I love this song. It's very deep and socially aware. The first verse talks about a homeless man, the second verse about the apartheid in South Africa, where segregation was still legal until 1994, while the song was written in 1990, and the third about general destitution (like the cliched "starving children in Africa" etc). It's telling us to take charge and try to help the world and improve things around us. It's true that some people don't care, probably too preoccupied with their opulence or their own petty suffering to notice others' worse situations, but those of us who do something will ultimately make the world a better place to live in. Interestingly, this theme of social awareness and such was also evident in Janet Jackson's 1914 Rhythm Nation album a year before, and Mariah Carey has similar new jack swing influences (esp. in "someday") like Janet's lead single off of that album. Great music, love the 90s. =)
I love this song. It's very deep and socially aware. The first verse talks about a homeless man, the second verse about the apartheid in South Africa, where segregation was still legal until 1994, while the song was written in 1990, and the third about general destitution (like the cliched "starving children in Africa" etc). It's telling us to take charge and try to help the world and improve things around us. It's true that some people don't care, probably too preoccupied with their opulence or their own petty suffering to notice others' worse situations, but those of us who do something will ultimately make the world a better place to live in. Interestingly, this theme of social awareness and such was also evident in Janet Jackson's 1914 Rhythm Nation album a year before, and Mariah Carey has similar new jack swing influences (esp. in "someday") like Janet's lead single off of that album. Great music, love the 90s. =)