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.
Thinking Voyager 2 Type Things
Bob Geldof Lyrics
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I'm handing out the breath and the kiss
I'm electric with the snap and the crackle of creation
I'm mixing up the mud with the spit
So rise up Brendan Behan and like a drunken Lazarus
Let's traipse the high bronze of the evening sky
Like crack crazed kings.
Looking back at home and weeping
Cold and alone in the dark void
Winding down and bleeping
Ever dimmer ever thinner
Feebly cheeping in the solar winds
I'll turn you up
Sail on sail on sail on
On past the howling storms
Through electric orange skies
And blinding methane rain
Sail on
I'll turn you up
Never bring me down to earth again
Let me blaze a trail of glory across the sky
Let me traipse across it's golden high
Let me marvel in wonder and unfettered gaze
At the bigness and implausibility of being
Yes stretch out your hands into infinity you human things
Past blind moons and ice cream worlds
You hurl your metal ball of dull intelligence
And show us all our fragile grip
As we too track with you
Slower but no less insistent
Like the only fertile seed
In the barren vault of being
Sail on
Hurtling towards the waiting tomb of empty worlds
Waiting for the final primary come of life
I'll turn you up
And I'm thinking big things
I'm thinking about mortality
I'm thinking it's a cheap price that we pay for existence
This is the moment that we come alive
This is the breath and this is the kiss
No we're in Paris
In the ball gowns
In the high heels
In the snow
And we're spinning round Versailles in a Volkswagen Beetle
That we'd hired for the day
(At the cheap rate)
The room without the shower was cold again
"Are we already middle-aged", she said
And I said "I feel nothing
I feel like a jelly-fish",
"Mabey it's the Portuguese Men-O-Pause", she joked
And she laughed her brittle head
And we went back to bed
And I've been thinking about these things
I've been thinking about Voyager 2
And this is the moment that we come alive.
*Taken from the album "Vegetarians of Love"
*Written by Bob Geldof/Pete Briquette
The lyrics of Bob Geldof's song "Thinking Voyager 2 Type Things" seem to be about the awe-inspiring wonder of human existence and our fascination with exploring the universe. The singer is ecstatically mixing up the elements of creation, rising up to traverse the evening sky with Brendan Behan (an Irish writer known for his satirical wit and love of alcohol) "like crack crazed kings". Meanwhile, Voyager 2 - a space probe launched in 1977 to study the outer Solar System and beyond - is depicted as a lonely traveler gradually fading away into the void of space. The singer urges it on to sail on, despite the howling storms, the blinding methane rain, and the waiting tomb of empty worlds. As the song progresses, it shifts to a more personal level, portraying the singer and a partner in Paris, pondering their mortality and their feelings of detachment from the world around them. Ultimately, the song ends on a note of exultant affirmation: "This is the moment that we come alive. This is the breath and this is the kiss."
Line by Line Meaning
This is the moment that we come alive
The present moment is the one in which we feel the most alive.
I'm handing out the breath and the kiss
I am experiencing the thrill of creation and giving life to new things.
I'm electric with the snap and the crackle of creation
I am excited and energized by the process of creating something new.
I'm mixing up the mud with the spit
I am using my own experiences and emotions to create something raw and authentic.
So rise up Brendan Behan and like a drunken Lazarus
Let's celebrate life and live it to the fullest, like the great writers and thinkers who came before us.
Let's traipse the high bronze of the evening sky
Let's explore the world and appreciate its beauty and wonder.
Like crack crazed kings
Let's experience life with intensity and passion, like rulers who are high on their own power.
Voyager 2 where are you now
Where has Voyager 2 gone and what is it experiencing?
Looking back at home and weeping
Perhaps now it regrets leaving home and wishes to return.
Cold and alone in the dark void
Voyager 2 is currently isolated and vulnerable.
Winding down and bleeping
Its energy is dwindling and it is barely communicating.
Ever dimmer ever thinner
As it moves farther from the sun, its light and power are fading.
Feebly cheeping in the solar winds
It is barely making a sound as it moves through the universe.
I'll turn you up
I will amplify and listen to your signal.
Sail on sail on sail on
Keep going, keep moving forward.
On past the howling storms
Continue through any challenges or obstacles.
Through electric orange skies
Sail through the colorful and dynamic atmosphere of the universe.
And blinding methane rain
Endure even the harshest conditions of space.
Never bring me down to earth again
Do not let me lose my sense of wonder and adventure by returning me to mundane terrestrial life.
Let me blaze a trail of glory across the sky
Allow me to explore and be remembered as a hero.
Let me traipse across it's golden high
Let me experience and celebrate the best moments of life.
Let me marvel in wonder and unfettered gaze
Allow me to be awestruck by the mysteries of the universe and the beauty of the natural world.
At the bigness and implausibility of being
The vastness of existence and the meaning of life are both incredible and incomprehensible to us.
Yes stretch out your hands into infinity you human things
We should reach as far as we can, even if it means never really grasping the full scope of the universe.
Past blind moons and ice cream worlds
Even the most barren places in the universe hold their own beauty and mystery.
You hurl your metal ball of dull intelligence
We send our machines to explore and learn the secrets of the universe.
And show us all our fragile grip
Their discoveries remind us how small and vulnerable we are in the grand scheme of things.
As we too track with you
We trace the path of Voyager 2 and learn from its discoveries.
Slower but no less insistent
We may be less advanced, but we are equally curious and determined.
Like the only fertile seed
We are like the one hope for life in an otherwise barren universe.
In the barren vault of being
The universe is vast and empty, but we hope to find meaning and purpose within it.
Waiting for the final primary come of life
We look forward to discovering the ultimate secret of the universe: the origin of life itself.
And I'm thinking big things
I am contemplating the grandest and most complex ideas we can explore.
I'm thinking about mortality
I am pondering what it means to live and die.
I'm thinking it's a cheap price that we pay for existence
Perhaps life is a small sacrifice to experience the world and all it has to offer.
No we're in Paris
Now we are in a different time and place.
In the ball gowns
We are enjoying an elegant and glamorous lifestyle.
In the high heels
We are still climbing higher and achieving more.
In the snow
The world around us is always changing and adapting.
And we're spinning round Versailles in a Volkswagen Beetle
We are enjoying every moment and making the best of our situation, even if it seems ordinary.
That we'd hired for the day
Even everyday events can bring great joy and satisfaction.
(At the cheap rate)
We do not need to spend a lot of money to appreciate the world around us.
The room without the shower was cold again
Even in the midst of pleasure, we may experience discomfort and hardship.
"Are we already middle-aged", she said
We are not as young or carefree as we used to be.
And I said "I feel nothing
Despite our fears and doubts, life may often seem dull or empty.
I feel like a jelly-fish"
We may feel weak or vulnerable in the grand scheme of things.
"Mabey it's the Portuguese Men-O-Pause", she joked
Despite our concerns, life has its humorous and light-hearted moments.
And she laughed her brittle head
We should enjoy the small things in life and laugh often.
And we went back to bed
After all of our experiences, we can still find comfort and solace in each other.
And I've been thinking about these things
Despite all of the distractions and experiences in life, the big questions and mysteries of existence still linger.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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