“We Are the World” by USA for Africa

In “We Are the World”, the artists call on the rest of the world to join forces and unite to help each other. The first verse references the Ethiopian famine when it talks about people dying and how people need to offer help to such victims.

In the second verse, the singers address how people can decide not to do anything by pretending that someone else will help those in need. The theme of the song is based on the fact that everyone in the world is interconnected and part of God’s big family, hence the need for each of us to love each other regardless of our backgrounds.

The chorus prompts the listener to make a decision to give to support and save other’s lives because in doing that, we are indirectly saving the whole human race from the greed that kills it and making a positive change that will last generations.

Who wrote “We Are the World”?

This song was written by Lionel Richie alongside musical icon Michael Jackson. The production was subsequently handled by iconic music producer Quincy Jones. Record producer Michael Omartian also assisted Quincy in that regard.

Facts about “We Are the World”

“We Are the World” as of 2009 had raised over $63 million distributed to provide relief for victims of the Ethiopian Famine and the underprivileged in Africa and the US.

Harry Belafonte is credited with initiating the idea of a benefit concert which featured black musicians. This came to be known as the USA for Africa project.

The song was recorded on January 28, 1985 at the A&M Studios in Los Angeles during the night of the American Music Awards. It was subsequently released on the 7th of March that same year.

Although Quincy Jones was expecting Prince to be part of the project, he did not show up because he thought the song was terrible. Huey Lewis sang his line instead.

Cyndi Lauper is said to have been the only artist who disrupted the song’s recording because her bracelets were making rattling noises in the microphone as she sang.

Within 4 months of the song’s release it had raised at least $10 million in charity, and within 33 years it had raised over $100 million towards reducing poverty in Africa.

“We Are The World” is regarded as one of the greatest charity songs of all time. This puts it in the same category as Band Aid’s 1984 hit charity single “Do They Know It’s Christmas?“