Michael Jackson og Lionel Richie: ”We Are the World”, 1985

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Kildeintroduktion:

Støttesangen ”We Are the World” med gruppen USA for Africa blev udgivet den 5. april 1985. Blandt initiativtagerne til sangen var Harry Bellafonte (1927-2023), der med inspiration fra den populære britiske støttesang ”Do They Know It’s Christmas?” fra 1984 ønskede at lave en tilsvarende amerikansk støttesang med formålet at indsamle penge til det hungersnødsramte Etiopien. Den blev skrevet af musikerne Michael Jackson (1958-2009) og Lionel Richie (f. 1949) og indspillet sammen med gruppen USA for Africa, der var sammensat til lejligheden og bestod af nogen af tidens største amerikanske pop- og rockmusikere, fx Bruce Springsteen, Tina Turner, Stevie Wonder og Cindy Lauper. Sangen solgte på verdensplan over 7 millioner plader og har i tidens løb indbragt mere end 530 millioner kroner til gavn for nødstedte mennesker i Afrika.

Du kan se og høre musikvideoen til støttesangen her eller via videoen nedenfor.

Den officielle musikvideo til "We Are the World" fra 1985. Fra: Youtube


We are the world

Tekst og musik: Michael Jackson og Lionel Richie, 1985

[Lionel Richie[1]] There comes a time when we heed a certain call
[Lionel Richie/Stevie Wonder[2]] When the world must come together as one
[Stevie Wonder] There are people dying
[Paul Simon[3]] Oh, and it's time to lend a hand to life
[Paul Simon/Kenny Rogers[4]] The greatest gift of all

[Kenny Rogers] We can't go on pretending day by day
[James Ingram[5]] That someone, somewhere will soon make a change
[Tina Turner[6]] We're all a part of God's great big family
[Billy Joel[7]] And the truth
[Tina Turner/Billy Joel] You know love is all we need

[Michael Jackson[8]] We are the world, we are the children
We are the ones who make a brighter day so let's start giving
[Diana Ross[9]] There's a choice we're making we're saving our own lives
[Michael Jackson/Diana Ross] It's true we'll make a better day just you and me

[Dionne Warwick[10]] Well, send'emyour heart so they know that someone cares
[Dionne Warwick/Willie Nelson[11]] And their lives will be stronger and free
[Willie Nelson] As God has shown us by turning stone to bread
[Al Jarreau[12]] And so we all must lend a helping hand

[Bruce Springsteen[13]]  We are the world, we are the children
[Kenny Loggins[14]]  We are the ones who make a brighter day so let's start giving
[Steve Perry[15]] There's a choice we're making we're saving our own lives
[Daryl Hall[16]] It's true we'll make a better day just you and me

[Michael Jackson] When you're down and out there seems no hope at all
[Huey Lewis[17]] But if you just believe there's no way we can fall
[Cyndi Lauper[18]] Well, well, well, let's realize that a change can only come
[Kim Carnes[19]] When we
[Kim Carnes/Cyndi Lauper/Huey Lewis] stand together as one

[All] 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

[All] We are the world, we are the children
We are the ones who make a brighter day so let's start giving
[Bob Dylan[20]] 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

[All] 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
[Bob Dylan] It's true we'll make a better day just you and me

[All] We are the world
[Ray Charles[21]] We are the world
[All] We are the children
[Ray Charles]  We are the children
[All] We are the ones who make a brighter day so let's start giving
[Ray Charles] 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

[Stevie Wonder] We are the world
[Bruce Springsteen] We are the world
[Stevie Wonder] We are the children
[Bruce Springsteen] We are the children
[Stevie Wonder] We are the ones who make a brighter day so let's start giving
[Bruce Springsteen] So let's start giving
[Stevie Wonder] 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

[Stevie Wonder] We are the world
[Bruce Springsteen] We are the world
[Stevie Wonder] We are the children
[Bruce Springsteen] We are the children
[Stevie Wonder] We are the ones who make a brighter day so let's start giving
[Bruce Springsteen] 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

[All] 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

[James Ingram] We are the world
[All] We are the world
[James Ingram] We are the children
[All] We are the children
[James Ingram] We are the ones who make a brighter day so let's start giving
[Ray Charles] 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

[All] 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.
[Ray Charles] It’s true we make a better day, just you me (faded)


Albumcover til singlen We are the world

Albumcover til singlen ”We are the world”, udgivet af USA for Africa, 1985. På billedet ses de mange kendte amerikanske musikere som var med til at indspille sangen den 28. januar 1985. Foto: USA for Africa.     


Ordforklaringer m.m.

[1] Lionel Richie, Jr. (f.1949): amerikansk sanger, sangskriver, komponist, producer og skuespiller.

[2] Stevie Wonder (f.1950): amerikansk sanger, sangskriver og pianist.

[3] Paul Simon (f.1941): amerikansk sanger og sangskriver, medlem af duoen Simon and Garfunkel.

[4] Kenny Rogers (f.1938): amerikansk sanger, sangskriver, skuespiller og producer.

[5] James Ingram (f.1952-2019): amerikansk sanger.

[6] Tina Turner (Anna Mae Bullock) (f.1939): amerikansk sanger og skuespiller.

[7] Billy Joel (f.1949): amerikansk sanger og sangskriver.

[8] Michael Joseph Jackson (1958-2009): amerikansk sanger og musiker.

[9] Diane Ross (f.1944): amerikansk sanger og skuespiller.

[10] Dionne Warrick (f.1940): amerikansk sanger og skuespiller.

[11] Willie Nelson (1933): amerikansk sanger, sangskriver, skuespiller, producer og aktivist.

[12] Al Jarreau (1940-2017): amerikansk sanger og musiker.

[13] Bruce Springsteen (f.1949): amerikansk sanger og sangskriver.

[14] Kenny Loggins (f.1948): amerikansk sanger og sangskriver.

[15] Steve Perry (f. 1949): amerikansk sanger og sangskriver.

[16] Daryl Hall (f.1946): amerikansk sanger, sangskriver og producer.

[17] Huey Lewis (Hugh Anthony Cregg) (f.1950): amerikansk sanger, sangskriver og skuespiller.

[18] Cynthia Lauper (f.1953): amerikansk sanger og sangskriver.

[19] Kim Carnes (f.1945): amerikansk sanger.

[20] Bob Dylan (Robert Allen Zimmerman) (f.1941): amerikansk sanger og sangskriver.

[21] Ray Charles Robinson (1930-2004): amerikansk sanger, sangskriver og komponist.