THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

632-The Boomtown Rats-Rat Trap.

1978-Number 1 single.

Best Bit-At 4.08. Many artists found that performing on ‘Top of the Pops’ was a necessary evil, as the producers of the show would insist that they mime. Like many others, Bob Geldof knew that if he wanted to get the best exposure for his song he would have to perform, but he got his own back on the show, by miming the saxophone part on a candelabra.

The Boomtown Rats were formed in Dublin, Ireland, in 1975, by Bob Geldof, (vocals) Gary Roberts, (1950-2022) (lead guitar) Johnnie Fingers, (keyboards) Pete Briquette, (bass) Gerry Cott, (rhythm guitar) and Simon Crowe, (drums) they were active until 1986, but then reformed in 2013, without Johnnie Fingers, and Gerry Cott. They were initially known as ‘The Nightlife Thugs,’ but soon changed to ‘The Boomtown Rats,’ with Bob Geldof taking the name from the gang of children who are referred to in Woody Guthrie’s (1912-1967) (see also best songs 103) 1943 autobiography, ‘Bound for Glory,’ which Geldof had read.

The discography of The Boomtown Rats includes seven studio Albums released between 1977-2020, and 23 singles released within the same time period, there are also seven official compilation Albums, and four live Albums available. In their native Ireland, on the ‘Irish Singles Chart,’ which is the Republic of Ireland’s music industry official chart, 11 of their singles have reached the top 40, with ‘I Don’t Like Mondays,’ peaking the highest at Number 1 in 1979, while ‘Rat Trap,’ reached Number 2. In the UK, 12 of their singles, including the 1994 re-issue of ‘I Don’t Like Mondays,’ (Number 38) have made the top 40, with both ‘Rat Trap,’ and ‘I Don’t Like Mondays,’ making the Number 1 spot. Although they have issued most of their recordings in America, and spent time touring there as well, they never made a commercial breakthrough, with their only entry on the Billboard Hot 100 being ‘Rat Trap,’ which stalled at Number 73.

Bob Geldof was born Robert Frederick Zenon Geldof, on October 5th, 1951, in Dún Laoghaire, County Dublin, Ireland, prior to co-founding The Boomtown Rats, he had worked as a slaughterman, a road navvy, and he had also had a job canning peas, while residing in Wisbech, England. He was then hired as a music journalist in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, for the free weekly news and entertainment newspaper ‘The Georgia Straight,’ and also while in Canada he briefly guest hosted the ‘Canadian Broadcasting Corporation’ children’s program ‘Switchback.’ Bob Gedof of course will always be best remembered for his charitable work, in particular the 1984 ‘Band Aid’ single ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas?’ (see also best songs 455) and the 1985 ‘Live Aid’ concerts, at the ‘Wembley Stadium,’ in London, England, and the ‘John F. Kennedy Stadium,’ in Philadelphia, United States. Among the many awards he has received for his fundraising, is being invested by Queen Elizabeth II as an honorary ‘Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire,’ in 1986. Bob Geldof is entitled to use the post-nominal letters ‘KBE,’ but not to be styled ‘Sir,’ as he is not a citizen of a Commonwealth realm, nevertheless he is affectionately referred to as ‘Sir Bob’ by many. After the split of The Boomtown Rats in 1986, he pursued a solo music career, which has seen the release of five studio Albums between 1986-2011, and 17 singles within the same time period. In Ireland four of his singles have reached the top 40, with his 1996 self-mocking cover version of ‘Rat Trap,’ with ‘Dustin the Turkey,’ being that years Christmas Number 1 single, while in the UK, two of his singles have made the top 40, with ‘The Great Song of Indifference,’ from 1990, charting the highest at Number 15.

‘Rat Trap’ was the last of three singles released from The Boomtown Rats’ second studio Album ‘A Tonic for the Troops,’ from June 1978, the song was written by Bob Geldof, and produced by Robert John ‘Mutt’ Lange (see also best songs 479 and 314.) When ‘Rat Trap’ went to Number 1 in the UK, it became the first single by a ‘Punk’ or ‘New Wave’ act to do so, The Boomtown Rats also became the first ‘Irish Rock’ group to have a UK Number 1 single. Bob Geldof had written the lyrics to ‘Rat Trap’ as far back as 1973, while working in an abattoir. The song tells the tale of young Billy, who knows that he is already trapped by his surroundings, and if he is to have a better life, then he must move away from the town he lives in. Bob Geldof has said, ‘I wanted to be famous, because I wanted to use fame to talk about things that bothered me. That really was me working in the abattoir.’

‘Billy don’t like it living here in this town, he says the traps have been sprung long before he was born. He says hope bites the dust behind all the closed doors, and pus and grime ooze from its scab crusted sores.’