town ▁R ats ▁about ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 9 ▁Cleveland ▁Element ary ▁School ▁shooting ▁in ▁San ▁Diego . ▁It ▁was ▁released ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 9 ▁as ▁the ▁lead ▁single ▁from ▁their ▁third ▁album , ▁The ▁Fine ▁Art ▁of ▁Sur f acing . ▁The ▁song ▁was ▁a ▁number ▁one ▁single ▁in ▁the ▁UK ▁Singles ▁Chart ▁for ▁four ▁weeks ▁during ▁the ▁summer ▁of ▁ 1 9 7 9 , ▁and ▁ranks ▁as ▁the ▁sixth ▁biggest ▁hit ▁of ▁the ▁UK ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 9 . ▁Writ ten ▁by ▁Bob ▁G eld of ▁and ▁John nie ▁F ingers , ▁the ▁piano ▁ball ad ▁was ▁the ▁band ' s ▁second ▁single ▁to ▁reach ▁number ▁one ▁on ▁the ▁UK ▁chart . ▁ ▁Background ▁and ▁writing ▁▁ ▁According ▁to ▁G eld of , ▁he ▁wrote ▁the ▁song ▁after ▁reading ▁a ▁te lex ▁report ▁at ▁Georgia ▁State ▁University ' s ▁campus ▁radio ▁station , ▁W R AS , ▁on ▁the ▁shooting ▁sp ree ▁of ▁ 1 6 - year - old ▁Br enda ▁Ann ▁Sp encer , ▁who ▁fired ▁at ▁children ▁in ▁a ▁school ▁play ground ▁at ▁Gro ver ▁Cleveland ▁Element ary ▁School ▁in ▁San ▁Diego , ▁California , ▁on ▁ 2 9 ▁January ▁ 1 9 7 9 , ▁killing ▁two ▁adult s ▁and ▁inj uring ▁eight ▁children ▁and ▁one ▁police ▁officer . ▁Sp encer ▁showed ▁no ▁rem or se ▁for ▁her ▁crime ; ▁her ▁explanation ▁for ▁her ▁actions ▁was ▁" I ▁don ' t ▁like ▁Mond ays . ▁This ▁liv ens ▁up ▁the ▁day