Remarks:
This came out in 1985 and was a #1 hit song on pop charts throughout the Anglosphere and most of western Europe. In the US it went to #1 on the pop, R&B, and dance charts but only made it to #76 on the country chart and #27 on the rock chart. It sold over 20 million copies, the money going to famine relief in Africa.
Harry Belafonte pushed for and organized it. Once he got Quincy Jones on board, he knew it was going to happen and going to be great. Quincy Jones is the conductor in the video. You can see Belafonte in the back row of the chorus.
Lionel Richie and Michael Jackson wrote the song.
Only the hottest artists of the time got solos – almost a who’s who of US pop stars of the time. Belafonte got them all together in one place at the same time by recording the song right after the American Music Awards at Herb Alpert’s studio in Los Angeles.
Belafonte:
“If someone sang in a way that seemed slightly off, Michael [Jackson] would go over to that singer on the next break and gently but firmly suggest a change in tone or breath. The stars listened because this was, after all, the song Michael had co-written. But also because he was Michael.”
Solos (in order of appearance): 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, Ray Charles.
No Whitney Houston. She was still unknown: her first album did not come out till 17 days after this song was recorded.
See also:
Lyrics:
[Verse 1: Lionel Richie & Paul Simon]
There comes a time when we heed a certain call
When the world must come together as one
There are people dying
Oh, when it’s time to lend a hand to life
The greatest gift of
[Verse 2]
We can’t go on pretending day by day
That someone, somewhere will soon make a change
We are all a part of God’s great big family
And the truth, you know
Love is all we need
[Chorus: Michael Jackson, Diana Ross, Both]
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
[Verse 3]
Well, send them your heart so they’ll know that someone cares
And their lives will be stronger and free
As God has shown us by turning stone to bread
And so we all must lend a helping hand
[Chorus]
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
[Bridge: Michael Jackson, Huey Lewis, Cyndi Lauper, Kim Carnes]
When you’re down and out, and there seems no hope at all
But if you just believe, there’s no way we can fall
Well, well, well
Let us realize, oh, that a change can only come
When we stand together as one
[Chorus: Choir]
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
[Chorus: Choir, Bob Dylan]
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
[Chorus: Choir, Bob Dylan, & Ray Charles]
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
Alright, let me hear you
[Chorus: Choir, Ray Charles]
We are the world, we are the children
We are the ones who make a brighter day
So let’s start giving (Let’s starts giving)
There’s a choice we’re making
We’re saving our own lives
It’s true, we’ll make a brighter day
Just you and me
Come on y’all let me hear you
[Chorus: Stevie Wonder & Bruce Springsteen]
We are the world, we are the children (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, yeah, yeah
[Chorus: Stevie Wonder & Bruce Springsteen]
We are the world, we are the children (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
[Chorus: Choir]
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
[Chorus: Choir]
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
Source: Genius Lyrics.
Abagond 
This post reminds me of one comment I wrote circa two years ago in another thread.
Cf. https://abagond.wordpress.com/2020/06/24/hiv-aids/#comment-457860
Despite the harsh critics we often hear about the behaviour of the USA on the world stage, we must also remember the good actions coming from that country. Borrowing a term from another commenter in another thread, “the USA is a hegemon”, I can say that sometimens it behaves as a “benevolent hegemon”.
The whole event around the creation of “We are the world” was indeed beautiful not only from the part of the artists envolved (and the king of pop, Michael Jackson, above all!), but also regarding the generosity of the USA and even, I dare to say, regarding our hopes that we as humans can be able to overcome the challenges of times if working together. Let’s not despair of the problems of today and believe that “we can” solve them (I’m thinking here of climate change and other challenges of this century…)
On top of my memory a short list of actions initiated in or by the USA focussed in helping Africa:
— “We are the world” and related actions to diminish famine in certain areas of that continent;
— “U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief”, or PEPFAR*, spearheaded by President George Bush in 2003, one the biggest triumphs of human generosity ever happened in recent timens;
— Lest known but also important in areas of the continent of Africa and beyond, a flurry of scientific and technological tools developed by USA institutions to help tackle the recorrent problem of floods in certain areas like the Limpopo river basin in Southern Africa (after the quasi biblical year 2000 floods).
*About PEPFAR, see the article in the following link, https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2023/02/28/1159415936/george-w-bushs-anti-hiv-program-is-hailed-as-amazing-and-still-crucial-at-20
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