The Boomtown Rats
The Boomtown Rats is a rock group led by Bob Geldof (full name: Robert Fred… Read Full Bio ↴The Boomtown Rats is a rock group led by Bob Geldof (full name: Robert Fredrick Zenon Geldof, born October 5th 1951). Playing punk and New Wave influenced music, their initial incarnation lasted from 1976 to 1986), but the band recently reformed. All six primary members (Gary Roberts, Pete Briquette, Gerry Cott, Simon Crowe, and Johnnie Moylett alongside Geldof) were originally from Dun Laoghaire, Dublin, Ireland.

Originally, they used the moniker 'The Nightlife Thugs'. The name "The Boomtown Rats" comes from a gang of down-and-outs from Woody Guthrie's autobiography, which the folk artist titled 'Bound for Glory'. The guys gained fame due to their often cynical tunes, having several notable singles, yet their record is overshadowed by the charity work on behalf of famine relief of their lead singer. Geldof, being nicknamed 'Bob The Gob' by the media for his big mouth, attained international fame after spearheading efforts such as 'Live Aid'.

The Boomtown Rats itself scored several Top Ten hits in the UK charts during their commercial peak, from 1978 to 79, and their most famous songs, still to this day, are "Rat Trap" (a U.K. #1) and "I Don't Like Mondays" (another U.K. #1), the latter being their biggest hit and achieving international notoriety. The track was written on a tour of the US in 1979 when Bob Geldof heard a telex machine spouting the story of Californian schoolgirl Brenda Ann Spencer, a girl that went on wild shooting spree at a San Diego high school with what seemed like no provocation before or remorse afterward. She justified her killing spree with the excuse "I don't like Mondays".

Bob Geldof has been gifted with the art of story-telling through songs. Lyrics are mostly in third person, have clever double entendre meanings, often relating some story or incident, eg "Dave". Geldof's charity work has been centred around the issue of famine relief, and includes being the organiser for the Band Aid single, for which he brought a superstar pop lineup together to record a song to aid famine relief (at the time was the fastest selling single in Britain of all time) and organizing the LiveAid concerts, a 2-continent superstar live concert that raised over 100 million dollars for famine relief.

Guitarist Gerry Cott left the band in 1981 and the band became a quintet. They disbanded in 1986 following a charity concert in Ireland. Most of the band members have now moved on to solo projects or new bands.

The Boomtown Rats reformed in 2013 going on tour again and released a new best of album Back to Boomtown : Classic Rats Hits which includes two new recorded songs.
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The Boomtown Rats Lyrics


(I Never Loved) Eva Braun Are you really going out with Adolf? I never loved Eva…
(Watch Out for) The Normal People She keeps her lover on ice, She keeps a fire in…
01 Like Clockwork Tick tock Tick tock Tick tock I'm not disconnected I'm not …
10 Rat Trap There was a... lot of rocking going on that night, Cruising…
A Hold Of Me Geldof One two three four So what’s the story? So what's…
A Storm Breaks A storm breaks over our head We take shelter We…
A3 Wind Chill Factor I took a tube train through the subway systems. I rode…
A4 Having My Picture Taken Hold up Phillis Watch the beauty My camera sees things my e…
Another Piece Of Red Another Piece of Red I was reading in New Zealand about…
Banana Republic Chorus: Banana Republic Septic Isle Screaming in the sufferi…
Beat of The Night It was cold that night from across the west and…
Blind Date On blind dates You meet in corners, You take a jump into…
Can't Stop Can't stop And face the facts I'm high strung and I can't…



Can’t Stop Can't stop And face the facts I'm high strung and I can't…
Charmed Lives Charmed lives Nothing much to do tonight Charmed lives Oh no…
Cheerio I've been standing here five minutes And you haven't said…
Close As You'll Ever Be (I said) Down at the street around half past nine I heard…
Close as You’ll Ever Be (I said) Down at the street around half past nine I heard…
Dave Dave'd called me up yesterday Everything he loved had moved …
Diamond "Traffic's wild tonight" Diamond smiles her cocktail smile. …
Do The Rat He rodent into town Fangs were getting himdown He whiskere…
Don I was walking down the street I was walking down the…
Don't Believe What You Read As soon as I wake up every day, I look at…
Don't Talk To Me You don't have to be afraid You just have to make…
Don’t Believe What You Read As soon as I wake up every day, I look at…
Don’t Talk to Me You don't have to be afraid You just have to make…
Drag Me Down Drag me down in colors pink and gold (Like a ship…
Eva Braun I never loved Eva Braun (oh no?) No, a thousand people…
Fall Down Put your head between your knees and breathe real deep Let…
Go Man Go! These are danger days (What sort of days are these?) These…
Having My Picture Taken My camera, Sees things my eyes can't see. I have it focused,…
He Watches It All He bought and sold a video Made a fortunein between A thousa…
House On Fire I heard Tarzan outside playing on the Jungle Blues I know…
How Do You Do I gotta listen to you I gotta hear about the things I…
Hurt Hurts I don't want to listen But I think I see you…
I Can Make It If You Can Somewhere a screen door slammed Somewhere, someplace, somebo…
i don The silicon chip inside her head Gets switched to overload …
I Don't Like Monday's The silicon chip inside her head Gets switched to overload A…
I don't like Mondays * The silicon chip inside her head Gets switched to overload …
I don't mind The silicon chip inside her head Gets switched to overload A…
I Don'tLikeMondays The silicon chip inside her head Gets switched to overload …
I Dont Like Mondays The silicon chip inside her head Gets switched to overload A…
I don´t like Mondays The silicon chip inside her head Gets switched to overload …
I' don't like mondays The silicon chip inside her head Gets switched to overload A…
Joey Sooner or later when the dawn was breaking The joint was…
Joey's On The Streets Again Sooner or later when the dawn was breaking The joint was…
Joey’s on the Street Again Sooner or later, when the dawn was breaking The joint was…
Joey’s on the Streets Again Sooner or later when the dawn was breaking The joint was…
Keep It Up Oh, in her two pound coat She really thinks she's cloaked…
Kicks I don't get my kicks no more from cake or…
Like Clockwork I'm not disconnected I'm not unaware I'm in one place at one…
Living In An Island Night fell fast, like it did in the past when…
Lookin' After No. 1 The world owes me a living I've waited on this dole…
Lookin' After Number 1 The world owes me a living I've waited on this dole…
Lying Again Here they go, lying again Beating everybody at their favouri…
Mary of the 4th Form Sittin' in the front row Mary of the fourth form Turnin' all…
Me And Howard Hughes Hand me down a strong panacea, One that's guaranteed to make…
Mood Mambo Somewhere up town late last night around 9 o'clock There was…
Neon Heart Life pours down into the neon heart (It's late at…
Never Bite The Hand That Feeds Tell me what you're doing coming in so late at…
Never in a Million Years I'll tear down the sky Don't stop now No never in a…
Nice N Neat Through tunnel vision watch him rant and rave He says there…
Nice'n'Neat Through tunnel vision watch him rant and rave He says there'…
Nothing Happened Today Turn on the TV Turn on the radio. Turn down that sound Turn…
Please Don I was walking down the street I was walking down the…
Rat Trap There was a lot of rocking going on that night Cruising…
Rat Trap [ There was a... lot of rocking going on that night, Cruising…
Real Different The world at any time might take its own thalidomide,…
Say Hi To Mick Say Hi to Mick for me We'll tune him out on…
She La-la-la-la-la (four times) She's so 20th century. She's so …
She's So Modern La-la-la-la She's so 20th century She's so 1970's She knows …
She’s So Modern La-la-la-la-la (four times) She's so 20th century. She's so …
Skin On Skin Skin on Skin Nothing more or less than Skin on skin I want…
Sleep I'm so wired, Very tired, Why can't I Close my eyes. Times …
So Strange I was bleeding before I saw the blood I was screaming…
Someone's Looking at You On a night like this I deserve to get kissed…
Straight Up Hey, she'll set the world alight She's looking lost with lif…
Talking In Code Why are you talking in code? You talk so loud sometimes…
The Bitter End To the bitter end We go all the way It isn't too…
The Elephants Graveyard Did you slip the noose when the beast broke loose The…
The Little Death So I turned on the radio and everyone was Listening to…
The Normal People She keeps her lover on ice, She keeps a fire in…
This Is My Room I can sleep alone I know how I stay here on my…
Tonight Oh, I don't wanna have to take your arm But I…
Under Their Thumb Is Under My Thumb Under their thumb Kicked and beaten like an angry rabid dog …
Up All Night Up all night Ooh za za Ooh staying up all night African jun…
When The Night Comes The offices are emptying their pale-faced wards into the str…
Wind Chill Factor I took a tube train through the subway systems. I rode…


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