 |
| USA for Africa - We Are The World |
USA for Africa - We Are The World Youtube Music Videos and LyricsAlbum:
released as a single Released:
1985 There comes a time
When we heed a certain call
When the world must come together as one
There are people dying
And it's time to lend a hand to life
The greatest gift of all
We can't go on pretending day by day
That someone, somehow can soon make a change
We're all a part of God's great big family
And the truth, you know,love is all we need
We Are The WorldWe are the children
We are the ones who make a brighter day
So let's start giving
There is a choice we're making
Were saving our own lives
It's true we'll make a better day, just you and me
Send them your heart
So they'll know that someone cares
And their lives will be stronger and free
As God has shown us by turning stones to bread
And so we all must lend a helping hand
We are the world
We are the children
We are the ones who make a brighter day
So let's start giving
There is a choice we're making
Were saving our own lives
It's true we'll make a better day, just you and me
When you're down and out, there seems no hope at all
But if you just believe there's no way we can fall
Well, well, well, well let us realize oh!
That a change can only come
When we stand together as one
We are the world
We are the children
We are the ones who make a brighter day
So let's start giving
There is a choice we're making
Were saving our own lives
It's true we'll make a better day, just you and me
We are the world
We are the children
We are the ones who make a brighter day
So let's start giving
There is a choice we're making
Were saving our own lives
It's true we'll make a better day, just you and me
We are the world
(Are the world)
We are the children
(Are the children)
We are the ones who'll make a brighter day so lets start giving
(So let's start giving)
There is a choice we're making
Were saving our own lives
It's true we'll make a better day, just you and me
Oh let me hear you!
We are the world
(Are the world)
We are the children
(Are the children)
We are the ones who'll make a brighter day so lets start giving
(So let's start giving)
There is a choice we're making
Were saving our own lives
It's true we'll make a better day, just you and me
We are the world
(Are the world)
We are the children
(Are the children)
We are the ones who'll make a brighter day so lets start giving
(So let's start giving)
There is a choice we're making
Were saving our own lives
It's true we'll make a better day, just you and me
We are the world
(Are the world)
We are the children
(Are the children)
We are the ones who'll make a brighter day so lets start giving
(So let's start giving)
There is a choice we're making
Were saving our own lives
It's true we'll make a better day, just you and me
We are the world
(Are the world)
We are the children
(Are the children)
We are the ones who'll make a brighter day so lets start giving
(So let's start giving)
There is a choice we're making
Were saving our own lives
It's true we'll make a better day, just you and me
We are the world
(Are the world)
We are the children
(Are the children)
We are the ones who'll make a brighter day so lets start giving
(So let's start giving)
There is a choice we're making
Were saving our own lives
It's true we'll make a better day, just you and me
Writer/s: JACKSON, MICHAEL / RICHIE, LIONEL
Publisher: Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics licensed and provided by
LyricFindWe Are The World Song Chart This was a benefit single for victims of famine in Africa. It raised over $60 Million, which was distributed to Ethiopia, Sudan, and other impoverished countries. Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie wrote this song, and Quincy Jones produced it. This talented trio was perfect for the job: Quincy Jones was the hottest producer around, and his Rolodex (what would now be a contact list) was filled with the biggest names in music; Richie had written songs that went to #1 on the Hot 100 each of the previous seven years ("We Are The World" made it eight); Michael Jackson had the biggest album of 1984 with Thriller (produced by Jones) and was the biggest star in the world. The USA For Africa project began as an idea calypso singer Harry Belafonte had for a benefit concert featuring black musicians. In late December 1984, looking for artists to participate, Belafonte called Ken Kragen, who managed an impressive roster of talent, including Lionel Richie. Kragen convinced Belafonte that they could raise more money and make a bigger impact with an original song; Belafonte agreed and Richie came on board to help.
Kragen asked Quincy Jones to produce, and Jones enlisted Michael Jackson. Richie got Stevie Wonder involved, and from there, word got out and many members of the music industry signed on to help. The project from conception to recording took about a month. This all-star charity single was inspired by Band Aid, the British group Bob Geldof put together the year before to record "Do They Know It's Christmas?." Band Aid, which included Bono, Phil Collins, David Bowie, Paul McCartney, and Sting, served as a template, showing how a disparate group of famous artists could come together in one day to record a song. This was recorded at A&M Studios in Los Angeles on January 28, 1985, the night of the American Music Awards. Since the artists were all in town for the awards, it was much easier to get them together to record the single. The stars who sang solos were, in order, Lionel Richie, Stevie Wonder, Paul Simon, Kenny Rogers, James Ingram, Billy Joel, Tina Turner, Michael Jackson, Diana Ross, Dionne Warwick, Willie Nelson, Al Jarreau, Bruce Springsteen, Kenny Loggins, Steve Perry, Daryl Hall, Michael Jackson (again), Huey Lewis, Cyndi Lauper, and Kim Carnes. Bob Dylan and Ray Charles were also featured on the song and given close-ups in the video.
Harry Belafonte, who had the original idea for the project, was in the chorus but didn't get a solo, joining Bette Midler, Smokey Robinson, The Pointer Sisters, LaToya Jackson, Bob Geldof, Sheila E., and Waylon Jennings as backing singers. Prince was asked to join the project, be he declined on the grounds that he does not record with other acts. Instead, he donated an exclusive track called "4 The Tears In Your Eyes" to the follow-up benefit album, which was also called We Are The World. The 7-inch single (the radio version) runs 6:22; a 12-inch single running 7:19 was also released. Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie had to make the song this long to accommodate as many vocalists as they could - it was balance between getting as many star solos in and keeping it short enough for airplay. Quincy Jones was responsible for managing the egos of all the stars. It went very smoothly considering some very famous people did not get to sing a line. Most of the singers knew Jones personally and respected his wishes that they check their egos at the door. Before the session began, Jones decided where everyone would stand. He put tape on the floor with each singer's name on it. Richie came up with the "We are the world, we are the children" line, and Jackson wrote most of the other lyrics, which are about how helping those in need benefits the giver ("We're saving our own lives"). This kind of compassionate songwriting would show up in Jackson's later work on tracks like "You Are Not Alone" and "Heal The World."
The song has just two verses and follows a basic structure of verse-chorus-verse-chorus-bridge-chorus, but in the "Hey Jude" model, that last chorus goes on for a while, with Bob Dylan, Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder and Bruce Springsteen the featured voices.
There are seven vocalists on the first verse, but just three on the second; most of the solos come during lines of the chorus. Musically, the song isn't all that interesting, but that helps draw attention to the singers, and the barrage of distinct voices carries it home. This won Grammy Awards for Song of the Year and Record of the Year. The single exceeded expectations in terms of sales. Released on March 7, 1985, 800,000 copies were originally shipped, and they sold out the first weekend. Thanks to the wide array of star power, radio stations across a variety of formats put the song in rotation, and MTV gave the video plenty of airplay. The single went to #1 in the US on April 13, where it stayed for four weeks. In the UK, it hit the top spot on April 20 and stayed for two weeks. The song was also a #1 R&B hit, topping that chart on May 4 and staying for two weeks. The recording session for the vocals (Quincy Jones recorded the instrumental tracks beforehand) took about 12 hours, which is very efficient considering the scope of the project. Since the recording took place after the American Music Awards, it served as a de facto after party, with the artists mingling and in some cases exchanging autographs. By 8 a.m. the next morning, all of the performers had left except for Lionel Richie, who was still there with Jones. This project was very much an American effort, which makes sense considering it was recorded the night of the American Music Awards. The moniker "USA for Africa" made it clear that it was America's answer to Band Aid, and it showed that famine in Africa was an international concern. The only vocalist to participate who wasn't American was Bob Geldof, who that summer organized Live Aid with stages in London and Philadelphia. Billy Joel (from Rolling Stone magazine, December 15, 2005): "Most of us who were there didn't like the song, but nobody would say so. I think Cyndi Lauper leaned over to me and said, 'It sounds like a Pepsi commercial.' And I didn't disagree." As envisioned by Harry Belafonte, USA for Africa was going to be an effort by African-Americans to help Africans in need, and the first group of artists who signed on were black. When Bruce Springsteen came on board, it gave the project greater cultural and musical diversity, as more rock artists joined in.
According to Ken Kragen, Springsteen helped quell tensions in the studio, as the rockers weren't happy with the song and concerned about their credibility. Springsteen refused to take sides, and led by example with his wholehearted participation. In his verse, Willie Nelson misquotes the Bible when he sings, "As God has shown us by turning stones to bread." Matthew 4 tells us that the devil tried to get Jesus to turn some stones into bread, but the Son of God refused, saying, "Man does not live on bread alone, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God." Huey Lewis was supposed to be just part of the chorus, but he got his line because Prince didn't show up. Describing his good fortune to be part of the project, Lewis said, "I was a lucky son of a bitch to be there. Thank God I had a lot of hit records, because I wouldn't have been there any other way."
Lewis spent most of the session next to Michael Jackson, whose line came before Huey's. Lewis recalls that Quincy Jones called Jackson "Smelly" because he was always so clean. To create the instrumental tracks, Quincy Jones used many of the same musicians he employed on Thriller, including Greg Phillinganes (keyboards), John Robinson (drums), Michael Boddicker (synthesizers), Paulinho da Costa (percussion), Louis Johnson (bass), Steve Porcaro (synthesizers) and David Paich (synthesizers). Michael Omartian was also a key contributor, credited on keyboards and
