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.
Neon Heart
The Boomtown Rats Lyrics
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Cement City is all a-spark (Yeah that's right)
The whores are loose and the dames are abroad (My pants are tight)
There's a price on their hearts you can't fail to afford.
Drink to the bitch and we'll dance for a while
If you can't do the module than you'll have to try the slide
It was all cool enough if you had the zazz
I picked her up at the bar that night (What did you do)
I took her home she didn't put up a fight (What did you do)
She was real good-lookin' but she wasn't too bright (So what's new)
We pulled the curtains and then locked out the night
I was fighting to maintain my cool
I walked the thin line between animal and fool
'Til I felt her hand in mine and said "Your wrong about me"
"I'm a boy from a good family" I told her
The juke box played an out-of-time tune (So what's new)
Made Tricia cry, oh her mascara was ruined (So what's new)
She looked such a sight, the sorrowful bitch (What did she do)
She rushed to the bathroom and she slashed both her wrists
Everybody screamed and roared for more
Lonestar Angels shouting "Encore"
Time was the enemy, we had to kill it dead
The clock kept creeping round so we went to bed instead.
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*taken from The Boomtown Rats debut album
*lyrics written by Bob Geldof
*music arranged by The Boomtown Rats
The Boomtown Rats' song "Neon Heart" is a gritty, provocative and somewhat disturbing narrative about the seedy underbelly of city life. The neon heart symbolizes the city itself, with its bright lights and constant stimulation, but also its coldness and lack of genuine emotion. The song describes a night out in the city where the whores are loose and the dames are abroad, depicting a world where women are sexually objectified and reduced to something that can be bought and sold.
The lyrics also touch on themes of masculinity and power dynamics, as the singer picks up a woman at a bar and takes her home. While he is initially portrayed as suave and in control, he later admits to feeling like an animal and a fool. The woman, in turn, is objectified as good-looking but not too bright, and is ultimately reduced to a tragic figure whose sorrowful state is mocked by the singer.
Line by Line Meaning
Life pours down into the neon heart (It's late at night)
The city is alive and illuminated with neon lights, but it's late at night.
Cement City is all a-spark (Yeah that's right)
The city is a concrete jungle, but it's alive with energy and excitement.
The whores are loose and the dames are abroad (My pants are tight)
Prostitutes are out and about, and it's making the singer feel sexually aroused.
There's a price on their hearts you can't fail to afford.
Prostitutes are available for anyone willing to pay their fee.
Drink to the bitch and we'll dance for a while
Let's raise our glasses and dance with the women.
If you can't do the module than you'll have to try the slide
If you can't do one thing, try another.
It was all cool enough if you had the zazz
It was all exciting enough if you had the energy and enthusiasm.
The night was still young and it was all we had
The night was still young, and it was the only thing that mattered.
I picked her up at the bar that night (What did you do)
The artist met a woman at a bar.
I took her home she didn't put up a fight (What did you do)
The woman went home with the artist willingly.
She was real good-lookin' but she wasn't too bright (So what's new)
The woman was attractive but not very intelligent.
We pulled the curtains and then locked out the night
The artist and the woman closed the curtains, shutting out the outside world.
I was fighting to maintain my cool
The singer was trying to keep their composure.
I walked the thin line between animal and fool
The singer was balancing their primal desires with their rational thoughts.
'Til I felt her hand in mine and said "Your wrong about me"
The singer revealed a different side of themselves to the woman.
"I'm a boy from a good family" I told her
The artist informed the woman that he came from a respectable family.
The juke box played an out-of-time tune (So what's new)
The jukebox played a song that was out of date.
Made Tricia cry, oh her mascara was ruined (So what's new)
The song made one of the girls cry, ruining her makeup.
She looked such a sight, the sorrowful bitch (What did she do)
The crying woman looked pitiful to the singer.
She rushed to the bathroom and she slashed both her wrists
The crying woman went to the bathroom and cut herself.
Everybody screamed and roared for more
The crowd was demanding more entertainment.
Lonestar Angels shouting "Encore"
The specific audience members, the Lonestar Angels, were shouting for an encore.
Time was the enemy, we had to kill it dead
The singer wanted to make sure the night lasted as long as possible.
The clock kept creeping round so we went to bed instead.
Time was passing quickly, so the artist and the woman went to bed instead of continuing to party.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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