The whole “We Are the World” revival and remake made me remember this song (a precursor in Who’s-Who-For-a-Cause Rock), which I probably haven’t heard or listened to since it first came out.
Man, I’d forgotten not only what a truly galvanizing song it is, but what a kick-ass line-up of artists they had. Just watching it again, it’s amazing everyone they managed to assemble and how much fun it looked like they had kicking up the dust in a simple anthem with an undeniablly catchy hook. Fun to see how some have changed (especially you-know-who with his Flock of Seagulls haircut) and how some haven’t really, except aging a bit.
How much do you remember of this song?
Still have it on cassette. 
It was a big deal at the time.
It’s just damned good music, and certainly a valid message.
Steve Van Zandt gathered quite a group.
I was happiest to see Gil Scott Heron being heard again (Let Me See Your ID.)
I-I-I-I-I-I Ain’t Gonna Play Sun Cit-ay…
Great song - one of the few standouts of the whole Cause Rock phase. I wasn’t aware of Little Steven as anything other than Bruce’s guy until then - but his Garage Rock roots and work today put that song in a bit more context. And I prefer a bit of rock snarl in my Cause - telling a resort of fuck off is a lot cooler than telling us we are the children…
Nice reminder.
That’s about it for the lyrics, but I remember the times and the cause.
I remember that it kicked. Definitely one of the better ensemble-cause recordings.
I also remember an SNL skit with Piscopo doing his Sinatra, singing “I am going to play Sun City” (or did I dream that).
Some interesting trivia in the pop-up version: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKCJWjqjQww
Regarding the Pop-up video version of the song, It really saddens one to find out the “jerks” that played in Sun City. (Vegas like resort in South Africa during the Apartheid era) But it was specially sad that many radio stations in America refused to play the song because “it was too black” :mad:
So it was not strange to find out that the song never became a gold record.