Lionel Richie is ready. The music legend thinks the time has come to fight back against the creeping COVID-19 pandemic the old-fashioned way: with a blockbuster benefit song.
In a new interview with People, Richie talked about reviving the 1985 famine relief song, USA for Africa's "We Are the World," and how one line in the track has been haunting him: There’s a choice we’re making, we’re saving our own lives.”
“That line came about as Michael and I were sitting there talking," he explained, referencing co-writer, Michael Jackson. "We said, you can either say, ‘I’m saving my life’ or ‘We’re saving our lives.’ ’We Are the World’ is a statement we wanted to make. What do we do to save our own?"
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“What happened in China, in Europe, it came here," the singer added. "So if we don’t save our brothers there, it’s going to come home. It’s all of us. All of us are in this together.”
With March 2020 marking 35 years since the original release of "We Are the World," Richie believes that instead of a celebration, it can be a charitable moment.
“Two weeks ago, we said we didn’t want to do too much [about the song] because this is not the time to sell an anniversary. But the message is so clear,” he stressed.
Richie revealed that he's tried come up with a new anthem for the world, “But every time I try and write another message, I write those same words,” he admitted.
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