Banana Republic (song)

"Banana Republic" was the first single from The Boomtown Rats' album Mondo Bongo.[1] It peaked at number three in the UK Singles Chart.[5]

"Banana Republic"
Single by The Boomtown Rats
from the album Mondo Bongo[1]
B-side"Man at the Top"[2]
Released14 November 1980 [3]
GenreNew wave, reggae[4]
Length3:24 (album version 5:01)
LabelEnsign Records (UK)[2]
Columbia Records (USA)
Songwriter(s)Pete Briquette, Bob Geldof[2]
Producer(s)Tony Visconti[2]
The Boomtown Rats singles chronology
"Someone's Looking at You"
(1980)		 "Banana Republic"
(1980)		 "Up All Night"
(1981)

Breaking from the band's previous new wave sound, the song opens with a ska-reggae hook (that repeats at the close of the much longer album version).[6] However, the song itself is a more mainstream piece musically. The 'banana republic' which the song describes is actually a deliberately scathing portrait of the Republic of Ireland, the band's country of origin, and was written in response to the band being banned from performing there.[7] This in turn was reputedly because of Geldof's "denunciation of nationalism, medieval-minded clerics and corrupt politicians" in a memorably controversial 1977 interview/performance on Ireland's The Late Late Show with Gay Byrne.[8][9]

Charts
Chart (1980–81) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[10] 18
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[11] 30
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[12] 47
Germany (Official German Charts)[13] 3
Ireland (IRMA)[14] 3
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[15] 35
Norway (VG-lista)[16] 3
South Africa (Springbok Radio)[17] 12
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[18] 7
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[19] 10
UK Singles (OCC)[20] 3

References
  1. William Ruhlmann. "The Boomtown Rats | Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
  2. "Boomtown Rats, The - Banana Republic (Vinyl) at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
  3. "Boomtown Rats singles".
  4. Hermann, Andy (25 January 2017). "10 Underrated '80s Bands You Need to Hear Now". L.A. Weekly.
  5. Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 71. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  6. "The Boomtown Rats: January 1981". Theboomtownrats.blogspot.com. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
  7. Archived July 8, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  8. "The Boomtown Rats: In and out of the rat trap (article) by John Van der Kiste on AuthorsDen". Authorsden.com. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
  9. Archived May 17, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  10. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  11. "The Boomtown Rats – Banana Republic" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  12. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 0307." RPM. Library and Archives Canada.
  13. "The Boomtown Rats – Banana Republic" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts.
  14. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Banana Republic". Irish Singles Chart.
  15. "The Boomtown Rats – Banana Republic" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  16. "The Boomtown Rats – Banana Republic". VG-lista.
  17. "SA Charts 1965–March 1989". Retrieved 28 October 2020.
  18. "The Boomtown Rats – Banana Republic". Singles Top 100.
  19. "The Boomtown Rats – Banana Republic". Swiss Singles Chart.
  20. "Boomtown Rats: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company.
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