How one forgotten Crowded House song is helping refugees

By Kate Hassett

How one forgotten Crowded House song is helping refugees
Kiwi Legends, Crowded House, are leading a global movement to raise funds for refugees with the help of a few friends...

As part of a global campaign to assist the refugee crisis, Crowded House has re-released an old ‘forgotten’ song entitled Help is Coming.

The aptly named track was written in 1995 and then released in 1999.

The song, according to frontman Neil Finn, was written with refugees in mind, attempting to capture the spirit of seeking a better life for yourself and your loved ones.

“Like the diverse immigrants that made American great, these are good people that just want to find somewhere safe to create a better life for their families,” Finn revealed in a statement.

“There is such a huge scale and urgency to the current refugee crises that barely a day goes by without some crushing image or news account to confront us. We can’t be silent anymore!”

So when journalist and broadcaster, Pete Paphides and writer Caitlin Moran, approached Neil Finn to join their #HelpIsComing campaign, the band, together with a string of other celebrities, jumped at the chance.

Then in almost a flurry of circumstance, #HelpIsComing was born.

The song provides a background for a short film, directed by Mat Whitecross, which represents the plight of a refugee crisis that has outweighed all prior humanitarian crises since WWII.

An introduction by Benedict Cumberbatch sees the words of Kenyan-born Soali Warsan Shire brought to life with new meaning.

The poem reads: “No one leaves home unless, home is the mouth of a shark – you only run for the border, when you see the whole city running as well.”

“You have to understand that no one puts children in a boat – unless the water is safer than the land.”

“We want to say that we see you, we hear you and help is coming,” says Benedict.

The call to action has gone global, with celebrities like Yoko Ono, Bob Geldof and Thom York lending their support.

The song can be downloaded on iTunes or purchased as a limited-edition 7″ single with all proceeds going to save the world’s most helpless.

If you only do one thing today, then watch this video and see how you can make a difference.

 

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