BAND AID 20
Band Aid 20 single storms to No 1

I don't want to be mean, I know sales of the single fund the Band Aid Trust, which is a non-profit organization set up to raise money for famine relief, but unfortunately, for the following reasons, Band Aid 20 doesn't get the same "diplomatic immunity" from my scrutiny that the original Band Aid gets:

First, The original Band Aid is sacred. The line-up and the new wave melody have to be the most redeeming quality of the song and probably are the only reason I can still enjoy the song today. While impressive, Band Aid 20's new line-up, however, isn't quite sacred and the new re-vamped, re-produced, re-mixed sound of "Do They Know it's Christmas?" is almost offensive...and certainly blasphemous...if you hold any part of the original sacred.

Second, The Lyrics suck. Period. I remember the original lyrics bothering me even when I was a wee boy of the 80's. The new lyrics aren't much better. I realize the chorus is an integral part of the song, and you really can't scrap it altogether, but couldn't they have gotten rid of the really stupid parts? And interjected something somewhat intelligent? Here are the original lyrics: (The new lyrics can be found at bandaid20.com)

Do They Know It's Christmas?

It's Christmas time
There's no need to be afraid
At Christmas time
We let in light and we banish shade
And in our world of plenty
We can spread a smile of joy
Throw your arms around the world
At Christmas time

But say a prayer
Pray for the other ones
At Christmas time it's hard
But when you're having fun
There's a world outside your window
And it's a world of dread and fear
Where the only water flowing
Is the bitter sting of tears
And the Christmas bells that ring
There are the clanging chimes of doom
Well tonight thank God it's them instead of you

Feed the world
Let them know it's Christmas time
Feed the world
Do they know it's Christmas time at all?

And there won't be snow in Africa
This Christmas time
The greatest gift they'll get this year is life
Where nothing ever grows
No rain nor rivers flow
Do they know it's Christmas time at all?

Feed the world
Let them know it's Christmas time
Feed the world
Let them know it's Christmas time again

(Here's to you) raise a glass for everyone
(Here's to them) underneath that burning sun
Do they know it's Christmas time at all?

Feed the world
Let them know it's Christmas time

Now here's Africa's Major Religions by Nation:
Angola - indigenous beliefs 47%
Benin - indigenous beliefs 50%
Botswana - indigenous beliefs 85%
Burkina Faso - indigenous beliefs 40%
Burundi - Christian 67%
Central African Republic - indigenous beliefs 35%
Chad - Muslim 51%
Cote d'Ivoire - indigenous 40%
Democratic Republic of the Congo - Christian 50%
Djibouti - Muslim 94%
Ethiopia - Muslim 48%
Gabon - Christian 65%
Gambia -Muslim 90%
Ghana - Christian 63%
Guinea - Muslim 85%
Guinea-Bissau - indigenous beliefs 50%
Liberia - indigenous beliefs 40%
Libya - Muslim 97%
Malawi - protestant 55%
Mauritania - Muslim 100%
Morocco - Muslim 98.7%
Mozambique - indigenous beliefs 50%
Namibia - Christian 85%
Niger - Muslim 80%
Nigeria - Muslim 50%
Republic of the Congo - Christian 50%
Rwanda - Christian 56.5%
Senegal - Muslim 94%
Sierra Leone - Muslim 60%
South Africa - Christian 68%
Somalia - Muslim 100%
Sudan - Muslim 70%
Swaziland -Zionist 40%
Togo - indigenous beliefs 51%
Uganda - Christian 33%
Western Sahara - Muslim 100%
Zambia - Christian 65%
Zimbabwe - syncretic 50%

From taking a look at the above statistics, provided by the CIA's World Fact Book, and observing how small a minority Christians there are in Africa, I'd have to answer the question, "Do they know it's Christmas time at all?" with a question: Do They Really Care?

Third, the New Cover for the Band Aid 20 single, is down right atrocious and certainly offensive: A montage of holiday cheer and then, dead center, smack in the middle, a little, naked, emaciated child. Yea, Merry Christmas Everyone...

Fourth, Is it really necessary to raise money creating BAD pop music? I mean all of the people involved in Band Aid 20, are extremely talented and/or, extremely successful musicians. Do they really have to remake an out-of-date Christmas classic? With all that talent and success, behind them, couldn't they come up with a more creative method (or song) to raise money for famine relief?

If you must: WWW.BANDAID20.COM