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.
Walking Back to Happiness
Bob Geldof Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But I looked up and I could clearly see that moon
For a second I thought I was somewhere
Romantic like Mississippi
But I was walking down Chelsea Bayou
It takes you by surprise the places you find yourself in
One minute you're here
Next minute you're there
If it wasn't for a well placed sense of direction
You could lose your head and simply carry on
Walking back to happiness
I've been walking back to happiness
Like Helen Shapiro did
Me and Helen
Arm in arm
Foghorns boom the daylight gloom descends
Too soon on wintry afternoons
That frightened heart of youth is with me now
Still staring out from it's upstairs room
And you can take any road you wish to walk on
You can swim to the furthest shore
Or you can be like Joan of Arc babe
And plug into the planet's core
And go walking back to happiness
I feel happy already watch me smile
See me laughing
Later on see me cry
And as it gets colder and the night wears on a little bit
I cool down yes I cool my heels
I remember my father and me down on the East Pier
He's pointing at the ships saying "They're leaving here"
Where do they go?
Where do they go?
Eastward Ho
Eastward Ho
Yes I remember my father
Standing on the edge of the Pier
Pointing with his finger "Eastward Ho"
And were walking back to happiness
And here we go
___________________________________________________________
*written by Bob Geldof
*taken from the album entitled "The Vegetarians of Love"
In Bob Geldof's song, "Walking Back to Happiness," the singer begins with a melancholy tone, claiming that dark skies are falling down on their head. However, as they look up, they see the moon and find a glimmer of hope. They then express a sense of disorientation, surprised by the places they find themselves in. The singer acknowledges that, without a sense of direction, they could easily lose their head and get caught up in the chaos. The song then brings up Helen Shapiro and references her hit song, "Walking Back to Happiness," as a means of indicating the singer’s hopeful state.
The line, "Foghorns boom the daylight gloom descends," sets a somber tone as the singer reflects on the heart of their youth and moodiness. The singer then offers some potential solutions for finding a way back to happiness - taking any road one wishes, swimming to the "furthest shore," or connecting with the earth's core like Joan of Arc. The song then takes a twist as the singer mentions their father, who recalls standing on the edge of the East Pier, pointing to the departing ships and saying, "Eastward Ho." It seems as though the singer is drawing on this memory to find a way to move forward and regain their sense of direction- by walking back to happiness.
Line by Line Meaning
Dark skies are falling down on my head tonight
I'm feeling down and out tonight
But I looked up and I could clearly see that moon
I saw something beautiful in the midst of dark times
For a second I thought I was somewhere Romantic like Mississippi
I felt transported to a romantic place in my mind
But I was walking down Chelsea Bayou
But in reality, I was just walking down the street
It takes you by surprise the places you find yourself in
Life can be unpredictable
One minute you're here
One minute you're in one place
Next minute you're there
The next minute you're somewhere else
And then you're gone
And before you know it, you're gone
If it wasn't for a well placed sense of direction
If you don't have a sense of purpose or direction in life
You could lose your head and simply carry on
You could just go through life not really knowing what you're doing
Walking back to happiness
I'm trying to get back to a happier state of mind
I've been walking back to happiness
I've been trying to do this for a while
Like Helen Shapiro did
Just like the singer Helen Shapiro did in her song
Me and Helen
I'm doing it with the same spirit as Helen Shapiro
Arm in arm
Together with someone else
Foghorns boom the daylight gloom descends
It feels bleak and cold outside
Too soon on wintry afternoons
Winter days can feel short and dreary
That frightened heart of youth is with me now
I'm feeling a sense of nostalgia for my youth and its fears
Still staring out from it's upstairs room
The memories feel vivid and close
And you can take any road you wish to walk on
You have choices in life
You can swim to the furthest shore
You can go far in life if you try
Or you can be like Joan of Arc babe
You can be determined and fight for a cause
And plug into the planet's core
You can connect with something greater than yourself
And go walking back to happiness
All of these choices could potentially bring me happiness
I feel happy already watch me smile
I can already feel happiness coming back
See me laughing
See? Happiness!
Later on see me cry
But sometimes it won't last
And as it gets colder and the night wears on a little bit
As the night goes on and it gets colder outside
I cool down yes I cool my heels
I try to relax and cool off both physically and emotionally
I remember my father and me down on the East Pier
I have fond memories of being with my father on the pier
He's pointing at the ships saying "They're leaving here"
He pointed out the ships leaving port
Where do they go?
Where are they headed?
Eastward Ho
To the East!
Yes I remember my father
I cherish the memories of him
Standing on the edge of the Pier
And the specific moment when we were on the pier
Pointing with his finger "Eastward Ho"
When my father pointed out where the ships were going
And were walking back to happiness
I'm now walking towards happiness again
And here we go
Let's go!
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind