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Boomtown Rats -> The Boomtown Rats -> The Boomtown Rats -> Intriguing mystifying reference in song
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noelindublin


Loudmouth

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Intriguing mystifying reference in song
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I've always been a bit intrigued and puzzled by the line from I Can Make It If You Can -'And down the road I'm told five people died...' Is it based on some real event or is it just fiction-feels a bit funny to just make up.

The idea I've always held, with no proof, is that it might be a reference to some atrocity in the north of Ireland during the troubles, sometime in the seventies showing how life had become cheap. The only other thing it could be is maybe a car crash. Five people dying is not very normal.

I believe the subject matter is Geldof's 'relationship' with a girl I think was called Daphne (if I remember rightly from Is That it?), about his going to Canada, and the general insecurity in his life before the Rats. But line about 'down the road five people died' has always made me wonder if it was perhaps a line about the Ireland he would be staying in, with a casual violence happening 'down the road'(Northern Ireland). Even the previous line states :'somewhere, someplace, someones killing a man' which perhaps backs up my argument, but I'm really only guessing.

Anyway just looking at the lyrics it's a great song, very emotionally affecting, and I suspect heartfelt.



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Lisa


Mondo Bongo

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I always thought it was to juxtapose sad things happening to you personally against those things happening to others - sad but in a distant way so maybe not directly affecting you. But sort of covering feelings of hopelessness and despair about stuff you can't control.

I love the song - and find it very emotional, but I guess that's the beauty of it, you can twist it to mean something to you, even if it's not what Bob intended!

But yes, it would be interesting to know whether it's based on real events ..

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noelindublin


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I think it's a great song, but one Bob hardly ever plays live. Even the Rats dropped it form their set after the first album. Maybe Bob's new 'loved up' life makes the words 'Dont trust anything, especially love' seem a bit redundant. The words always struck me as being very authentic-describing life before fame, with no certainty about the future, or no stable relationship.

Not knocking She's So Modern but I suspect I Can Make It If You Can is a song from the heart, describing a difficult situation and sometimes you just get a feeling that a song is 'real' rather than manufactured or constructed. There is a certain kinship between I Can Make It and the extra track from the first album called A Second Time.



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suss


In the Long Grass

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I'd wager it was some real event, given Bob's propensity for drawing inspiration from the press (Mondays, Diamond Smiles, Another Piece of Red, He Watches it All, etc?), but no idea what. 

Think I agree with Lisa it's most likely a series of wistful observations, abstract then personal. Can't see any theme emerging that would make the 5 people incident relevant, other than in the context needed.

Yet another song that has come to mean far more to me in latter years. Confess I thought it was just a bit of a wishy washy lovey number amongst all the energy of first album when I was a callow yoof...or callous perhaps?

Current Rats play it alot when their set is 'complete'. Must be a Garry and/or Simon favourite too as it's out of keeping with rest of set, just as it was on the album. Great song.



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noelindublin


Loudmouth

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Just realised there is a 'theme' of 5 emerging: 5 lamps, 5 people. I have this image of Bob as the Count on Sesame Street, obsessively counting up to five and then laughing in a mad, uncontrollable way as he relishes the number 5.Or maybe not!

Also just spotted a new photo of Bob as the Marlboro Man which I had not seen before.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XV6vmon8bd4



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