CANZONI SENZA TEMPO
Agosto 2018
#2 - WE ARE THE WORLD
CANZONI SENZA TEMPO
"WE ARE THE WORLD"
Penso che nessuno, tra i giovanissimi di oggi, ignori questo brano musicale passato alla storia per essere stato il primo motivo ad essere cantato da un gruppo di grandi cantanti, per l'esattezza 45, raccogliendo intorno ad una idea, i più famosi cantanti americani dell'epoca con l'eccezione di un canadese, Dan Aykroyd e di un irlandese, Bob Geldorf.
L'iniziativa fu motivata dalla volontà di una organizzazione (USA for Africa, dove USA sta per United Support Artists) di accorrere in aiuto dell'Etiopia che nel 1985 fu afflitta da una disastrosa carestia. L'idea iniziale fu di Harry Belafonte che riuscì a reclutare 44 suoi colleghi i quali, nel gennaio del 1985, cantarono un motivo, appunto We are the world, composto da Michael Jackson e Lionel Richie e prodotto da Quicy Jones. Lo stesso motivo, alcuni mesi più tardi, per l'esattezza il 13 luglio 1985, fu inserito nel maxi concerto Live Aid che si tenne, in contemporanea e in base al fuso orario, al Wembley Stadium di Londra e al John Fitzgerald Kennedy Stadium di Filadelfia organizzato da quel Geldorf che pochi mesi prima aveva preso parte a USA for Africa.
Il brano vinse il Grammy Award come "canzone dell'anno", "disco dell'anno", "miglior performance di un duo o gruppo vocale pop" e "miglior videoclip breve". Solo negli Stati Uniti vennero vendute 7,5 milioni di copie di questa canzone e l'album omonimo vendette circa 3 milioni di copie. Complessivamente il progetto We Are the World riuscì a raccogliere circa un totale di 100 milioni di dollari.
Non lo si può considerare legato esclusivamente ad un'epoca. L'evento è stato talmente pubblicizzato e se ne è parlato talmente a lungo che ormai intere generazioni lo considerano "proprio" a buon diritto. Credo che abbia le carte in regola per essere considerata una canzone senza tempo. Per darle una opportuna visualizzazione ho scelto la versione nella quale sono visibili, in sovrimpressione, sia i nomi dei vari cantanti che si succedono al microfono sia le parole della canzone che, comunque, aggiungo in calce.
Fra i vari interventi, tutti pregevoli, ritengo notevoli quelli di Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Wonder e di Ray Charles.
Questo il testo integrale:
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 mee
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
