He managed Live Aid and Live 8 action in 1985 and in 2005.
He has been awarded an honorary knighthood, and cannot consequently use the title "Sir".
Since The Boomtown Rats ended after their final album "In The Long Grass", Bob launched a solo career. His first album, "Deep In The Heart Of Nowhere" (released in 1986) was probably his most commercial, and it yielded a minor hit with the song "This Is The World Calling".
The next album "The Vegetarians of Love" was probably his most successful though, blending elements of traditional Irish music with great rock and pop. Songs like "Love or Something" and "The Great Song of Indifference" are all fun, upbeat songs.
Bob's third album was "The Happy Club", which continued the feeling of The Vegetarians of Love. Once again there are some great songs here - "Attitude Chicken" has some brilliantly clever lyrics, while "The Soft Soil" is beautiful and "A Sex Thing" has an awesome groove.
After this album, a best of called "Loudmouth" was released, which included some highlights from the careers of both Bob solo and The Boomtown Rats. It also included a new song - "Crazy", which was a duet with Sting.
Bob then took a long sabbatical from music before releasing "Sex, Age & Death" in 2001. This is a deeply personal album which combined once again a wide variety of musical styles. This album has been called "Bob Geldof's masterpiece".
The latest release is "Great Songs of Indifference - The Anthology 1986-2001" - a four disc box set which includes all of Bob's albums with a large number of bonus tracks.
Aside from his musical work, Geldof has also appeared in the Pink Floyd music video/film "The Wall," as the protagonist, Pink. He has also released an autbiography called "is this it?".
His latest album, released in February 2011, is called "How to Compose Popular Songs That Will Sell". Geldof considers it a sort of companion to "Sex, Age, and Death", showing his happier side. He had some success with it in the UK, and a special 3-disk limited edition of it was also released.
In 2013 it was announced that he has rejoined The Boomtown Rats and they played a number of festival and other gigs. There have been mentions of a new album, and Bob continues to run his solo band.
Love Or Something
Bob Geldof Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ssh don't tell nobody but I almost died
And like a beach bunny sobbing on a shag pile rug
I thought of "Going to a Go, Go" and the family stone frug
We twist and shout then when it's feeling great
She drifts away
(Talk, talk tell me whaddya say)
(Walk, walk baby, why don't you stay)
But like a cardboard suitcase in the pouring rain
She falls apart on me and then we start again
It must be love or something else
Oh, love or something else
Well, I talk with her and then I stay all night
We did everything but it, still it felt alright
She was careful 'bout her health so it didn't hurt
When she started dropping pills in her blue grass skirt
Then she twist and dip and do the flip flop slide
She drifts away
(Talk, talk tell me whaddya say)
She walk away
(Walk, walk baby why don't you stay)
Well, trembling like an earthquake, slipping like soap
I don't believe with her I'll ever give up hoping
This is love or something else
It must be love or something else
Still I never take for granted that what's new
Am I overstating what at root, seems cute
And more to boot, the point is moot
But up to you, is this love or something else
It's only love or something else
Well, I don't believe in love baby if I'm honest with myself
I don't believe it lasts long it's kinda like your health
Hey, everything is spinning round down the laundromat
And love is like your clothes it's only useful while it lasts
Save your soul
Dans se monde il n'ya qu'une femme pour chaque homme
Et je pense qu'il n'ya qu'un age pour chaque age
Et ca see'est vraiment vrai
So don't you talk
(Talk, talk tell me whaddya say)
Don't you walk
(Walk, walk baby why don't you stay)
So don't you talk
(Talk, talk tell me whaddya say)
And walk away
(Walk, walk baby why don't you stay)
Don't you talk
(Talk, talk tell me whaddya say)
And walk away
(Walk, walk baby why don't you stay)
Is this love
(Talk, talk tell me whaddya say)
Or something else
(Walk, walk baby why don't you stay)
Is this love
(Talk, talk tell me whaddya say)
Or something else
(Walk, walk baby why don't you stay)
Is this love or something else
Is this love or something else
Is this love or something else
Is this love
Is this love
Is this love
...
The lyrics of Bob Geldof's song "Love Or Something" are about a relationship that is not necessarily straightforward but full of passion and confusion. The song is told from the perspective of the singer who has caught the eye of someone he is interested in. He feels so strongly about her that he almost dies, and he compares his attraction to her to the feeling of being a beach bunny on a shag pile rug, which is a type of soft, shaggy carpeting. This comparison evokes a sense of comfort and vulnerability.
Throughout the song, the singer describes his interactions with her - they twist and shout, they stay up all night, and they experiment with drugs. However, she drifts away from him, and he questions whether it is love or something else that he feels for her. Despite his confusion, he is hopeful and convinced that they can make it work. In the end, he muses about the fleeting nature of love and whether it is truly lasting or just temporary.
The lyrics of "Love Or Something" are open to interpretation, but they seem to explore the complexities of relationships and the difficulty of determining whether one's feelings are truly love or something else.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, it was last night baby when I caught your eye
Last night, I caught your attention and was pleased about it
Ssh don't tell nobody but I almost died
I felt overjoyed but wanted to keep it a secret
And like a beach bunny sobbing on a shag pile rug
I thought about 'Going to a Go, Go' and the family stone frug
We twist and shout then when it's feeling great
We dance and enjoy ourselves
She drifts away
She starts to change her behavior or leave
(Talk, talk tell me whaddya say)
I want to know what's going on
She walk away
She leaves
(Walk, walk baby, why don't you stay)
I want her to stay
But like a cardboard suitcase in the pouring rain
She falls apart on me and then we start again
It must be love or something else
I'm not sure if it's love or something else
Well, I talk with her and then I stay all night
I enjoy spending time with her
We did everything but it, still it felt alright
We did many things except have sex, but it still felt good
She was careful 'bout her health so it didn't hurt
She's careful about her health and taking pills didn't affect her
When she started dropping pills in her blue grass skirt
She started dancing and pills started falling from her skirt
Then she twist and dip and do the flip flop slide
She continues to dance in different ways
Well, trembling like an earthquake, slipping like soap
I feel nervous and like I might lose her
I don't believe with her I'll ever give up hoping
I'm hopeful about our relationship
This is love or something else
I'm still not sure if it's love or something else
Still I never take for granted that what's new
I don't take our relationship for granted
Am I overstating what at root, seems cute
I wonder if I'm exaggerating how cute things are
And more to boot, the point is moot
It doesn't matter much, really
But up to you, is this love or something else
It's up to you to decide if it's love or something else
It's only love or something else
It could only be love or something else
Well, I don't believe in love baby if I'm honest with myself
If I'm being honest, I don't believe in love
I don't believe it lasts long it's kinda like your health
I don't think love lasts long, much like your health
Hey, everything is spinning round down the laundromat
Everything feels chaotic and out of control
And love is like your clothes it's only useful while it lasts
Love is fleeting and only useful while it's still there
Save your soul
Take care of yourself
Dans se monde il n'ya qu'une femme pour chaque homme
In this world, there's only one woman for each man
Et je pense qu'il n'ya qu'un age pour chaque age
And I think there's only one age for each age
Et ca see'est vraiment vrai
And that's really true
Is this love
Is this love?
Or something else
Or is it something else?
...
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Mute Song Limited
Written by: BOB GELDOF, DAVID ALLAN STEWART
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Lissin Eugene
This guy is so many-sided! He probably can sing and play in every music genre! Big thanks to him for Pink Floyd reunion some years ago :) Good luck, strong health and creativity to You, Bob!
Rick Knechtel
The Best of the Best humanly possible! Love you Bob <3
frijou
What an amazing video and a great song too!
Z L
i really love his smile
me
<3 love this song
Rene Beaurline
He is a talented and handsome man .
Steve K
An 80's version of a tame 50's Elvis come to mind.
Maleficent
Look at all that gorgeous hair he's like a fucking wizard
Daniel Dachtewitz
nice video - keep rockin the streets !
Sidonie Sutcliffe
Great video!
My mum worked on this video, 20 years ago or so! You know the white dog? That's MY mum's puppet!