18 de dezembro de 2007

We Still Are the World


It's Christmas! It's cold, grey, days are short, and... it's Christmas! It's no surprise I'm caught by the spirit of the season!
I was stuck in traffic in 2ª Circular, which is always one of those experiences we can't get enough of, one of those "all dressed up no place to go" kind of situations, when I heard something I hadn't heard in ages (literally) and that awoke the better part of me: it sent me back on a time travel and, for some minutes, made me believe again (or still) in the goodwill of Man.
It was 1985 (oh, those glorious 80s!). I was 12/13 (boy am I getting old or what?) and the world was full of promise: there was Band Aid and suddenly all the world had discovered Ethiopia and all the world united in naïve generosity. (I say naïve because the intentions were superb but the outcome was not far from catastrophic).
I much preferred Band Aid (just the pun in Band Aid, "penso rápido" in Portuguese, is a wonderful language game for someone that is 12 and bilingual!): it was a Christmas song "Do They Know it's Christmas", with still a lot of air play today, it had George Michael and Simon Le Bon (guess what that combination was for a pre-adolescent!) and it was the first wave of solidarity for Africa. But there was also USA for Africa (another pun because USA was not - even if it was - United States, but United Support of Artists for Africa) singing "We Are the World".
So, there I was miserably in 2ª Circular when the radio goes "We Are the World"! It was ages! I remembered each word of the lyrics just as if I was back in 1985! And I felt naïve again! I felt I could trust Man again. I felt that the world could be such a better place if only we could "come together as one".
It's so nice when we are naïve! It's so nice when we can believe...

27 comentários:

C Valente disse...

Very Christmas
Santo Natal com saudações amigas

antonio ganhão disse...

A 2ª circular e o mundo são sempre o mesmo,tal como as nossas memórias.

Nada muda. Nem mesmo o Natal. Feliz Natal.

quintarantino disse...

Stuck in the traffic jam and having a musical flashback?
Lucky enough for you, it wasn´t a hot sunny day or by this hour I would have already seen on the news that some blonde had got out of her car and started dancing in the street...
Instead you remembered Band Aid, USA for Africa and all those aids... the years have passed and what happened?
People are still starving in Africa and one of these days they might even get starving in our little country...
So I guess when one is naive and cute, one always believes one music may help change the world. Afterward, when one is less naive but much more cute, one still believes that the world may change but it will take more than one music.
It demands a huge fight... but I guess there are still some ladies stuck in the traffic jam willing to give it a try!

Tiago R Cardoso disse...

Gosto da canção sim senhor, faz parte do meu imaginário, faz-me lembrar também como estou a ficar velho.

JOY disse...

Olá blonde;

Não tenho muita paciêcia para estas musicas de natal que todos os anos são tocadas nesta altura até á exaustão,o transito na segunda circular,há coisas que não mudam essa é uma delas .

Fica bem.
JOY

Blondewithaphd disse...

Dear CValente,
Agradeço e retribuo!

Blondewithaphd disse...

Dear Antonio,
How truthful! A Merry Xmas to you too!

Blondewithaphd disse...

Dear Quinn,
The one and only Quinn (guess you need glasses on the cute thing, but thanks anyway, I'll pretend it's true!).
I wish there could be a light at the end of the tunnel for Africa. Songs are unfortunately not enough.

Blondewithaphd disse...

Dear Tiago,
Join the club!!!

Blondewithaphd disse...

Dear Joy,
Well... depends on the Christmas song;)
Is there a cure for 2ª Circular?

António de Almeida disse...

I also always preferred Band Aid, but George who? Simon who? Live aid, what memories i keep since that wonderful saturday evening. I was 21 years old, and Led Zeppelin, Mick Jagger/David Bowie, remember "dancing in the street", Queen, Mercury on his best, and the dual with Bowie "under pressure" remember? what a evening, what a day!!!

Blondewithaphd disse...

Dear Antonio de Almeida,
You sure know how to bring back memories!! I was glued to the tv set all day long during that memorable Band Aid concert (I have it on DVD now and watching it is such a wonderful time travel...)! They were all at their very best. A tantalising event! It was real music back in those days! (But, hey, gonna do what, little girls always loved George Michael and Duran Duran!!)

Carol disse...

I remember the song too... And yes, I also believed a song could do a lot!
Today I'm a little older and less naïve. Am I getting bitter? Maybe...

Peter disse...

Vim à minha lição de inglês. Recordei "We are the world" e os anos 80. É bom recordar.
Dizem que no momento da morte toda a nossa vida "corre" na nossa mente, como se fosse a exibição de um filme. Tem sido um filme bem preenchido.

Não tenho nenhuma pressa em ver esse filme.

Contacte-nos disse...

Like Master Yoda says...

“Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.”

And I add (as a jedi aprentice):

"Give up hope you should not, for the path of happiness lies in the strengh of mind you show, dont stop dreaming":)

Marry Christmas Blondie

Blondewithaphd disse...

Dear Carol,
We are getting older that's what it is!!

Blondewithaphd disse...

Dear Peter,
Bolas, bolas, também não tenho pressa nenhuma em ver esse filme;) Livra!

(A lesson of English?! Man, I don't know what to say!)

Blondewithaphd disse...

Dear João Castanhinha,
Give up hope we should not!
I say you're in the right path to becoming a first class Jedi!

antonio ganhão disse...

Kid, just send me an e-mail, Ok?

Blondewithaphd disse...

And am I supposed to use my psychic powers to guess your email?

JOY disse...

Blonde :

Passei para te desejar um Feliz Natal

Joy

Patrícia Grade disse...

Merry, merry Christmas to you!

The 80's... I too thought good things could happen to people of faith and hopoe. I was young and naïve, just has much as you. Today I still believe in good things happening, I just don't believe they can happen with just songs. Today everybody wants to help, if ist's publicized enough, if not, it won't matter.
So, I think the difference must start in each and everyone of us, at our own backyard, with siple enough things, with no publicity. Then we'll make a difference.

For now, I wish you all a merry Christmas. As for the New Year... we'll see.

Patrícia Grade disse...
Este comentário foi removido pelo autor.
Blondewithaphd disse...

Dear Joy,
A Merry Christmas to you to!

Blondewithaphd disse...

Dear Indy,
Of course songs are not enough, but sometimes it would be good to believe we could all make a difference. We grow and the world becomes such a difficult, strange place.
Merry Christmas to you to!

Blondewithaphd disse...

Dear Blue,
Long time no see! So happy to see you!
I actually like that Lennon's song, perfect for the season! I discovered it in my adult years because I wasn't much of a fan and because I was little. But then changed my mind as it is a great, simple song.
(Problem is when we're no longer in our 20s!)

Blondewithaphd disse...

Dear Blue,
You know you can come anytime, anyday...
(By the way, I've been humming that song in my mind all day long from the moment I read your comment!!!)