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.
Room 19
Bob Geldof Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sha-la-la-la-lee
Sha-la-la-la-la
I feel free
When I woke up I was freezing
Shaking like a leaf
I was stuck up on a shelf
With the other guys in Room 19
Then the brain here right beside me
Speaking telepathically
Said "Hi, my name is Stalin
Glad to see you here in Room 19"
Yeah Tchaikovsky played the music
While Pasternak wrote poetry
As they sliced our brains to study
Why we ended up in Room 19
Well 'ol Sakharov was outraged
And said "Exactly what you mean?"
And Lenin said "There is no Heavan
So I can't believe in Room 19"
Set me free, free, free, etc.
The lyrics of Bob Geldof's Room 19 song depict a nightmarish scenario in which the singer finds himself waking up to realize that he is stuck on a shelf with other people in room 19. The scene is set in a cold and freezing environment where the singer shakes like a leaf. The reference to Sha-la-la-la-la suggests that the singer is trying to stay positive or upbeat in a dire situation. In this elusive, mind-bending environment, brain manipulation seems to be taking place, which raises questions about free will, privacy, invasion of human rights, and what could possibly happen to the singer next.
The storyline of Room 19 is open to interpretation, but some suggest that it refers to a former Russian government experiment on mind control that took place in Room 19 of the Leningrad Institute of Psychiatry. The experiment saw the government manipulate people's brains and perform experiments on them, causing outrage among the scientific community and civil society. The song could, therefore, be a subtle outcry against human rights abuses and the violation of privacy committed in the name of national security by governments.
Line by Line Meaning
Sha-la-la-la-la
The singer is expressing his freedom and joy through a simple, repetitive chant.
Sha-la-la-la-lee
The singer is continuing to express his freedom and joy through a simple, repetitive chant.
Sha-la-la-la-la
The singer is still expressing his freedom and joy through a simple, repetitive chant.
I feel free
The artist is expressing his sense of freedom and liberation.
When I woke up I was freezing
The artist describes his initial confusion and discomfort upon waking up.
Shaking like a leaf
The singer describes his physical reaction to his confusion and discomfort.
I was stuck up on a shelf
The singer reveals his physical location, which adds to his confusion and discomfort.
With the other guys in Room 19
The artist clarifies that he is not alone, but rather confined with others in the same uncomfortable situation.
Then the brain here right beside me
The artist shifts to a surreal scene in which a disembodied brain speaks to him.
Speaking telepathically
The artist clarifies that the brain is communicating with him through some kind of extrasensory perception.
Said "Hi, my name is Stalin
The singer reveals that the speaking brain is none other than the infamous Soviet dictator Josef Stalin.
Glad to see you here in Room 19"
Stalin seems to be aware of the artist's predicament and welcomes him to the strange room.
Yeah Tchaikovsky played the music
The singer shifts again to describe a strange scene involving composer Pyotr Tchaikovsky.
While Pasternak wrote poetry
The singer adds to the strange scene with the inclusion of poet and novelist Boris Pasternak.
As they sliced our brains to study
The singer seems to explain the purpose of the scientists' experiments, which involve dissecting their brains.
Why we ended up in Room 19
The artist ponders the reason for their confinement, suggesting that there may be a deeper mystery at play.
Well 'ol Sakharov was outraged
The artist reveals the reaction of a fellow captive, physicist and dissident Andrei Sakharov.
And said "Exactly what you mean?"
Sakharov expresses confusion about the purpose and meaning of their strange captivity.
And Lenin said "There is no Heavan
The singer includes another historical figure, Vladimir Lenin, who dismisses the possibility of an afterlife.
So I can't believe in Room 19"
Lenin seems resigned to his situation, implying that there is no escape from their confinement.
Set me free, free, free, etc.
The artist returns to his initial cry for freedom, repeating it with added urgency and emphasis.
Contributed by Mackenzie O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
eleven1516
Terrific!
Nathan Chuta
Feel good song right here
Team Normie
Just recently watched benchwarmers XD love that movie
supermariofan2001
Taken from The Benchwarmers (2006)
0:37 Terrific.
Nikodaddy1
I sure enjoy a lot. Thanks
annie khaidem
Geldof played the main characters "Pink" in the film version of Pink Floyd's The Wall
Ana Molko
Why is this album so hard to find in the USA? I had it in Europe but impossible to find in USA.
Lloyd Thompson
The Monkees - I'm A Believer is definitely in this song.
MrBigben1221
this is played in the Benchwarmes
Carter Bennett
I just rewatched it for like the 4th time I love that movie