In 1984, the supergroup Band Aid was formed to record a charity song. The group was assembled by Bob Geldof of the Boomtown Rats and Midge Ure of Thin Lizzy. The founders recruited a long list of Irish and British musicians to join the cause, including Bono, Boy George, Bowie, and Sting. The objective was to create a song that would raise awareness of the famine that swept Ethiopia at the time. Thus, “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” was born. The song’s lyrics are an attempt to shake the shoulders of the privileged and implore them to consider the plight of the rest of the world. This purpose was met, at least monetarily. “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” raised £8 million for Ethiopia within one year.
The song also performed extremely well on the charts. In the UK, it sold a million copies in its first week, crowning it the fastest-selling single in UK history until 1997. By 1989, 11.7 million copies were sold worldwide. The people liked it. However, the same cannot be said for the music industry critics.
A melting pot of 1980s popstars attempting selfless sincerity is bound to elicit mixed reviews. Critics thought the song’s sound was unimpressive. Many also expressed grievances with the lyrics and delivery. A particularly unpopular element was Bono’s line: “Well, tonight, thank God it’s them / Instead of you.” Coming right before the chorus, Bono’s line is a big moment in the song. He belts the words confidently, giving the song a sonic backbone that was absent in the first few verses.
Backbone or no backbone, the elephant in the room remains: if Band Aid’s mission was to mitigate selfishness, should their song’s most commanding verse really be “Well, tonight, thank God it’s them /Instead of you”? Maybe not, but the criticism also may be an over analysis of the common and harmless holiday sentiment of being grateful for what one has. Another possible explanation is that the lyrics presented the message to the intended audience by meeting them where they were. The words may also just be insensitive with no honorable reasoning to save them. For what it’s worth, Bono didn’t like them either. He reportedly resisted singing the lyrics but was persuaded by Geldof.
I think I have put enough objectivity forth to now confess my bias: I love this song. “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” plays in my car at least once a month. It has a seasonless joy and even a little bit of rock n’ roll if you look for it. I can acknowledge, however, that this is somewhat of a guilty pleasure and that the song has objective flaws. Still, my adoration compels me to leap to Band Aid’s defenses.
Some of the lyrics are questionable, but many are quite beautiful. I could go all day without a Culture Club run-in, but when Boy George sings sweetly, “Throw your arms around the world /At Christmastime,” I can’t help but crack a smile. It seems that the pre-chorus and chorus were intended to be the most provocative part of the song. This is where the writers ask the privileged listeners to look outward. Here, another flaw arises. While the subject of the song’s fundraiser was Ethiopia, the song only uses the word “Africa” to describe the fabled “world outside your window.”
Lyricist Midge Ure claims to have made this choice because “Ethiopia” had too many syllables to sound right with the music. Ure’s solution to his syllabic problem compromised the integrity of the song, giving it a pretty ignorant perspective. The writers flippantly describe “Africa” as a place of “dread,” “fear,” “tears,” and “doom.” Critics rightfully resented this misguided representation of an entire continent. Even if Midge had used the word “Ethiopia,” the lyrics still wouldn’t be perfect. It’s just the nature of the project. A bunch of wealthy Europeans singing along with synthesizers to try and charm the West into donating money is not necessarily the key to world peace. It is a respectable effort, however.
Compared to other Christmas carols, “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” is absolutely seeping with cause and initiative. But compared to more expertly developed humanitarian efforts, it’s weak. While the song would benefit from some more tact and depth, it’s a great listen. It’s catchy and digestible, which is a good thing for a song trying to promote social change. Nothing too bad comes of a society with the words “feed the world” bouncing between their ears.
