your fucking money” whilst utilising tax evasion schemes themselves.

Here's an article about how Live Aid may have done harm too

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/world/2005/jun/24/g8.debtrelief

It was 1984 not 1924, no excuse for the lyrics.

The song, the video and the intent was absolutely astonishing at the time. People opened their pockets and handed over cash. I remember watching the Michael Burke news report and crying at what was happening to those children. It made perfect sense to want to do something massive and Geldof and Ure nailed it.

The lyrics reflect the haste in which the song was written, you recognise the intro immediately, and because of it you still remember those poor dying babies.

Smiffy and Gavlar’s version is the best.

I think BG wanted the line to be 'there won't be snow in Ethiopia this Christmastime' unfortunately, however, 'Ethiopia' doesn't fit so it had to be the more generic 'Africa'. They knew what the reality was and what they wanted to say, but the music they wrote meant they had to alter it for artistic reasons. I think they decided that the sentiment, and the good it would do, would outweigh the factual inaccuracies. So for every 'Africa' just read 'Ethiopia' and remember it wasn't white imperialism meaning they didn't know the difference between the two - it was simply an issue of syllables.

I also think 'well tonight thank God it's them instead of you' is one of the most powerful lines ever written. It isn't smug or sneering (even if it is sung by Bono). It's an accusation to all of us in our comfortable lives, with enough to eat, due to nothing but our own immense good fortune to be born on this side of the world. It's supposed to make you massively uncomfortable - and it does. It's supposed to make you think how lucky you are to have what you have - when you could so easily have been one of the 'other ones' - and it does. It reminds you you did nothing to deserve being born in a land of plenty, but that in your heart of hearts you're glad you were. It reminds you how easily you can just look away - 'there but for the grace of god ...' and carry on with your life. It's about the guilt and complicity of the West. And it sums all that up in one line.

And I've always interpreted 'do they know it's Christmastime at all' as not a literal 'do they know it's December the 25th?' 'Do they know they're supposed to be celebrating?' but more that Christmas is a time of plenty -when we give presents and have too much to eat. If you take that away -take away the plenty - would you know it was Christmas? It's a time of celebration - if you have nothing to celebrate - would you know it was Christmas? If they're living through poverty and famine and despair and disease - the antithesis of Christmas - are they getting any of the peace on earth, good will to all men? Or is it just misery and suffering? All in one line. 'Do they know its Christmas?'

But they didn't nail it - they caused other problems in the process.

I agree, the lyrics are cringe-makingly awful! It's a terrible song, imo.

For fucks sake I can't believe that people are complaining about the song when WHAT IT ACCOMPLISHED was so amazing.

Christ on a bike.

I can't believe people are so protective of a song as though your own relatives wrote it!

I was only 4 when the campaign was on but from what I've read the intended beneficiaries didn't really benefit enough.

They lived.

Is that not enough for you?

I was 20 when Band Aid happened. I think there was a pre Band Aid and a post Band Aid attitude to charity, that if you haven't lived through, you might not appreciate the massive change.

It was about so much more than the quality of the song.

At the time it raised a huge amount of money and created a level of previously unheard of awareness. I find it totally off to criticise that now with your 2017 knowledge/current day standards.

I'll add my voice to those who have grown up with this song just "there". For me it is a fairly crap, irritatingly catchy pop tune, with yes, some horribly paternalistic lyrics.