This weekend, I, along with countless others, watched the debut broadcast of the “We Are the World 25 for Haiti” video. It is hard to believe that it has been 25 years since USA for Africa released the original “We Are the World” to benefit famine relief in Africa. And now, due to the devastating earthquake that rocked (literally) the Caribbean nation of Haiti in January, musicians and other celebrities have come together to lend their voices to the remake. Uniting to help those in need is a wonderful thing. Yet, while I was moved by the collective effort, I would have liked a different execution. Here’s why.
I’m not a big fan of remakes. I’ll admit that every now and then an artist comes along with an interesting re-interpretation of a song, but those moments are few and far between. When listening to “WAtW25”, I don’t think of the plight of the people of Haiti and how the proceeds of this song will be used to help them. I am mentally transported back to 1985 when I first heard “WAtW”. The fact that this happens means that a connection is not being made between the song and the current crisis at hand in Haiti. That’s a problem. There is no disputing the fact that Quincy Jones and Lionel Richie are musical geniuses, but I think that this is one instance where an original song for Haiti would have resonated a bit more. Another aspect of the song that left me a bit stunned was the archival sample of Michael Jackson (who duets with sister Janet, in the same vein as Nat King Cole and Natalie Cole). As co-writer of “WAtW”, I understand that the song is part of Jackson’s musical and humanitarian legacy; however, his presence was a little too eerie for me. This could be due to the fact that after seven months, his death still feels very recent to me. (I also had another eerie moment when I thought that an archival sample of Ray Charles’ verse had been added to “WAtW25”, but then I looked up and saw Jamie Foxx impersonating Charles.) I appreciated the addition of a rap verse. Lyrically, this is the part of the song that speaks specifically to what has transpired in Haiti, and it provides further linkage since many of the rappers featured in the song have Caribbean roots. It is interesting to note that the inclusion of rap artists is one of the biggest differences in the two versions. Back in 1985, rap music was still seen as a fad by many and hadn’t broken into the mainstream. Now in 2010, rap (or hip-hop) artists play a pretty significant role in popular music, so their presence in “WAtW25” makes sense. Very disappointing that Auto Tune made an appearance via T-Pain. I know that is his “thing” but it felt wrong in this tribute song. And what about Lil Wayne getting a solo verse? Proof positive that rap music has definitely made its presence heard.
While I would have liked an original song, I support the cause and encourage others to do so as well. Here’s hoping that such charity singles will not be commonplace in our lives. The devastation and loss of lives is much too much to bear.