Artistic diversion: Bob Geldof's popsong about Hitlers

["Jurriaan Bendien" <bendien@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

 Bob Geldof had revealed a taste for the seamy side of things in his lyrics
for The Boomtown Rats' first album. On their second record, he fantasized
about being Hitler in the person of the Leader of the Pack ("I Never Loved
Eva Braun"), romanticized tropical suicide ("Living In An Island"), and
identified with a certain wealthy recluse ("Me And Howard Hughes"). The band
retained a punk energy on the album's UK hit singles, "Like Clockwork,"
"She's So Modern," and "Rat Trap" (the last another of Bob Geldof's
Springsteen homages), but musical identity was still a song-by-song affair.
(Ensign Records released A Tonic For The Troops in the UK in June 1978. In
the U.S., Columbia Records took over The Boomtown Rats from Mercury,
replaced "Can't Stop" and "[Watch Out For] The Normal People" with "Mary Of
The 4th Form" and "Joey's On The Street Again" from the first album,
resequenced the tracks, and delayed the American release until February
1979.) ~ William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide (From
http://www.artistdirect.com/store/artist/album/0,,55424,00.html)


(I Never Loved) Eva Braun

(whisper: are you really going out with Adolf ?)

I never loved Eva Braun (oh no?)
No, a thousand people say I did (oh yeah?)
Yeah, she was just some girl who was on the make (Yes, we see)
Boy, she wanted to be so big.
But in the end it got to be a drag,
She's doing her exercises every day
No matter what people say,
I never loved Eva Braun.

I never heard all the screams (oh no?)
I never saw the blood and dirt and gore (oh yeah?)
That wasn't part of the dream, (yes, we see)
Of maps and generals and uniforms.
I'd always like the big parade,
I always wanted to be adored,
In '33 I knew I had it made,
I never loved....

Eva Braun wasn't history,
She wasn't even part of my destiny
She never really fitted in the scheme of things
She was a triumph of my will,
Oh yeah!

I saw the blondies and the blue eyes, (oh yeah?)
I saw the millions mouthing me, (oh yeah?)
But underneath I was really gentle, (oh yeah?)
D'ja ever see me touch a scrap of meat?
O yeah I conquered all those countries
They were weak an' I was strong
A little too ambitious maybe,
But I never loved Eva Braun.

(whisper: Gee!)

*Taken from the album "A Tonic For The Troops"
*Written by Bob Geldof