Mondays Suck—Just Ask Brenda Spencer

"I Don't Like Mondays" by The Boomtown Rats was inspired by a tragic event that took place on January 29, 1979, in San Diego, California.

On that day, a 16-year-old girl named Brenda Ann Spencer opened fire on Grover Cleveland Elementary School from her home across the street, killing two adults (the principal and a custodian) and injuring eight children and a police officer.

When asked why she committed the shooting, Spencer reportedly said, "I don't like Mondays. This livens up the day." Her chilling response became the catalyst for the song.

Bob Geldof, the lead singer of The Boomtown Rats, was shocked by her indifferent attitude when he heard the news and felt compelled to write the song as a commentary on the senselessness of the violence and the influence of societal detachment.

"I Don't Like Mondays" was released later in 1979 and went on to become a hit, despite its controversial origin.

The song does not glamorize the tragedy but instead serves as a sobering reflection on the inexplicable nature of the act and the disconnection some people feel in modern society.