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.
No Small Wonder
Bob Geldof Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There was nothing on the T.V. as usual
Just the normal repeats and things
I had the City Prices edition of the Evening Standard
Which was not as good as the Late Night one
Mainly because it doesn't have the full cinema listings
To be more specific it doesn't have the Fulham ABC
Which is my local
Down by the Sri Chimnoy Mile
Past the Peace Pagoda
It's good
You can have a personal religious experience
And get healthy at the same time
Which obviously is important for a busy man like me
Well another moment in life's great adventure
It's no small wonder
I hope you weren't offended by what happened last night
It was the awkward hour
And I didn't know what to do
Whether you come on or just leave it
To be honest I wasn't that interested
And I didn't think you were either
So I went back to my place
And you went back to yours
And I got into bed
And started reading a book
By a guy called Tobias Woolf
It's good it's short stories
Just before you sleep he'll take
You off to Burma, Mandalay
Places like that
I set the alarm clock ready for another day at work
Another day in life's great adventure
It's no small wonder
The lyrics of Bob Geldof's song No Small Wonder are reflective of the mundane and monotonous aspects of everyday life. The first stanza describes the singer's experience of coming home late to find nothing worth watching on TV. He then proceeds to read an incomplete edition of the Evening Standard while noting that the version he usually reads has the full cinema listings. Dissatisfied with his options, he walks to Battersea Park for a personal religious experience and some exercise. The phrase "another moment in life's great adventure" is a sarcastic take on the mundane, routine nature of the singer's life.
The second stanza is a reflection that the singer had an awkward encounter or conversation with someone the previous night. Despite this, he did not take any significant interest in seeing them again, and they parted ways. He goes on to read a book by Tobias Woolf titled "In the Garden of the North American Martyrs," which takes the reader on a journey to different parts of the world like Burma and Mandalay before ending the day by setting an alarm for another day at work. The lyrics convey a sense of isolation and detachment from society's humdrum routine and the pursuit of inner peace.
Line by Line Meaning
I got home late last night about 8
I arrived home quite late, around 8 PM.
There was nothing on the T.V. as usual
As anticipated, there was no interesting programming on TV.
Just the normal repeats and things
All that was on TV was the regular and unsurprising reruns and such.
I had the City Prices edition of the Evening Standard
I possessed a copy of the Evening Standard, which had the prices of goods in the city.
Which was not as good as the Late Night one
Nonetheless, it was not as comprehensive as the Late Night issue.
Mainly because it doesn't have the full cinema listings
This is because it lacked the comprehensive list of cinemas and their respective show times.
To be more specific it doesn't have the Fulham ABC
In particular, they did not include the Fulham ABC cinema in their listings.
Which is my local
This cinema is situated in my community.
So I walked over to Battersea Park
I opted to walk to Battersea Park instead.
Down by the Sri Chimnoy Mile
I wandered the paths that lead to the Sri Chimnoy Mile.
Past the Peace Pagoda
While on my walk, I passed by the peaceful and majestic Peace Pagoda.
It's good
The place is fantastic and worth visiting.
You can have a personal religious experience
Furthermore, it gives visitors a chance to have a spiritual experience of their own if desired.
And get healthy at the same time
Finally, it provides a means for visitors to work on their physical health, which is beneficial for someone as busy as me.
Which obviously is important for a busy man like me
It's apparent that this is beneficial for someone who has a packed schedule like mine.
Well another moment in life's great adventure
It was another instance in the wonderful journey we call life.
It's no small wonder
This fact is not at all surprising.
I hope you weren't offended by what happened last night
I hope that what took place last night didn't bother you in any way.
It was the awkward hour
It was late at night - not an ideal time for anything.
And I didn't know what to do
Honestly, I was uncertain about the appropriate course of action.
Whether you come on or just leave it
I was not sure if you wanted to continue or quit what we were doing.
To be honest I wasn't that interested
I must confess that I wasn't that invested in the activity either.
And I didn't think you were either
I didn't assume that you held any strong feelings on the matter either way.
So I went back to my place
Given the situation, I went back to my home.
And you went back to yours
And I presume you did, too.
And I got into bed
Afterward, I went to bed.
And started reading a book
I picked up a book.
By a guy called Tobias Woolf
The book that I selected was authored by someone named Tobias Woolf.
It's good it's short stories
The book is an enthralling collection of brief narratives.
Just before you sleep he'll take
The book has a tendency to draw the reader into the story just before they fall asleep.
You off to Burma, Mandalay
These stories will transport you to exotic locales such as Burma and Mandalay.
Places like that
Locations that are similar in nature to those places.
I set the alarm clock ready for another day at work
I set my alarm clock in anticipation of my next day at work.
Another day in life's great adventure
Another chance to experience new and wonderful things in this adventure we call life.
It's no small wonder
This is quite remarkable.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DANNY MITCHELL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind