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, the pulse of the corner boys just 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
And you can make it if you wanna 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's trying to tell you what to do"
In this town Billy says "everybody says you gotta follow rules"
You walk up to those traffic lights
You switch from your left to right
You push in that button and that button comes alight
And hits 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
Hey Billy, take a walk with me

Take a walk that leads to me
Sweet high school blues

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

Rat trap, you've been caught
In a rat trap, you've been caught
In a rat trap, you've been caught
In a rat trap, you've been caught
In a rat trap, you've been caught
In a rat trap, you've been caught
In a rat trap, you've been caught
In a rat trap, you've been caught (the boys are 'round and they're lookin' for a mate)
In a rat trap, you've been caught
In a rat trap, you've been caught
In a rat trap, you've been caught
In a rat trap, you've been caught

Copyright: Mute Song Limited
Writer(s): Bob Geldof