Revisiting his kitsch anthem proves Lionel Richie’s heart is in the right place. But are the motives of such celebrity singalongs always entirely pure?
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This week, as citizens in countries across the world isolate themselves to combat coronavirus, Lionel Richie, who co-wrote the 1985
USA for Africa charity mega-single We Are the World with Michael Jackson, told People magazine that he was revisiting the kitsch anthem that reportedly raised more than $75m (£61.1m) for Ethiopian famine relief. Richie is still proud of the central line of World’s chorus, “There’s a choice we’re making – we’re saving our own lives,” which he says has new relevance in the time of Covid-19. “What happened in
China, in Europe, it came here [to America],” he said. “So, if we don’t save our brothers there, it’s going to come home. It’s all of us. All of us are in this together.”
To his credit, Richie is leery of openly celebrating the 35th birthday of the song, released on 7 March 1985. “Two weeks ago, we said we didn’t want to do too much [about the song] because this is not the time to sell an anniversary,” he told People. “But the message is so clear … every time I try and write another message, I write those same words.”