经典英文歌曲鉴赏 - We Are The World.doc

We Are The WorldWe Are The World is a song by the supergroup USA for Africa which featured some of the most famous artists in the music industry at the time. The song was released on March 7, 1985, as the only single from the album of the same name. A worldwide commercial success, it topped music charts throughout the world and became the fastest-selling American pop single in history.Besides, it was awarded numerous honorsincluding three Grammy Awards, one American Music Award, and a Peoples Choice Award. The general purpose of the song was to rise peoples awareness of aiding the African country Ethiopia, which was affected by famine at that time. As we all know, back in 1983, thefamineaffected the inhabitants of Ethiopia. The worst famine to hit the country in a century, in northern Ethiopia it led to more than 400,000 deaths due to the poor living condition and extremely limited medical service. This song is one of my favorite for following reasons.Firstly, the song features a variety of vocals and its lyrics are meaningful. The producer successfully united many singers regardless of their music styles, thus creating an interesting mixture of different vocals. Although some of the singers are completely unfamiliar for me, I can still recognize Michael Jackson, Diana Ross (one of the original members of The Supremes), Stevie Wonder, Bob Dylan and Lionel Richie. The inclusion of these superstars helped a lot in popularizing the song. When it comes to the lyrics, they are highly emotional. It is sung from a first person viewpoint, allowing the audience to internalize the message by singing the wordwetogether. I believed this is an appeal to human compassion.The first lines in the songs repetitive chorus proclaim, We are the world, we are the children, we are the ones who make a brighter day, so lets start giving, which is unforgettable. Secondly, I enjoy the song because of Michael Jacksons involvement in both the lyrics and the vocal. Though Im not a real fan of him, I still think some of his works are outstanding. Michael Jacksons sister, La Toya Jackson, once stated that it was Michael who actually wrote most of the lyrics for the song. Regardless of its accuracy, we can interfere that Michael Jackson himself did put many efforts into this song.Thirdly, the song is historically and politically important. For a long period of time, poverty has been plaguing Africa, leading to many other problems such as the wide-spread of diseases and significantly lower living standard. Sometimes, such problem turns into a crisis. Although We Are The World isnt the first attempt to arise peoples attention toward Africa (a similar UK-based project was created earlier), the single archived worldwide success in raising awareness and financial relief for the victims of the Ethiopian famine. According to some statics, one year after the release of We Are the World, $44.5 million had been raised for USA for Africas humanitarian fund. By October 1986, it was revealed that their $50 million target had been met and exceeded; CBS Records gave USA for Africa a check for $2.5 million, drawing the total amount of money to $51.2 million. Eventually, it raised over $63 million for humanitarian aid in Africa. In contrast to the deficiency of governments and international organizations at that time, USA for Africa played an important role in aiding Africa. In some way, it broke the barrier between nations, continents and races. Being one of the first that affected an international focus on Africa that was simply unprecedented, it has been credited with creating a climate in which musicians from around the world felt inclined to follow. Since the release of We Are the World, it has been noted that movement has been made within popular music to create songs that address humanitarian concerns. We Are the World was also influential in subverting the way music and meaning were produced, showing that musically and racially diverse musicians could work together both productively and creatively. We Are the World demonstrated that rock music had become more than entertainment, but a political and social movement. Some comments also noted that such songs and events had the ability to reach people around the world, send them a message, and then get results.As mentioned above, We Are The World sold very well and received various awards. But it doesnt end here. The song survived the test of time and became one of the most-played songs in charity activities. In 2005, the 20th anniversary of the song, various radio stations around the world broadcasted it continuously in order to pay tribute. Also, in 2010, when an earthquake hit Haiti, the song was remade by adding some new elements. Many contemporary artists, such as Mariah Carey, was featured