Thurles Information

We Are The World

Back in 1985 Lionel Richie wrote “We Are the World” together with pop icon, the late Michael Jackson. Their aim was to raise money for African famine relief. The “We Are The World” single and album, combined with other promotional activities, raised more than €55,113,000.00 ($60 million) for humanitarian aid [same is equivalent to more than €119,411,500.00 ($130 million today)]. The song received a Grammy for “song of the year”, while the estimated global sales of the song were said to be over 20 million.

It was so easy to donate a few spare Euro to a just cause and then simply turn our backs in a somewhat sanctimonious fashion. I say this noting that 38 years later “the world has not come together” as the song recommends. With 101,070 Ukraine refugees residing in Ireland [Per data supplied on 20/11/2023], having fled for their lives from a war torn land. Let us ask ourselves, have we failed “to stand together as one and to heed that certain call when people need that helping hand”.

Lyrics: Lionel Richie / Michael Jackson.
Main Vocals less Chorus: Lionel Richie, Stevie Wonder, Paul Simon, Kenny Rogers, James Ingram Tina Turner, Billy Joel, Michael Jackson, Diana Ross, Dionne Warwick, Willie Nelson, Al Jarreau, Bruce Springsteen, Kenny Loggins, Steve Perry, Daryl Hall, Huey Lewis, Cyndi Lauper, Kim Carnes, Bob Dylan and Ray Charles.

We Are The World

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 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 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.
It’s true we’ll make a better day, just you and me.

END

“There is a tide in the affairs of men. Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune”.

Extract taken from Shakespeare’s ‘Julius Caesar’, meaning that the key to success in life, lies in knowing the motivation of men, and it is up to each man to recognize, and seize his opportunity.

Man in the Mirror.

Vocals: American singer, songwriter, dancer and philanthropist, known as the “King of Pop”, the late Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29th, 1958 – June 25th, 2009).

Songwriters: American songwriter, lyricist, and record producer Glen Ballard and American singer and songwriter Deborah Christine “Siedah” Garrett.

Man in the Mirror.

I’m gonna make a change, for once in my life.
It’s gonna feel real good, gonna make a difference,
Gonna make it right.
As I, turn up the collar on my favourite winter coat.
This wind is a blowin’ my mind.
I see the kids in the street, with not enough to eat.
Who am I, to be blind pretending not to see their needs?
A summer’s disregard, a broken bottle top and a one man’s soul.
They follow each other on the wind ya know,
‘Cause they got nowhere to go.
That’s why I want you to know,
I’m starting with the man in the mirror.
I’m asking him to change his ways,
And no message could’ve been any clearer.
If they wanna make the world a better place,
Take a look at yourself and then make a change.
I’ve been a victim of a selfish kind of love.
It’s time that I realize there are some with no home,
Not a nickel to loan.
Could it be really me pretending that they’re not alone?
A willow deeply scarred, somebody’s broken heart,
And a washed out dream.
They follow the pattern of the wind, ya see,
‘Cause they got no place to be,
That’s why I’m starting with me.
I’m starting with the man in the mirror.
I’m asking him to change his ways,
And no message could’ve been any clearer.
If you wanna make the world a better place,
Take a look at yourself and then make a change.
I’m starting with the man in the mirror.
I’m asking him to change his ways,
And no message could’ve been any clearer,
If you wanna make the world a better place,
Take a look at yourself and then make that change.
I’m starting with the man in the mirror.
I’m asking him to change his ways.
No message could’ve been any clearer.
If you wanna make the world a better place.
Take a look at yourself and then make the change.
You can’t, then you close your, close your, your mind.
With the man in the mirror, oh yeah.
I’m asking him to change his ways.
No message could’ve been any clearer,
If you wanna make the world a better place,
Take a look at yourself and then make a change,
Gonna feel real good now I’m gonna make a change,
It’s gonna feel real good, come on change, just lift yourself.
You know, you’ve got to stop it yourself.
I’ve got to make that change today.
You got to, you got to not let yourself brother you know.
I’ve got to get that man, that man.
You’ve got to, you’ve got to move.
Come on, come on, you got to stand up, stand up.
Stand up, stand up and lift yourself, now.
Gonna make that change come on.
You know it, You know it, You know it.
You know Change. Make that change.
END