This week at Glyn Wilton’s Mixed Music Bag,
he’s asking us to write about a song in which
the title or a line mentions the current month.
Here’s my featured August artist and his song.

Bob Geldof is an Irish rock musician and philanthropic activist born in 1951 in Ireland. He formed the Boomtown Rats in the 1970s and founded the charitable supergroup Band Aid in 1984. He is best known for organizing the Live Aid concert in 1985 for the relief of famine in Ethiopia. Geldof launched a solo career following the dissolution of the Boomtown Rats in 1986 and released his first solo studio album, Deep In the Heart Of Nowhere, the same year. The album reached #79 for one week in the UK Albums Chart in December 1986.
My featured song today is “August Was A Heavy Month”, a track from Deep In the Heart Of Nowhere.
The phrase “August was a heavy month” is heard in the song “I Don’t Like Mondays” by the Boomtown Rats, written by Geldof. The song was inspired by the 1979 Brenda Ann Spencer shooting incident in San Diego. Spencer, a 16-year-old girl, opened fire on a school playground, killing two adults and injuring nine others, including a policeman and eight children. Spencer’s chillingly casual statement, “I don’t like Mondays. This livens up the day.” fueled Geldof’s songwriting. The phrase “August was a heavy month” encapsulates the weight and impact of that tragic event. Brenda Ann Spencer was sentenced to two concurrent terms of 25 years to life in prison; she is currently up for parole.
This is “August Was A Heavy Month” by Bob Geldof
LYRICS
I’ll take another photograph
Before the old one fades
It reminds me of those things that past
And quickly passed away
But it comes on in the early night
Creeping up on you
Those scenes of devastation
Crushing down on cue
These days are growing colder now
The light is growing dim
August was a heavy month
And now the nights are drawing in
Poor Baby Blue’s wrapped up again
Inside her final pain
I’d help her if I could I say
She puts us all to shame
Alright, alright I know I’ve got a lot
Left to answer for
But am I the only one to blame
And anyway who’s keeping score
But the grass seems so much brighter now
She’s spilled her blood again
August was a heavy month
Wash it down September rain
Baby Blue picks up her life tonight
And rushes for the Chelsea train
All the stars shine down on her tonight
And August was a heavy month
The photograph is cracked and torn
From being picked up, put down
Like some holy relic
Whose worshippers are found
Searching through their sacred books
For the holy grail of “why”
But the total sum of knowledge
Knows no more than you or I
Alright, alright says Baby Blue
Who doesn’t really understand
August was a heavy month
But winter came at last.
Written by Bob Geldof
Taken from the album “Deep In the Heart of Knowhere”
Source: LyricFind
August Was a Heavy Month lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Big thanks to Glyn Wilton for hosting Mixed Music Bag each week.
Thanks for joining me today and spinning some tunes.
See you on the flip side. 😎
NAR©2025
All text, graphics and videos are copyright for Nancy Richy and are not to be used without permission. NAR©2017-present.

A song I’m not familiar with, but enjoyed listening to depite its awful back story.
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Yes, I agree, dear Keith. An awful backstory.
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This Irish lad has had an interesting career!
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Indeed, he has. And seems to have found is niche on the other side of a microphone.
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Bob Geldof wasn’t ever one of my favourites, but I did read this with interest, Nancy. And the song is better now I’m older! Perhaps my tastes have changed.
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Could be, Esther. And it’s funny you should say that because I never cared much for Geldof either but I like this song.
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Now I am familiar with I don’t like Mondays- and the backstory- but this is my first time hearing about or listening to this song. Excellent. Thank you.
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Happy to share! It’s pretty new for me, too. Incredible backstory.
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I liked Bob Geldof when he was a Boomtown Rat. I never really followed him when he went solo. This is a pretty good track though Nancy
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No, I never followed him either, Glyn. I like this track, too. Thanks!
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Ugh, if she’s up for parole, she would one of far too many being released into our dystopian present. 🥺
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This was a callous, willful act of violence. It’s very doubtful she’ll get paroled.
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We can hope, but…
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Most beautiful! Thank you N.!
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Always most welcome, D!
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For some reason I keep getting a notice that Glyn has deleted his blog. Do you know anything about this?
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Barbara, I saw the notice after my post published and was totally surprised by it. The wording of the message makes it look like a WordPress action and not something Glyn voluntarily did but I can’t be sure.
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Hopefully it’s just a WP glitch and not something bad.
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I emailed Glyn; he didn’t even know anything was up with his site. He’s checking it now with WordPress.
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This is a very pleasant song, Nancy great find.
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Thanks, Jim. Unfortunate the inspiration for the song was so tragic.
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I don’t think I’ve ever heard this one before, and I rather like it. I had all of the Boomtown Rats albums but never got into Bob’s solo stuff.
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No, I didn’t know it either. Dreadful real-life events that inspired the song. Thanks, Clive.
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Wow, August, was definitely a heavy, and following the lyrics these lines grabbed my attention, Nancy
“Whose worshippers are found
Searching through their sacred books
For the holy grail of “why”
But the total sum of knowledge”
I’m not good at these ‘month’ song searches, so I’ll send you another “Augie March” … and this one is really “heavy and fishy”
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OMGoodness! Talk about a fish out of water! I found that to be sadly intriguing, dear Ivor. 🥰
These month songs are much more challenging than I thought they would be. 🎶
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I’m glad I am not doing them … and I’m glad you enjoyed the intriguing Augie March song 🎶😍🌏
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