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.
House On Fire
The Boomtown Rats Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I know 'cos I saw him shimmer in a Kenyan pool
Coming on in the vines with his leopard-skin lioncloth cool
Bony Watusi fingers
Beating on the bark of a tree
Now Tarzan and me, well, obviously we're like that
Me and Tarzan, yeah we get on like a house on fire
She's only 17 but she knows how to make boys fight
Yeah she'll slit you with her eyes an' she'll slash you
With her cut-back smile
Ah she's as cruel as a pig but we love her like a house on fire
Louise and me now obviously we're like that
Yes me and Louise we'll make it like a house on fire
I saw a raw white angel executing loop-de-loops in the sky
Drawing lazy spirals with his slipstream smoke as he silently
Passed us by
But his halo got too heavy so he hung it down around his waist
Doing halo hula-hoops, executing loop-de-loops takes a lot of
Skill and bad taste
Now the angel and me obviously we're like that
Me and the devil we get it on like a house on fire
______________________________________________________________________
*written by Bob Geldof
*taken from the album entitled "V-Deep"
The lyrics to The Boomtown Rats' song "House on Fire" are evocative and unique. The song appears to focus on a group of individuals who all have a certain charisma, even if some of them are described as being "cruel" or "raw." The first verse of the song describes Tarzan, an iconic character from literature and film, playing the blues on a makeshift instrument while surrounded by jungle foliage. The reference to Kenya is likely a nod to the fact that Tarzan was written by Edgar Rice Burroughs, who set many of his novels in Africa. The phrase "like a house on fire" is used in reference to the relationship between the singer and Tarzan, implying that they get along famously.
The second verse of the song describes Louise, who is only 17 years old but is already skilled in the art of making boys fight. While her personality may be somewhat abrasive or aggressive, the singer seems to appreciate her for who she is. The phrase "knick-knack eyes" is an unusual one that suggests Louise may have a set of unusual or striking eyes. As with the previous verse, the phrase "like a house on fire" is used as a way of expressing how close the singer is to Louise.
The final verse describes a "raw white angel" executing stunts in the sky. The phrase "raw white" is intriguing, as it suggests that this angel may not be the typical cherubic being that is often depicted in popular culture. As with Tarzan, there is a sense that this being is wild and untamed. The singer compares himself to both the angel and the devil, suggesting that he has different sides to his personality that are drawn to both good and evil. Overall, the lyrics to "House on Fire" are poetic and imaginative, using unusual imagery to convey a sense of closeness between the singer and the various characters described.
Line by Line Meaning
I heard Tarzan outside playing on the Jungle Blues
I heard someone playing music in the style of Tarzan in the jungle
I know 'cos I saw him shimmer in a Kenyan pool
I know it was Tarzan because I saw a reflection of him in a pool in Kenya
Coming on in the vines with his leopard-skin lioncloth cool
Tarzan is swinging through the vines wearing a cool outfit made of leopard-skin
Bony Watusi fingers
Tarzan has skinny fingers like the Watusi tribe
Beating on the bark of a tree
Tarzan is drumming on the bark of a tree in rhythm to the music
Now Tarzan and me, well, obviously we're like that
Tarzan and I are good friends who understand each other well
Me and Tarzan, yeah we get on like a house on fire
Tarzan and I get along so well that it's like our friendship is burning brightly
Look at cool Louise she's the one with the knick-knack eyes
Louise is very interesting and has unique eyes that catch attention
She's only 17 but she knows how to make boys fight
Louise is young but she knows how to create conflict between boys who like her
Yeah she'll slit you with her eyes an' she'll slash you
Louise can hurt you with just a look or a smile
With her cut-back smile
Her smile is sly and reserved
Ah she's as cruel as a pig but we love her like a house on fire
Despite her cruel behavior, we love her fiercely
Louise and me now obviously we're like that
Louise and I are good friends who understand each other well
Yes me and Louise we'll make it like a house on fire
Louise and I will make something great happen; our collaboration will burn brightly like a house on fire
I saw a raw white angel executing loop-de-loops in the sky
I saw an angel doing acrobatics and flying loops in the sky
Drawing lazy spirals with his slipstream smoke as he silently Passed us by
The angel left behind a trail of smoke from his wings as he passed by us silently
But his halo got too heavy so he hung it down around his waist
The angel's halo was too heavy for him so he moved it down to hover around his waist
Doing halo hula-hoops, executing loop-de-loops takes a lot of Skill and bad taste
Doing acrobatics with a halo requires skill but also shows bad taste
Now the angel and me obviously we're like that
The angel and I are good friends who understand each other well
Me and the devil we get it on like a house on fire
The devil and I have a good relationship that burns brightly and passionately like a house on fire
Contributed by James W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.