“I Don’t Like Mondays” – single by The Boomtown Rats from the album: The Fine Art Of Surfacing.
Released: 13 July 1979 (UK) and in October 1979 (US)
Songwriters: Bob Geldof, Johnnie Fingers
Charted: No.1 in UK and No.73 in US
“I Don’t Like Mondays” is about Brenda Spencer, a 16-year-old high school student who lived across the street from Cleveland Elementary School in San Diego, California. On Monday, January 29, 1979, she opened fire on the school with a rifle her father had given her for Christmas, killing two adults (including the principal) and injuring nine children before going back to her home. Police surrounded her home and waited for seven hours until she gave herself up. In that time, she spoke with a reporter on the phone. When asked why she did it, she replied, “I just started shooting, that’s it. I just did it for the fun of it. I just don’t like Mondays. I just did it because it’s a way to cheer the day up. Nobody likes Mondays.”
Released on Friday 13 July 1979, the song reached number one in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia and South Africa, and the Top 10 in several other countries. It was less successful in the US, reaching only number 73 on the Billboard Hot 100.
In 1994, the song was re-released to promote the greatest-hits album Loudmouth. It then peaked at Number 38 in the UK singles chart.
In the UK, the song won the Best Pop Song and Outstanding British Lyric categories at the Ivor Novello Award.
