[net.music] Live Aid Finales

hoek@ucbcad.UUCP (Robin Hoek) (07/18/85)

True Sender: HUGH MAHER, U.C. Berkeley
References: 

Uh....I don't want to sound like a complete cynic
(just a partial one...) but did anyone else sort of
cringe at the choice of post-finale songs for both
the US and UK concerts?

I mean, sure, "Let it Be" and "Blowin' in the Wind"
are both very moving songs that are sure-fire tear-jerkers
at such events, but the message of each song (to me, at least)
seems to contradict the whole point of the benefit concerts.

While the concerts expressed an effort to shatter worldwide
complacency towards world hunger by mobilizing an active
campaign, these two songs suggest that we should just 
sit back and "Let it be" since the answer is "Blowin' in
the Wind." To me, it reeks of the same old religious line
that the poor and starving shouldn't do anything to help
their plight or question their social positions since "all
questions will be answered in heaven" and that "God works
in mysterious ways." Thus, we should wait and starve until

"mother mary calls to me...there will be an answer...let it be"

Easy to say when we are a millionaire composer living on
a huge country estate in England. (Guess who just came on
the radio? Good old paul singing "The Girl is Mine" with M.Jackson)

Although these views are probably too negative, I'm just in
a crappy mood after being forced to get up at 6:00 am for work
this morning after a late night out...

So go ahead and flame at me, and I'll take it all back...

HUGH MAHER, U.C. Berkeley

(And don't think that just because I'm from Berkeley, I'm
 also a radical leftist 'cos I'm not. )
(just a moderate leftist.....at least compared to the rest of this town...)