Monday Morning Music is sick of people bashing this song. A bunch of British and Irish folks (plus Jody Watley and a few stray members of Kool and the Gang) gathered for a nice simple charity tune, launching a movement that also gave us the blistering Sun City and the wretched We Are the World. The latter seemed to imply that Band Aid should be doing USA for Africa’s catering.

Paul Young and Boy George’s nicely understated vocals blow away the ego trips on USA for Africa. The chorus is bright and hopeful, not whiny and groaning. And if you’re hung up on the “no snow in Africa” lyric, you’re obviously the target demo for those VH1 specials with Mo Rocca and other postmodern-irony hucksters reading Mellencamp lyrics literally. Congratulations.

So unless you’re Jeff and Jason writing Mellowmas entries taking down cynical Christmas cash-ins, Monday Morning Music has no patience for your Christmas cynicism. Just shut up, find your checkbook and listen.