Mary of the 4th Form

"Mary of the 4th Form"
Single by The Boomtown Rats
from the album The Boomtown Rats
B-side	"Do the Rat"
Released	1977 (UK)
Format	7" vinyl
Genre	Rock
Length	3:52 (album version 3:33)
Label	Ensign Records(UK)
Writer(s)	Bob Geldof, Johnnie Fingers
Producer	Robert John "Mutt" Lange
The Boomtown Rats singles chronology
"Lookin' After No. 1" (1977) "Mary of the 4th Form" (1977) "She's So Modern" (1978)

"Mary of the 4th Form" is the second single by The Boomtown Rats. It was the first song taken from the band's first album The Boomtown Rats but the single version is different from that on the album and 19 seconds longer. On French and Dutch releases of the single, the punkier, rock'n'roll song "Do the Rat" (B-side of the UK version) was the A-side.^[1]. The song's theme, of a teacher's sexual attraction to a pubescent girl, who behaves in an overtly sexual manner, is resonated in the Police song Don't Stand So Close to Me ^[2][3].

Video Performances

In videos of this song, Geldof's performances become more reminiscent of Mick Jagger than of punk rockers, with some shows even seeing him in a very un-punk pink jacket.^[4]

Personnel

• Bob Geldof – vocals.
• Pete Briquette – bass, vocals
• Gerry Cott – guitar
• Johnnie Fingers b. John Moylett, – keyboards, vocals
• Simon Crowe – drums, vocals
• Garry Roberts – guitar, vocals

External Links

• Mary of the 4th Form performance
• Do the Rat performance

References

1. ^ Discography notes and singles covers
2. ^ Lyrics
3. ^ Boomtown Rats album review by David Clancy
4. ^ Mary of the 4th Form performance