We are the world original version

A versão original está em inglês

There comes a time when we heed a certain call (Lionel Richie)
When the world must come together as one (Lionel Richie & Stevie Wonder)
There are people dying (Stevie Wonder)
Oh, and it's time to lend a hand to life (Paul Simon)
The greatest gift of all (Paul Simon/Kenny Rogers)

We can't go on pretending day by day (Kenny Rogers)
That someone, somehow will soon make a change (James Ingram)
We're all a part of God's great big family (Tina Turner)
And the truth (Billy Joel)
You know love is all we need (Tina Turner/Billy Joel)

( CHORUS )
We are the world, we are the children
We are the ones who make a brighter day so let's start giving (Michael Jackson)
There's a choice we're making we're saving our own lives (Diana Ross)
It's true we'll make a better day just you and me (Michael Jackson/Diana Ross)

Well, send'em you your heart so they know that someone cares (Dionne Warwick)
And their lives will be stronger and free (Dionne Warwick/Willie Nelson)
As God has shown us by turning stone to bread (Willie Nelson)
And so we all must lend a helping hand (Al Jurreau)

( REPEAT CHORUS )
We are the world, we are the children (Bruce Springsteen)
We are the ones who make a brighter day so let's start giving (Kenny Logins)
There's a choice we're making we're saving our own lives (Steve Perry)
It's true we'll make a better day just you and me (Daryl Hall)

When you're down and out there seems no hope at all (Michael Jackson)
But if you just believe there's no way we can fall (Huey Lewis)
Well, well, well, let's realize that a change can only come (Cyndi Lauper)
When we (Kim Carnes)
stand together as one (Kim Carnes/Cyndi Lauper/Huey Lewis)

(REPEAT CHORUS AND FADE )

Em Janeiro de 1985, 45 dos maiores nomes da música norte-americana gravaram o LP We Are The World, em benefício das vítimas de fome na África. O single, LP e o clipe renderam cerca de 55 milhões de dólares. Formaram o grupo USA for Africa.

Inspirado pela reunião que ficou conhecida como Band Aid, Michael Jackson organizou a gravação do single We Are the World, escrito com o companheiro de gravadora Lionel Richie. O single foi lançado em 1985 para arrecadar fundos para a campanha USA for Africa, uma campanha de caridade em benefício de famílias na África. We Are the World apresentava 44 vocalistas diferentes, incluindo Michael e Lionel, Harry Belafonte, Cyndi Lauper, Diana Ross, Ray Charles e Stevie Wonder. A vendagem atingiu 7 milhões de cópias só nos Estados Unidos, tornando-se um dos singles mais vendidos de todos os tempos.

A iniciativa desencadeou no Brasil a campanha Nordeste já, que seguiu a idéia original.