We Are The World Or Are We?

We Are The World

Back in 1985 Lionel Richie wrote “We Are the World” together with pop icon, the late Michael Jackson. Their aim was to raise money for African famine relief. The “We Are The World” single and album, combined with other promotional activities, raised more than €55,113,000.00 ($60 million) for humanitarian aid [same is equivalent to more than €119,411,500.00 ($130 million today)]. The song received a Grammy for “song of the year”, while the estimated global sales of the song were said to be over 20 million.

It was so easy to donate a few spare Euro to a just cause and then simply turn our backs in a somewhat sanctimonious fashion. I say this noting that 38 years later “the world has not come together” as the song recommends. With 101,070 Ukraine refugees residing in Ireland [Per data supplied on 20/11/2023], having fled for their lives from a war torn land. Let us ask ourselves, have we failed “to stand together as one and to heed that certain call when people need that helping hand”.

Lyrics: Lionel Richie / Michael Jackson.
Main Vocals less Chorus: Lionel Richie, Stevie Wonder, Paul Simon, Kenny Rogers, James Ingram Tina Turner, Billy Joel, Michael Jackson, Diana Ross, Dionne Warwick, Willie Nelson, Al Jarreau, Bruce Springsteen, Kenny Loggins, Steve Perry, Daryl Hall, Huey Lewis, Cyndi Lauper, Kim Carnes, Bob Dylan and Ray Charles.

We Are The World

There comes a time,
When we heed a certain call,
When the world must come together as one.
There are people dying,
Oh, 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, somewhere 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 world,
We are the children,
We are the ones who make a brighter day, so let’s start giving.
There’s a choice we’re making,
We’re saving our own lives,
It’s true we’ll make a better day, just you and me.
Oh, send them your heart,
So they 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.
Oh, there’s a choice we’re making,
We’re 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, yeah, yeah, yeah,
We are the world,
We are the children,
We are the ones who make a brighter day, so let’s start giving.
There’s a choice we’re making,
We’re 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’s a choice we’re making,
We’re 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 let’s start giving (so let’s start giving).
There is a choice we’re making,
We’re 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 (we are the world),
We are the children (said we are the children),
We are the ones who’ll make a brighter day so let start giving (so let’s start giving).
There’s a choice we’re making,
We’re saving our own lives,
It’s true we’ll make a better day, just you and me, come on now, let me hear you.
We are the world (we are the world),
We are the children (we are the children),
We are the ones who’ll make a brighter day so let’s start giving (so let’s start giving).
There’s a choice we’re making,
We’re saving our own lives,
It’s true we’ll make a better day, just you and me, yeah.
We are the world (we are the world),
We are the children (we are the children),
We are the ones who’ll make a brighter day so let’s start giving (so let’s start giving).
There’s a choice we’re making,
And we’re 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 let’s start giving (so let’s start giving).
There’s a choice we’re making,
We’re saving our own lives,
It’s true we’ll make a better day, just you and me.
We are the world, we are the world (are the world),
We are the children, yes sir (are the children),
We are the ones that make a brighter day so let’s start giving (so let’s start giving).
There’s a choice we’re making,
We’re saving our own lives,
It’s true we’ll make a better day, just you and me, ooh-hoo!
We are the world (dear God) (are the world),
We are the children (are the children),
We are the ones that make a brighter day so let’s start giving. (all right, can you hear what I’m saying?)
There’s a choice we’re making, we’re saving our own lives.
It’s true we’ll make a better day, just you and me.

END