Boomtown Rats - Rat Trap

[hyperbully]

Wow, for some reason I never realized the extent to which this song and Geldoff were influenced by Phil Lynott. Maybe not in the music so much as in the lyrics and Geldoff's delivery (0:36-0:40). Not surprising since Lynott was probably the biggest Irish rock star at the time this was written.

[rubberipper67]

I cant believe this guy (Bob Geldof )stared as "Pink"in the movie "The Wall"

[clarko95]

Is it me, or is this video slightly different from the others? it sounds kinda echoy and a bit off tune compared to the iTunes version and other vids.

[haidcod]

Does any one know the the tenor sax notes for the song.

[annavivnapower]

Haha how can you possibly justify calling this "garbage" ? All six were highly talented musicians and Rat Trap contains some of the cleverest lyrics written!

[bogfarm]

fat video :-)

[xBabySmilezz143]

he was so cute <33

[martinbonis]

Johnny Fingers is absolutely magic on the keyboards. The Rats sound on this piece is very unique due to his prowess on the piano.

[phizdawg]

I love this video, and I love The Rats! I was a big fan back in the day and I still am. They are basically forgotten in the States now, but they will always be one of my favorites. They actually came to Atlanta, my hometown, a couple of times, in the late 70's, early 80's. In fact tlanta is where they wrote "Mondays." Rats Forever!

[bluntsafety]

sorry, but apart from the line "deep down in her pockets she finds 50 feet" this is absolute pretentious rock garbage prefab.

[SuckerLickMyBattery]

Wow. You even got that wrong. How exactly does one find "50 feet" down in ones pocket?

I guys even a song like this sounds pretntious when you are a retard.

[rickserafino]

he says 50 P. Pounds!!!

[cilldroichid]

some clowns are completely supid,where in the song does he say he found "50 feet"

[laundryroom2001]

it's "she finds 50p" - pence, pennies, money, what you would normally find in your pocket.

[amner]

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 the door

It's a rat trap and you've been caught

<3

[nidgybaby]

The boomtown rats were heavly influenced by Bruce Springsteen.....if you listen carefully you will hear this.....

[7beers]

Read Bob Geldoff's bio "Is That It?" -- it's a great read.

[phiphophum]

the video sucks but they were a great band. I was in a band in high school and the crowd always lved ot when we played rat trap.

[Sooze219]

BRILLIANT!!

[newall7]

their best i reckon i remember being in discos in 1978 the place became electric

when this was played

[hospitalbedpan1]

sounds like something from the movie GREASE.

[blueshift86]

unique vid and a great song:D

[evilgart]

the singer is gay

[TomBarry192I]

tell that to his daughter peaches

[Bushwaker75]

Shit vid, great song.

[bennjames]

has any1 eles ntocied this video is a little bit gay?

[GetInTheRing777]

3:51

a tad bit gay

[headtheballmanu]

they are irish and I don't like mondays is better.

[pippenstein]

True, the band was made up of Irish boys, but "I Don't Like Mondays" was not better. Good song, that one, but this one, along with "Someone's Looking At You" were far more energetic and rebellious.

This song makes you want to walk out on your job after pissing on the carpet. "I Don't Like Mondays" kinda just makes you want to cry. Which has it's place, too.

;)

[DanceDanceRobot]

bunch of british faggots in these comments

[kickingcousin]

This song was IT - youth club disco or waiting in the freezing cold for something to happen!!

[kickingcousin]

what a saddo you are..who the hell calls themself kicking cousin...idiot.#####

[kickingcousin]

bloody idiot...i hate you

[2468erica2468]

damn they good, love it to death =D

[princessemz26]

:)

i loooooove this song sooo much !

[soupdragon52013]

First record i bought , brilliant band

[madmacska]

it doesnt get much better than this,,,freezing cold night in 1978 walking the streets singing this.superb

[torvicimagen]

los antecedentes pulp

[mollysgerry]

brill

[geprgiegirl]

Is it really 31 years ago that this was #1? ....Blimey I feel very old now ...Great song ...a sign of the times .......now and then .....

[0xmandx0]

best band ever!!! are any of their songs on guitar hero or rock band??

[Hady1994]

love this song did a drum cover of it, thanks for uploading bob geldof looks like noel fielding from the mighty boosh rofl

[hullabulooah]

best band of all time!

[useifer]

THE BOOMTOWN RATS - FRICKING BRILLIANT - RAT TRAP - The 5 Irish Lads from Dun Laoighre, Dublin, Ireland - headed by Bob Geldof & Johnny Fingers - Totally Excellent Musically, Lyrically, Showmanship, Videos & Stage Presence. They did not get the wide acclaim they deserve just like Thin Lizzy. The Rats and Lizzy were around for just several years, their impact though is huge musically. It certainly put Ireland on the map musically in the world of rock music and they definitely made the road for U2

[spudsucker]

the fucking head on geldof ya have to love him

[alberta1235]

holy shit.

I want a candleholder saxohpone.

[Matttix]

Rattrap, maximize!!!!

[chargersRULE13]

One of the most underated bands of all time.

[mortonhill]

This song marked the end of their very brief punk phase. I can remember back in July 1977 when a punk riot broke out at one of their gigs. What sell outs they were, they should have stayed punk!

[kylieisqueen]

0:10 to 0:27 they look like they are bumin each other

[gerraldo90]

i looooveeee this talented tune!!!

[kelseyjhale]

I LOVE THIS FUCKING SONG!

[TheZodiacKiller622]

in the ''i dont like mondays'' video he looks like jerry seinfeld

[ForTheHerd]

He always does.

[FuckSoG00D]

looks kinda gay in the beginning

[zardalu]

If anything, I would compare Bob Geldof to Billy Idol, because of the irregular mouth shapes. ;)

[zardalu]

Gorgeous? I have to admit that back then, I had two standards: Either great songs, or songs sung by great looking female performers. Boomtown Rats fell and falls into the first category for me. They made great songs. But I never considered the male singer's looks.

[ruachWind]

The Man that was The Spark... to Band Aid, Live Aid & Live8 yer awesome! Gandolf.. brill in that Hobit Film no Geldof. Wot? oh him, yes The Irish one. nay bother Mines A Guiness. by the Liffy :) great Crack, wots her name. Molly.. ok then whoosh do that buy Dubble, help - The Beatles no Ghana. Farmers, Bob Dylan, no Mac Tontoh I see! Osebisa, high life kool. like Luna ego Leith Walk 2000 2001 with Jock Scott The Voice aye. The Evil Scotsman. kinda butt good :) Mondays, hate them Sun!

[gunfiremessiah]

You need to get into rehab pronto.

[ashgilbody]

i lol'd

[hollyishere]

is it me or,

1. was bob geldof GORGEOUS when he was younger?

2. young bob geldof and johnny borrell are quite similar?

[Electrolight92]

1. I'm a boy, so no.

2. Damn good spot. I knew he looked like someone, but I just couldn't place it ;p

[hollyishere]

They look so similar tehe :)

[hutsonrock]

Still a freakin' great song.....

[jakeyjim]

pure quality m8.sir bob rule's...

[wildecy0te]

LOL i have that switch comb XD

[bobtheradish]

LUCKY! I WANT ONE!

[ChasBeauregarde]

Used to drive around in a beat up 69 Plymouth Satellite listening to this on a cassette deck that fed its signal into the cars AM radio! Lets go slumming!

[ExilleFromPie]

a band called boomtown RATS did a song called RAT trap

[reactonick]

the guy seems as if he'd coked

[Wowandflutter333]

we were all coked back in 78. a great cok year

[armheadflujab]

this song rocks

[kettbo]

lol, maybe the worst band ever to have breathed, i would ov hated being a musician at this time knowing this is what sells records.......... demoralizing, kind of ironic how i dont like mondays put food on the table for geldfof and made him a very rich man, he must have some nerve

[anniething1]

you got no taste man

[Snufferson]

With all the horseshit on MTV and radio nowdays -- Rap, emo, new R&B and all that heartless, souless over-produced schlock designed for mindless sheep consumers, you can look at us with a straight face and say The Boomtown Rats are the worst that ever breathed?

[TrikkerMan2]

this song is in the movie "Up The Academy"

which you can watch here on youtube.

[Wowandflutter333]

great song

[SkyBluPinked]

Burst my bubble when I was a kid.

[astronut66]

They should reform!

[fatgingerzac]

the chorus is the best bit.

[thecoolmaster]

boomtown rats only have 1 good song and its i dont like mondays and wtf is he doin gon his videos messing with his hair

[anniething1]

fabulous

[Janaina2108]

♥

[damiandes89]

This is music! thanks for sharing this! =)

[piahsp12]

of course! ;-)!

[starklois]

my dad went to see them he said they bril,i don't belive him he must have been on somthing

[Nicx005]

amazing song by an amazing band

[CBRSIXPACK]

Thanks for posting this.

One of the best songs from 1978.

[rot566]

I love this song and im 11

[superemposed]

you have got good tase in music

[rot566]

Thank you i enjoy 80s & 70s Best music

[untwerf]

if i was you i wouldn't mention my age..all the boomtown rat lovin' pedos'l be after ya now, sonny .

[catsboyscandy]

Why do I find that comment so funny... ?

[PurityPower]

same.... maybe because he put 'sonny' which makes him sound like a pedo?

[catsboyscandy]

Yeah - that had to be it. But also because there is something ironic about me commenting about it. Oh God. The more I read what he wrote, the more I am disturbed and the more I laugh.

[therunescapenetwork]

good song and im not an 80s person!!!!!!!

[McCainTheTurdburglar]

Good, because this song is from the 70s. Don't know if you knew that, if you did my apologies. :)

Great song from a great album.

[kamekame1363]

ｔｈｉｓ　ｉｓ　ａ　ｐｅｎ。

[laBelleNoir]

This seems like one of those videos that was really fun to make. Playing a candelabra...

[pramseyer]

jaysus , I'd say that was the only time in his life that geldof combed his hair.... cool song

[MisspentYouth70]

Total class as were many of their songs and videos

[PappaChimp]

Wow, must have been taking some really crazy drugs, X-P

[Livestr0ng1990]

There was a lot of rockin' goin on that night, cruising time for the young bright lights

[bohemiangirlxxx]

with that outfit and hair he kinda looks like noel fielding as vince noir in s1 of the mighty boosh ^^

[Ceolteor]

Come on Dun Laoghaire!!

[rachelinthegraveyard]

TUUUUUNE!!!

i've not really heard anything else by The Boomtown Rats but this is very good =)

[m1pete]

Have a look at dont like mondays my fave video

excellent

[mikebaggies]

Bob gets slaughtered for his pop career but lets be fair he had some tunes.

[emilyjellybellyleaf]

what i wouldnt give to be that chandelier/candelabra/sax at 3:02

bob! (L)

[bobtheradish]

nice

(me too)

:]

[StNige]

Still fantastic after all these years...

You try playing a candelabra like that without blowing the candles out, it's 'kin hard I tell ya!

[paully1969]

nice song... skag is cheap on the projects...

[mutinyonthekitkat]

This takes me back to being at school when this song was in the charts. We had a biology teacher who dissected a rat in a class one day and he must have been thinking of this as when he'd finished he pinned the disembowelled rat to the side of the blackboard by the tail and wrote 'it's a rat trap and he's been caught' with an arrow pointing to it. It's an image I've always remembered - linked to this song for obvious reasons.

[Loutish1]

Brilliant song....my band "Loutish Lover" are supporting The Boomtown Rats at The Robin2 in Bilston, West Midlands on Wednesday 6th August.

[mscrankyangel]

How did it go?

[m1pete]

Sorry we missed it It would have great proud of you love Bob rather young here though

Julie

[klefafa]

Perfect!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[2012LiveisPerfect]

drug trip video

i like it

[pauljackson799]

the first single i ever bought,what great memories it brings back.

[marmitebabyisback]

Yes same here great memories I think it was their first single out not sure

love dont like mondays too

[Livestr0ng1990]

Looking after Number one was their first single, but yeah, I love all their music too

[bobtheradish]

YOU BEEN CAUGHT IN A RAT TRAP!

CUZ THE RAT'S POWN ALL SO YOU GOT CAUGHT CUZ U GOTTA LISTEN TO THEIR SONGS!

BRUHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH­AHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!

or something like that...w/e

YAY! I <3 THE BOOMTOWN RATS!

[bobtheradish]

bob geldof is freaken awesome!

read his book,its good

[tyu198]

i live in the gasworks now !! its all apartments, see im a Real dub, not all the forgeiners, they dont know what Bob is on about ;)

[teevanjohn]

ur afucking albanian igot a mc d cup 4 u

[CaptainRoblechon]

j' aime trop

[1aladNsane]

1985 Monterey boom box on the floor Schmidt's in hand Joe, the lyrics still resonate "Bill the Cat"

[fartyface1]

wow the Irish know how to make great music, wahoo ya boya

[xz4q18]

I used to live in Lancaster Gate London and I was walking back from work and a black pulls up on the Bayswater Road and who gets out right next to me . Geldof and Johnny Finers in his pyjamas!!!!

[imsite]

I hear Bruce Springsteen influences all over this album. Listen closely to this song. A lot of bands of this era were influenced by his sound and visa versa.

[twinklepop82]

now you come to mention it....can t hear anything else:)

[imsite]

Oh, sorry! Hope I didn't ruin it for you.

[twinklepop82]

not at all....like it when bands give a *nod* to their influences. Was bugging me for a while, just couldn t think who they sounded like:)

[Willydz59]

Yep, I also thought this was Bruce influenced back in 78...

[worcesterwombat]

I still have the 7" single I bought in 1978 - but have nothing to play it on!

[geralltp]

i like this song

[crapidious]

the boomtown rats sold themselves as a punk band... sadly, they were to punk rock what earth wind and fire were to heavy metal!

[johnnysjukebox]

Yes, I agree, the record's full of energy...but dont watch the lame vid :(

[TomthatiscalledTom]

They may not have bondage trousers and safety pins but listen to the lyrics. Punk came out of the sense of betrayal that was everywhere in the 70s. The hippies had sold out and joined Mum and Dad in the middle-class establishment. Rock was no longer about working class escape: it had gone up its arse with 'prog rockers' making concept albums about King Arthur and Aliens. If you lived on a crappy estate and had a dead end job, Rat Trap is a good example of the boredom and anger of those times

[crapidious]

I was a 15 year old punk at the time this came out. we were punks because we liked the music! we were all working class, but I can`t remember one of us feeling (realising) we had been "betrayed". We didn`t analyse the music back then, we just jumped about to it. And as for rat trap, it was mainly liked (as I recall), by non-punks who wanted to be punks.

[amandaleehickey]

A++

[PsychoticSnake]

Great classic. Some parts are quite funny.

[nonohino]

The sax at the begging is the best!

[kevindoo2007]

classic

[Caccaline]

awesome!

[johnnysjukebox]

great track

[ianupton]

rrrr.....rrrrrah.

its a wat twap baby.

and wu been caughty......

[blatch332]

Superb stuff & great memories - Oh for a time machine!

[penelopep15]

Most people remember the rats as a "I don't like Mondays"...It is time to remember a true talent and the inovation behind this band!

[Padulas]

that's true.

but,the best boomtown rat's song,is "rat trap" :)

[puppylover4ever]

lol, my fav boomtown rats is Rat Trap. Comparing it to I Dont Like Mondays it shows how they can vary their music.

ITS A RAT TRAP! AND YOU'VE BEEN CAUGHT!!!!

[Padulas]

the beginning of this song reminds me ultravox's song "dancing with tears in my eyes"

[AlcuinHimself]

Magnificent. An excellent track from a brilliant band... even though it's taken me about 30 years to understand (viscerally) what makes this song so good.

[mrssh]

OMG! your so wright. Look it takes us a while to grow up, so dont beat yourself up! haha. I met the guy in a lift the other week! was on the way to his concert in Dubai. Husband didnt want to go, but i draggggged him by his ear! he's a big fan now! haha. Takes a while to appreciate what you always took for granted! xx

[RobbieRetard]

you have to be a Dubliner to understand a lot of this song.

[Goetmhmiac]

Oh no you don't, you just have to been a young teenager growing up at the time, most of the lyrics could have applied to any large medium or small town at the time, why do you think the rats have so many 40 somehting fans :0)

[colinyoung1970]

Don't talk shite. Resonates with most young people growing up on shitty housing estates with crap prospects.

[jimlarsco]

the greatest rats tune of all time awesome band so much to offer shame they messed it up in america i reckon would of been one of the great bands.

[britneyb40]

CLASSIC!

[TinyDancer500]

Ahhh, back in the days when I started getting caught in a Rat Trap, Boomtown that is. Skinny ties, peg-legged pants, and a jacket to die for, great stuff!

[xbritt99]

One of my all time faves.....brings back memories of living in England as a teen. Their "best of" CD is excellent.

[DiverforPort]

Me too! I look back at that time and think where did all the time go to? Bob is someone to look up to now, he's a great guy.

[madscienceteacher]

lol the begging bit looked wrong XD

[Hardrocker1024]

This song rocks! Boomtown Rats are a great band.

[thereeldeel07]

First new wave song to reach number 1!!

Classic

[DiverforPort]

I loved the Boom Town Rats, I was about 15 at the time.

[weejenni94]

This is my favourite song of all time....thanks for posting it here!

[howdenender]

Big Jock Knew