RAT TRAP
(Bob Geldof)
Boomtown Rats - 1978


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 pulse of the corner boys 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 
But you can make it if you want to 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 tries to tell you what to do" 
In this town Billy says "everybody says you gotta follow rules." 
You walk up to the traffic lights, 
Switch from your left to right 
You push in that button, and that button comes alight 
It tells 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, 
Billy take a walk with me 

Little Judy's trying to watch "Top of the Pops" 
But mum and dad are fighting don't they ever stop, 
She takes down her coat and walks out on the street, 
It's cold on that road, but it's got that home beat, 
Deep down in her pockets she finds 50p, 
Now 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 Italion cafe 
And when he's drunk it's hard to understand what Billy says 
But then he mumbles in his coffee and suddenly roars, 
It's a rat trap Judy and we've been caught!