Rat Trap Lyrics - A Tonic For The Troops - Boomtown Rats

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 

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 dont 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 the 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 those traffic lights, 

Switch from your left to right 

You push in that button, and when that button comes alight 

It tells you 

"Walk don't walk 

Talk don't talk" 

Hey 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 take 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...."