Christmas song is cancelled after people find out its real meaning

It's been a classic for 40 years, but apparently people have only just started listening.

Over the 40 years it’s been around, Band Aid’s Do They Know It's Christmas? has become one of the most iconic and easily recognisable Christmas songs.

But, as jolly as it may sound, people are now beginning to delve a little deeper into the song’s lyrics, and realising it’s perhaps not as wholesome as it seems.

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The classic Christmas song has stirred some drama. Image: Supplied

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First, a little bit of background

Do They Know It’s Christmas? was first written back in 1984 by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure, raising money for the 1983-1985 famine in Ethiopia.

It was recorded by Band Aid - a supergroup of popular British and Irish musical acts like George Michael, Paul Young, Boy George, Sting, Phil Collins and Paul McCartney - and immediately rose to number one on the UK singles chart, where it remained for five weeks.

Since then, it has been rerecorded and re-released three times - once in 1989 with artists like Kylie Minogue, Cliff Richard and Bananarama, again in 2004 featuring Chris Martin, Robbie Williams and Dizzee Rascal, and most recently in 2014 with One Direction, Ed Sheeran and Sam Smith.

A new mix, combining elements of the previous versions, was released this year to celebrate the 40th anniversary.

Despite its constant returns and presence on the charts, people have always had questions about if the lyrics are really as nice as they’re supposed to be, and whether we should be celebrating the song as much as we are.

However, this year, it’s come to a head.

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The controversy

Since its release, the song has been criticised for having a colonial, western-centric viewpoint, and stereotypical descriptions of Africa.

Particular lyrics pointed out include the condescending line, ‘Well tonight thank God it’s them instead of you’ in regards to the famine, as well as those described as ignorant and barren, like ‘And there won't be snow in Africa this Christmas time.. Where nothing ever grows / No rain nor rivers flow’, even though, of course, all of these things have and do happen on the continent, and the titular line, ‘Do they know it’s Christmas?’, despite Africa being home to some of the oldest Christian communities in the world, and so certainly being aware of Christmas.

As a result of this, several contentious lyrics were changed for the 2014 version, which instead focused on Ebola. However, for many, this wasn’t enough, with musician Fuse ODG in particular declining to sing on it due to the lyrics misrepresenting Africa - like ‘There is no peace and joy in west Africa this Christmas’.

Ure went on to write in his autobiography that Do They Know It’s Christmas? is ‘a song that has nothing to do with music. It was all about generating money... The song didn't matter: the song was secondary, almost irrelevant.’

The final remix?

If you thought the song couldn’t get any more controversial, it appears you’d be incorrect.

The ‘ultimate mix’ of the song, which incorporates voices from each of the past four versions, was released this year featuring vocals from late singers Liam Payne, Sinead O’Connor and David Bowie, drawing additional criticism from those who have loved the song previously.

Ed Sheeran also came out criticising the new mix, after being involved in the recording in 2014, saying that given his new interpretation of the lyrics, he would have declined the use of his vocals if asked.

“My approval wasn’t sought on this new Band Aid 40 release and had I had the choice I would have respectfully declined the use of my vocals,” he said in a statement on Instagram.

“A decade on and my understanding of the narrative associated with this has changed.”

He also shared a statement by Fuse ODG, who continued his original stance that Do They Know It’s Christmas? is perpetuating damaging stereotypes by coming out with his own charity song, We Know It’s Christmas, promising that all of its profits would go towards “grassroots innovative projects that aim to better communities across Africa”.

So, if you’re thinking about hitting play on this one come Christmastime, maybe think twice.

Originally published as Christmas song is cancelled after people find out its real meaning