Rat Trap

The Boomtown Rats

About Rat Trap

"Rat Trap" is a single by The Boomtown Rats, which reached No. 1 in the UK Singles Chart for two weeks in November 1978, the first single by a punk or new wave act to do so. It was written by Bob Geldof, and produced by Robert John "Mutt" Lange. It replaced "Summer Nights", a hit single for John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John from the soundtrack of Grease, at number one in the UK chart after "Summer Nights" seven week reign at the top.


Year:
1997
4:51
126 
#1

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There was a lot of rocking going on that night
Cruising time for the young bright lights
Just down past the gasworks, by the meat factory door
The five lamp boys were coming on strong

The Saturday night city beat had already started
And the, the pulse of the corner boys just sprang into action
And young Billy watched it all under the yellow street light
And said "tonight of all nights, there's gonna be a fight"

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

There's screaming and crying in the high-rise blocks"
It's a rat trap Billy, but you're already caught
And you can make it if you wanna or you need it bad enough
You're young and good-looking and you're acting kind of tough

Anyway it's Saturday night time to see what's going down
Put on the bright suit Billy, head for the right side of town
It's only 8 o'clock but you're already bored
You don't know what it is but, there's got to be more
You'd better find a way out, hey kick down that door
It's a rat trap and you've been caught

In this town Billy says "everybody's trying to tell you what to do"
In this town Billy says "everybody says you gotta follow rules"
You walk up to those traffic lights
You switch from your left to right
You push in that button and that button comes alight 
And hits you 

"Walk, don't walk
Walk, don't walk
Talk, don't talk
Talk, don't talk"

"Walk, don't walk
Walk, don't walk
Talk, don't talk
Talk, don't talk"

Hey Billy take a walk, take a walk, take a walk
Billy take a walk, take a walk, take a walk
Billy take a walk, take a walk, take a walk
Hey Billy, take a walk with me

Take a walk that leads to me
Sweet high school blues

Oh little Judy's trying to watch "top of the pops"
But mum and dad are fighting don't they ever stop
She takes off her coat and walks down into the street
It's cold on that road, but it's got that home beat
Deep down in her pockets she finds 50p
Hey is that any way for a young girl to be?
I'm gonna get out of school work in some factory
Work all the hours God gave me get myself a little easy money
Now, now, now na na

Her mind's made up, she walks down the road
Her hands in her pockets, coat buttoned 'gainst the cold
She finds Billy down at the Italian cafe
And when he's drunk it's hard to understand what Billy says
But then he mumbles in his coffee and he suddenly roars
"It's a rat trap Judy; and we've been caught"

Rat trap, you've been caught
In a rat trap, you've been caught
In a rat trap, you've been caught
In a rat trap, you've been caught
In a rat trap, you've been caught
In a rat trap, you've been caught
In a rat trap, you've been caught
In a rat trap, you've been caught (the boys are 'round and they're lookin' for a mate)
In a rat trap, you've been caught
In a rat trap, you've been caught
In a rat trap, you've been caught
In a rat trap, you've been caught

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The Boomtown Rats

The Boomtown Rats were an Irish New Wave band that had a series of Irish and UK hits between 1977 and 1985. They were led by vocalist Bob Geldof. more »

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Written by: Bob Geldof

Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind


11 facts about this song

Release and Reception
"Rat Trap" was released in 1978 and is one of the most famous songs by the Irish rock band, The Boomtown Rats.
Pioneer in UK Music History
The song was the first by a purely Irish band to reach No.1 in UK Singles Chart. The record was achieved on November 18, 1978.
Duration
The song has a running time of 5 minutes and 10 seconds, which is longer than most pop singles at the time.
Album Contribution
"Rat Trap" comes from their second album "A Tonic for the Troops".
Song Theme
The song is about teenage dreams and the frustrations of a small-town existence. The name of the song, "Rat Trap", symbolizes life in a dead-end job with no prospects.
Inspiration
Bob Geldof, the band's lead vocalist, was primarily inspired by Bruce Springsteen’s breakthrough album “Born to Run” while crafting this hit song.
Live Performance Drama
When "Rat Trap" overtook John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John's "Summer Nights" to become number one, Geldof famously went on "Top of The Pops" and ripped up a photo of Newton-John and Travolta, marking it as a significant event in pop history.
Unconventional Music Video
The music video, shot in black and white, shows the band performing the song at a bar, with interspersed clips of daily life and the frustration of the working class.
Song Heroes
Bibbly and Billy feature as the song's principal characters and they reflect the typical youth's aspiration and frustration.
Chart Performance
"Rat Trap" also reached No.1 in the Irish charts maintaining the top position for two weeks.
Recognitions
In 2000 Q Magazine placed "Rat Trap" on its list of the "100 Greatest British Singles Ever".

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