Music video 

A music video directed by David Mallet was used to promote the song. 

The video begins with the Boomtown Rats performing in a choir with children in the pews miming the chorus ("Tell Me Why?").

 It then cuts to a family living room with the daughter just coming back from school but here the chorus is mimed by the other three band members to lead singer Bob Geldof. 

It then transitions to a soft piano fill with Geldof in front of a white background wearing sunglasses singing the final verse of the single version. 

After the line "And the lesson today is how to die" a series of jump cuts of Geldof quickly appear before he sings the last few lines. 

Afterwards the final chorus is presented this time mimed with the same children from the beginning. 

The clip ends with the Boomtown Rats looking at a chroma key image of a house in a grassy plain.