Someone's Looking At You

robertchao · Mary of the 4th Form

Someone's Looking At You

Jules · The biggest Geldof fan in the world, bar none!

Hi

I believe Bob said it was about the paparazzi and being famous. Everywhere he went there was someone looking at him ready to take his photo etc. Listen the lyrics for the rest

Tango · In the Long Grass

it is a brilliant song.i love the lyrics.i think its very similiar to when the night comes tune wise

kathp89 · Rat Trap

on other interviews he also said that by the time the rats were at their peak, it got drab, as bob used to go into the studio everyday showing the other guys his new ideas and they basically said it was rubbish, and all that mounted up along with the media frenzy and being really famous into complete paranoia

ArrGee · Back To Boomtown

kathp89 wrote:

on other interviews he also said that by the time the rats were at their peak, it got drab, as bob used to go into the studio everyday showing the other guys his new ideas and they basically said it was rubbish, and all that mounted up along with the media frenzy and being really famous into complete paranoia

I guess Mondo Bongo proved they had a point. No wonder none of them, bar Fingers, played on Another Piece of Red

-- Edited by ArrGee at 22:49, 2005-10-10

Mark Boyle · House on Fire

From what I gather the song was taking up the same theme as "Watch Out For The Normal People", sniping at those who think of themselves as political subversives, & at the way those in power over-react to them.

At that time the Socialist Workers Party & National Front were coming out with the most outlandish claims about moles in their ranks & the state being out to destablise them - like most washed up groups being ignored they were wanting to make themselves seem bigger noises than they really were. But there was at that time a lot of ridiculous over-concern by the top layers of government over subversive elements being used by the Soviet bloc, & Special Branch were keeping a file on over 2 million people at that time.

When Geldof spoke at a Greenpeace rally in Trafagar Square, Special Branch were there photographing the crowd & checking up on the content of the speeches, as well as monitoring what groups were in attendance & what they were up to. Geldof thought the whole thing as absurd as the time Irish Special Branch opened a file as a schoolboy on him over distributing copies of Mao Tsetung's Little Red Book; but equally absurd was the way others revelled in fantasies of being the focus of state attentions.

Hardly surprising that it was the one song that got up the Clash's noses the most!

ArrGee · Back To Boomtown

Mark Boyle wrote:

Hardly surprising that it was the one song that got up the Clash's noses the most!

Where did they say anything about it?

As for special branch, they monitor so many people. Going to a pub with Irish people in it would be enough to have you monitored, never mind belonging to a left/right wing group. I used to arouse some suspicion due to my English accent (and my vocal opinions), and was probably monitored on both sides. The thing about special branch/MI5 or whomever is they never infultrate the true threats. A lack of Muslims in their ranks is seriously undermining them at present.

These days, the song is more relevant. With CCTV, they are always looking at you.....

Tango · In the Long Grass

someone actually shouted someones looking at you today to try and make my mate paranoid (it was just for a laugh) and i couldn't help but burst into song.

robertchao · Mary of the 4th Form

Do you have the last verse of the song lyrics? They weren't printed in the sleeve and hence not on most web pages.

The Elvis Costello song "Invisible Man" has a similar lyrical theme.

I like the way the organ starts out nice and quiet and then is slightly distorted, suggesting unease and mental disturbance. Great song!

He said "saving some fish" - was he already an activist ?

ArrGee · Back To Boomtown

robertchao wrote:

Do you have the last verse of the song lyrics?

Great song! He said "saving some fish" - was he already an activist ?

http://www.searchlyrics.org/boomtown_rats/someone's_looking_at_you.html

http://www.lyricsbox.com/boomtown-rats-24h17.html

http://www.geocities.com/fiver1971/lyrics.html

http://www.chordie.com/chord.pere/www.guitartabs.cc/fetchfile.php?fileid=11603413

I think it was just a "Save the Whale" thing he spoke at in Trafalgar Square (Ok, Whales aren't fish!)

http://www.cyberspace7.btinternet.co.uk/geldofanotherside.htm

at the peak of the Rats' fame, Geldof again wandered off the plot to speak at a Save The Whale rally in Trafalgar Square, potentially exposing himself to punk jeers and accusations of backsliding pro-hippie tendencies.

robertchao · Mary of the 4th Form

Thank you, the line I was looking for was:

Hey, if you fall on deaf ears to indulge all your fears

Tango · In the Long Grass

the lyrics are excellent.so are most rats songs lyrics actually

rekamakovics · In the Long Grass

I love thath song

TheTopHat · The BoomTown Kid

Maybe someone could clarify, but I don't think this is the official video. I remember the army thing, but this may be a video for kenny everett's video show.

I hadn't seen this video since it was released. I'm scraping myself off the floor after looking at it. They must have had so much fun making this.

What a classic.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ue3aDNXeVgU

nick

Derek The Dane · In the Long Grass

You will find UP ALL NIGHT on V-Deep or on the Greatest Hits(USA only cd).You will also find it on the Canadian version of LOUDMOUTH.I hope this helps.

BTR · Tonight

First time I've seen that. Nice to know that even after all these years something new turns up pour moi.

ArrGee · Back To Boomtown

TheTopHat wrote:

Maybe someone could clarify, but I don't think this is the official video. I remember the army thing, but this may be a video for kenny everett's video show.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ue3aDNXeVgU

Yep, It was a video that was made specifically for the Kenny Everett show. Better than the official video (see best of).

As an aside, it was thanks to Kenny that the Rats got thier first number one. The story goes that the Rats performed Rat Trap on his show and there was such demand that it was released as a single. I never saw Rat Trap on the Kenny Everett show, but it may turn up on YouTube one day.

http://www.bobgeldof.info/Disc/loudmouth.html

An interesting site, worth a trawl through.

http://www.yearsofgold.org.uk/1980WEEK5FEB2.htm

-- Edited by ArrGee at 15:19, 2007-11-25

Mark L · Loudmouth

7 years on and much more has turned up. Interesting that the Kenny Everett version is a hybrid of the single mix and album mix. It plays as the single right until 3.47 when it switches to the album's final long note preceding the final vocal 'On a night like this etc'

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=B3jTHS1EwP8

noelindublin · Loudmouth

robertchao wrote:
I was listening to the Rats for the first time in like 20 years - and Someone's Looking is a REALLY GREAT song - very powerful lyrics about paranoia. Did Bob say what inspired the song?
Some of the lyrics were not printed in the record.
Do you know why Up All Night is not on the compilation albums? Wasn't it a single?

I seem to remember from his autobiography the lines 'You saw me there in the Square/ when I was shootling my mouth off about saving some fish....' refers to Geldof taking part in a Save The Whales demonstration in Trafalgar square sometime in the seventies. I presume this was before he became famous with the Rats.

Lisa · Mondo Bongo

noelindublin wrote:

I seem to remember from his autobiography the lines 'You saw me there in the Square/ when I was shootling my mouth off about saving some fish....' refers to Geldof taking part in a Save The Whales demonstration in Trafalgar square sometime in the seventies. I presume this was before he became famous with the Rats.

I did a sponsored walk once for the Whales - about 15 miles from Hengistbury Head to Bournemouth - a long long time ago, before I was famous! Didn't shoot my mouth off about it though - I'm a bit more reticent than dear Bob is

I love this song though - the paranoia comes across so well.