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.
The Chains Of Pain
Bob Geldof Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He say leave me alone
Let me be just as I am
Money grow on tree
As we say in Japanee
Down Amazonia way
Up all night I've been out with the in crowd
Uptight, outtasight, alright outtamind
But in another way
A chain that breaks is just a heart that's changed
Sometimes I fall on my knees and I pray
God won't let me see another day
Then I wake up and thank God that He's
Ignored my prayers again
Systems of belief well they come and they go babe
The myths we believe in they change from day to day
I believe belief will wrap your brains in chains
So I'm for changing
Desperate deeds were done by men with guns in China
Boys in clean white shirts
Stopped the tanks in their dirt
And the blood they spilled
Just made the white shine brighter
They weren't waiting baby
They were breaking up the chains of pain
They're not slaves they're changing
By breaking up the chains of pain
A brain in chains is just a heart enslaved
Join the chain gang
Break it up
The song "The Chains of Pain" by Bob Geldof uses metaphors and powerful imagery to convey a message of liberation from societal constraints and beliefs that hold us back. In the first verse, Jungle Joe asks Uncle Sam to leave him alone as he wants to be free to be himself, and he highlights the idea that money grows on trees. This also reflects the idea that we are trapped in a system that values material possessions over other important aspects of life. The chorus "A chain that breaks is just a heart that's changed" emphasizes the idea that by breaking free from the chains, we can change and grow as individuals.
The second verse explores the idea that beliefs and systems of belief change from day to day, and we should not be chained by them. Geldof's belief is that such beliefs wrap our brains in chains, enslaving us to past ideas and limiting our potential to grow and change. The line "Desperate deeds were done by men with guns in China" refers to the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests, where students and civilians protested against the government's policies. Geldof highlights the bravery of citizens who stood up to oppressive systems and broke free from the chains of pain.
The song concludes with the invitation to join the chain gang and break up these chains of pain. The idea being that in the process, we will liberate ourselves and transform into better versions of ourselves. This inspiring message encourages us to seek freedom, break free from societal chains, and pursue our dreams.
Line by Line Meaning
Jungle Joe say to Uncle Sam
A character named Jungle Joe speaks to Uncle Sam
He say leave me alone
Jungle Joe asks Uncle Sam to leave him alone
Let me be just as I am
Jungle Joe wants to remain as he is
Money grow on tree
A saying in Japan about money growing on trees
As we say in Japanee
A continuation of the reference to Japanese sayings
Down Amazonia way
A mention of Amazonia
Up all night I've been out with the in crowd
The singer has been with the popular crowd all night
Uptight, outtasight, alright outtamind
Describing the artist's state of mind as a combination of being anxious and crazy, but ultimately okay
You know what I'm trying to say
The artist assumes the listener understands what they mean
But in another way
The artist suggests that their message can be interpreted in different ways
A chain that breaks is just a heart that's changed
The breaking of a chain represents a change in one's emotional state
Sometimes I fall on my knees and I pray
The artist sometimes prays while on their knees
God won't let me see another day
The singer doesn't want to see another day and prays for God to take them away
Then I wake up and thank God that He's
After waking up, the singer thanks God for something
Ignored my prayers again
God hasn't answered the singer's prayers
Systems of belief well they come and they go babe
Reference to changing belief systems
The myths we believe in they change from day to day
The artist references the variability of myths over time
I believe belief will wrap your brains in chains
Beliefs are restrictive and can limit one's potential
So I'm for changing
The singer advocates for change
Desperate deeds were done by men with guns in China
Reference to violence in a specific location
Boys in clean white shirts
The boys are cleanly dressed
Stopped the tanks in their dirt
The boys stopped the tanks and prevented them from moving further
And the blood they spilled
The soldiers shed blood
Just made the white shine brighter
The spilled blood ironically shows up bright against the white shirts
They weren't waiting baby
The boys were not passively waiting
They were breaking up the chains of pain
The boys were liberating themselves from pain
They're not slaves they're changing
The soldiers are changing their circumstances
By breaking up the chains of pain
The soldiers are liberating themselves from their struggles
A brain in chains is just a heart enslaved
Being mentally trapped is equivalent to being emotionally enslaved
Join the chain gang
A call to take part in a liberating movement
Break it up
A demand to end confinement and restriction
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Mute Song Limited
Written by: DANNY MITCHELL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind