Claire wonders whether the Live Aid message is still getting through.

I remember hearing the song first time round and thinking "Sorry?

Did I hear that properly?" The yelp of a Vic Reeves-sounding pub singer in the middle of an otherwise bland dirge of a song, the lyrics smugly confirming "Well, tonight thank God it's them instead of YOOUUU!" What an appalling sentiment; "Lucky me, never mind, eh?" I used to wonder at people singing that bit over their Christmas drinks in the pub. The guilt in their eyes gave them away though, as their toes uncurled and then tapped to the next line, "But say a prayer, pray for the other ones..."

Fast forward and here we are again 20 years later trotting it out again in the name of selfless charity. Or are we? A couple of the same faces are there, albeit a bit greyer and wrinklier around the edges but this time round we have tabloid stories about new stars jockeying for position and outdoing each other for top exposure, which kind of sums up the changes in society since Do they Know it's Christmas? first came out.

What will our kids make of it all this time round? They probably won't have a clue what Live Aid was about, and will parents take the time to teach them or will the song be yet another must have commodity to own?

They didn't have designer trainers, mobile phones and i-Pod's in 1984.

Live Aid was about people giving a bit to someone else, and about enjoying doing so.

I remember working on the playbus with groups of small children, all of whom knew the words and sang it with gusto along with the other festive songs, the mums organising collections, bake-ins and jumble sales to help towards the fund. Schools organised concerts, giving all the proceeds to the fund instead of the roof fund or whatever. Almost everyone I knew gave something.

I wonder if the messages we give children today are really about keeping an eye out for others, and each other, or whether to look after number one, a bit like some of the stars who took part. If each and every one of them put even a tiny bit of their inflated wealth towards fighting famine, there would be no need for Live Aid this time round. And that would be a really strong message for everyone.