People Can’t Believe ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas?’ Is Still Being Played After Listening To Lyrics

Ever joyfully sang a lyric without actually thinking about the contents of what just came out of your mouth?

It's a part of a life, particularly over the festive period, when songs typically are about merriment, tradition and that Christmassy feeling more than anything else.

However, a lot of people have been taking a moment to reflect on the lyrics to 1984 Band Aid hit 'Do They Know It's Christmas?' - and they're not liking what they're hearing.

The song was written by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure in 1984 in response to the famine in Ethiopia, and it has been played every Christmas since.

The charity single rocketed to Christmas number one, but the song's message drew some criticism even at the time and many people can't believe it is still being played today.

Writer and activist Saira Rao tweeted: "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?'

"Lyrics to Feed The World.

"Begging radio stations to stop playing this racist song."

Dr Asher Larmie echoed this sentiment, tweeting: "Feed the world is an extremely racist song that needs to be banned from radio play. There. I said it.

"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...' Are you kidding me with this s**t? Do you own a map? There are seven major rivers in Africa.

"Nothing ever grows? Watch a wildlife documentary. There won't be snow in England either. And I'm sure a lot of African kids will tell you the greatest gift they'll get is a PlayStation 5.

"Because Africa is not a continent filled with mud huts and starving children. The fact that a group of white people wrote a song with lyrics like 'Pray for the other ones', 'give a little help to the helpless' and 'feed the world' is bad enough. Playing it all these years later?"

Indeed, even Geldof himself isn't a fan of the song.

Speaking to Australia’s Daily Telegraph back in 2010, he said: "I am responsible for two of the worst songs in history. [One is] ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas? The other one is 'We Are The World'.

"Any day soon, I will go to the supermarket, head to the meat counter and it will be playing. Every f***ing Christmas.”

Featured Image Credit: YouTube/Band Aid

Topics: Music, Christmas

Jake Massey

Jake Massey is a journalist at LADbible. He graduated from Newcastle University, where he learnt a bit about media and a lot about living without heating. After spending a few years in Australia and New Zealand, Jake secured a role at an obscure radio station in Norwich, inadvertently becoming a real-life Alan Partridge in the process. From there, Jake became a reporter at the Eastern Daily Press. Jake enjoys playing football, listening to music and writing about himself in the third person.

@jakesmassey