Originally, they used the moniker 'The Nightlife Thugs'. The name "The Boomtown Rats" comes from a gang of down-and-outs from Woody Guthrie's autobiography, which the folk artist titled 'Bound for Glory'. The guys gained fame due to their often cynical tunes, having several notable singles, yet their record is overshadowed by the charity work on behalf of famine relief of their lead singer. Geldof, being nicknamed 'Bob The Gob' by the media for his big mouth, attained international fame after spearheading efforts such as 'Live Aid'.
The Boomtown Rats itself scored several Top Ten hits in the UK charts during their commercial peak, from 1978 to 79, and their most famous songs, still to this day, are "Rat Trap" (a U.K. #1) and "I Don't Like Mondays" (another U.K. #1), the latter being their biggest hit and achieving international notoriety. The track was written on a tour of the US in 1979 when Bob Geldof heard a telex machine spouting the story of Californian schoolgirl Brenda Ann Spencer, a girl that went on wild shooting spree at a San Diego high school with what seemed like no provocation before or remorse afterward. She justified her killing spree with the excuse "I don't like Mondays".
Bob Geldof has been gifted with the art of story-telling through songs. Lyrics are mostly in third person, have clever double entendre meanings, often relating some story or incident, eg "Dave". Geldof's charity work has been centred around the issue of famine relief, and includes being the organiser for the Band Aid single, for which he brought a superstar pop lineup together to record a song to aid famine relief (at the time was the fastest selling single in Britain of all time) and organizing the LiveAid concerts, a 2-continent superstar live concert that raised over 100 million dollars for famine relief.
Guitarist Gerry Cott left the band in 1981 and the band became a quintet. They disbanded in 1986 following a charity concert in Ireland. Most of the band members have now moved on to solo projects or new bands.
The Boomtown Rats reformed in 2013 going on tour again and released a new best of album Back to Boomtown : Classic Rats Hits which includes two new recorded songs.
Don't Believe What You Read
The Boomtown Rats Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I look at the papers to see what they say,
I know most what I read will be a lot of lies,
But then you learn really fast to read between the lines,
'cause I know (he knows)
What I read ain't true
I know (he knows)
And I'm telling you
If they say it's red, it's blue
Don't believe what you read,
Do you believe what you read?
No, I don't believe what I read.
Never put it down in writing the old man said
I didn't know then but now I know what he meant
And if you're wondering why your letters never get a reply,
It's just when you tell me that you love me I need to see...your eyes.
'cause I know
What I read ain't true
I know
And I'm telling you
I know
If they say it's one, it's two
Don't believe what you read,
Do you believe what you read?
No, I don't believe what I read.
And if you pick up a book and you're starting to read it,
I'll tell you what you'd better do,
You can read it till the end and even if you believe it,
That doesn't mean to say it's true...
Don't believe what you read.
____________________________________________________________
*written by Bob Geldof
*taken from the album entitled "A Tonic For The Troops"
The song "Don't Believe What You Read" by The Boomtown Rats is a commentary on the inherent dishonesty of the media. The singer of the song doesn't blindly believe everything he reads in the papers because he knows that most of it will be lies. He urges the listener not to believe everything they read either, and to read between the lines. This means that the reader must be able to discern the truth for themselves, rather than just accepting everything they are told.
The lyrics of the song also touch on the idea that people should be careful about what they put in writing, as written words can be taken out of context or used against them. The singer uses the example of not responding to letters that profess love because he needs to see the person's eyes, implying that he doesn't trust written communication to convey someone's true feelings.
Overall, the song is a call to be skeptical about what we are presented with, whether it be in the media, books, or other written communications. It encourages the listener to think critically and not blindly accept what they are told.
Line by Line Meaning
As soon as I wake up every day,
Immediately upon waking up each day,
I look at the papers to see what they say,
I examine the newspapers to ascertain their contents,
I know most what I read will be a lot of lies,
I am aware that the majority of what I read will be untruthful,
But then you learn really fast to read between the lines,
However, one quickly masters the art of interpreting beneath the surface of the text,
'cause I know (he knows)
What I read ain't true
I know (he knows)
And I'm telling you
I know (he knows)
If they say it's red, it's blue
Don't believe what you read,
Do you believe what you read?
No, I don't believe what I read.
Because he knows that what he is reading is not truthful, and he is warning you not to believe it. If the text says it is a particular color, he knows that it is probably the complete opposite. He concludes by asking if you think he believes what he reads, to which he responds that he does not.
Never put it down in writing the old man said
The old man advised to never record anything in writing,
I didn't know then but now I know what he meant
At the time, the meaning of the old man's message was unclear, but now it is understood.
And if you're wondering why your letters never get a reply,
If one is curious as to why their letters are never answered,
It's just when you tell me that you love me I need to see...your eyes.
It is simply because when one professes their love, he insists on seeing their eyes to determine their veracity.
'cause I know
What I read ain't true
I know
And I'm telling you
I know
If they say it's one, it's two
Don't believe what you read,
Do you believe what you read?
No, I don't believe what I read.
Once again, he asserts that what he is reading is not true and warns against believing it. Even if information is presented as a certain number, he knows it could be something completely different. His conclusion, as before, is that he does not believe the text.
And if you pick up a book and you're starting to read it,
If you begin to read a book,
I'll tell you what you'd better do,
He offers his advice regarding what to do next,
You can read it till the end and even if you believe it,
Even if you finish reading the book and believe its contents,
That doesn't mean to say it's true...
That does not imply that the narrative is factual.
Don't believe what you read.
He ends by repeating his warning, telling one not to believe what they read.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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