FEATURE: Kate Bush’s How to Be Invisible at Three: The Songs with the Best Lyrics on Nine of Her Studio Albums

FEATURE:

 

 

Kate Bush’s How to Be Invisible at Three

The Songs with the Best Lyrics on Nine of Her Studio Albums

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I wanted to mark the anniversary…

 IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush during filming for The Line, The Cross and the Curve in 1993/PHOTO CREDIT: Guido Harari

of Kate Bush’s How to Be Invisible. On Monday (6th December), her first lyrics book turns three. For any new convert or big Kate Bush fan, I think that the book is a great gift idea. I would recommend people go and buy it:

A landmark publishing event, How to be Invisible is the first ever published collection of Bush’s lyrics, selected by the artist and brought together in a beautiful clothbound gift edition.

Ivor Novello winner Kate Bush has long forged her love of literature with music. From Emily Brontë through to James Joyce, Bush has consistently referenced our literary heritage, combined with her own profound understanding of language and musical form.

How to Be Invisible: Selected Lyrics draws from her superlative, 40-year career in music. Chosen and arranged by Kate Bush herself, this very special, cloth-bound volume will be the first published collection of her work.

Accompanying the collection is an expansive introduction from Cloud Atlas author David Mitchell. ‘For millions around the world Kate is way more than another singer-songwriter: she is a creator of musical companions that travel with you through life,’ he said. ‘One paradox about her is that while her lyrics are avowedly idiosyncratic, those same lyrics evoke emotions and sensations that feel universal”.

To mark three years since the release of Kate Bush’s great lyrics book, I wanted to highlight a song from each of her nine studio albums (I am not including 2011’s Director’s Cut) that boasts especially strong lyrics. Of course, one should not be so reductive but, to demonstrate how unique and brilliant Kate Bush is as a lyricist (in addition to her immense compositional, production and vocal chops!), there is always that golden song on each L.P. that blows you away with its imagery – choosing it is hard, yet it allows me opportunity to spotlight her special poetry. Another great book that illustrates Bush’s words and songs is Finding Kate. It is a magnificent book from Michael Byrne and Marius Herbert that sets some of Bush’s best lines and greatest lyrics to these beautiful illustrations. The song selections are great, and we get a mix of the better-known songs and the deeper cuts that offer up their brilliance in the book. A happy third anniversary to Kate Bush’s How to Be Invisible. A magnificent, illuminating, striking, wonderful and quote-worthy book, it is one that should be…

IN every Kate Bush fan’s home for Christmas.

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The Kick InsideThe Man with the Child in His Eyes

Album Release Date: 17th February, 1978

U.K. Single Release Date: 26th May, 1978

Producer: Andrew Powell

The Second-Best Song for Lyrics: Wuthering Heights

The Lyrics:

“("He's here! He's here!

He's here! He's here!")

I hear him, before I go to sleep

And focus on the day that's been.

I realize he's there,

When I turn the light off and turn over.

Nobody knows about my man.

They think he's lost on some horizon.

And suddenly I find myself

Listening to a man I've never known before,

Telling me about the sea,

All his love, 'til eternity.

Ooh, he's here again,

The man with the child in his eyes.

Ooh, he's here again,

The man with the child in his eyes.

He's very understanding,

And he's so aware of all my situations.

And when I stay up late,

He's always waiting, but I feel him hesitate.

Oh, I'm so worried about my love.

They say, "No, no, it won't last forever."

And here I am again, my girl,

Wondering what on Earth I'm doing here.

Maybe he doesn't love me.

I just took a trip on my love for him.

Ooh, he's here again,

The man with the child in his eyes.

Ooh, he's here again,

The man with the child in his eyes

LionheartSymphony in Blue

Album Release Date: 13th November, 1978

Producer: Andrew Powell (assisted by Kate Bush)

The Second-Best Song for Lyrics: Wow

The Lyrics:

I spent a lot of my time looking at blue,

The color of my room and my mood:

Blue on the walls, blue out of my mouth;

The sort of blue between clouds, when the sun comes out,

The sort of blue in those eyes you get hung up about.

When that feeling of meaninglessness sets in,

Go blowing my mind on God:

The light in the dark, with the neon arms,

The meek He seeks, the beast He calms,

The head of the good soul department.

I see myself suddenly

On the piano, as a melody.

My terrible fear of dying

No longer plays with me,

for now I know that I'm needed

For the symphony.

I associate love with red,

The colour of my heart when she's dead;

Red in my mind when the jealousy flies,

Red in my eyes from emotional ties,

Manipulation, the danger signs.

The more I think about sex, the better it gets.

Here we have a purpose in life:

Good for the blood circulation,

Good for releasing the tension,

The root of our reincarnations.

I see myself suddenly

On the piano, as a melody.

My terrible fear of dying

No longer plays with me,

for now I know that I'm needed

For the symphony.

I spent a lot of my time looking at blue

No wonder that I blue it!

Never for EverThe Wedding List

Album Release Date: 7th September, 1980

Producers: Kate Bush/Jon Kelly

The Second-Best Song for Lyrics: Breathing

The Lyrics:

No, I'll never give the hunt up

And I won't muck it up

Somehow this is it, I knew

Maybe fate wants you dead, too

We've come together in the very same room

And I'm coming for you

Do you think I'd ever let you

Get away with it, huh?

He swooned in warm maroon

There's gas in your barrel, and I'm flooded with Doom

You've made a wake of our honeymoon

And I'm coming for you"

"All of the headlines said 'Passion Crime"

'Newly weds Groom Shot Dead

'Mystery Man.' God help the bride

She's a widow, all in red

With his red still wet. She said--"

I'll put him on the wedding list

I'll put him on the wedding list

I'll get him and I will not miss

Now, as I'm coming for you

All I see is Rudi

I die with him, again and again

And I'll feel good in my revenge

I'm gonna fill your head with lead

And I'm coming for you

And when it's all over you'll roll over

The butt of my gun:

One in your belly, and one for Rudi

You got what you gave by the heel of my bootie

Bang-bang--Out! like an old cherootie

I'm coming for you

"All of the headlines said 'Passion Crime:

'Newly weds Groom Shot Dead

'Mystery Man.' God help the bride

She's a widow, all in red

With his red still wet. She said--"

She sure got him on the wedding list

I'll got him on the wedding list

I'll got him and I will not miss

I'll put him on the wedding list

"And after she shot the guy

She committed suicide

I'm coming, Rudi

"And later, when they analysed

They found a little one inside.

"It must have been Rudi's child"

I shot, I shot, I shot him honey

"Never mind, she got the guy"

He hit the ground, Rudi

"An eye for an eye"

Ashes to ashes...

"Eye for an eye"

I hit him, hit him

Rudi!, Rudi

I'm coming coming coming honey

"Eye for an eye"

Rudi

The DreamingHoudini

Album Release Date: 13th September, 1982

Producer: Kate Bush

The Second-Best Song for Lyrics: Pull Out the Pin

The Lyrics:

I wait at the table,

And hold hands with weeping strangers

Wait for you to join the group

The tambourine jingle-jangles

The medium roams and rambles

Not taken in, I break the circle

I want this man

To go away now

With a kiss

I'd pass the key

And feel your tongue

Teasing and receiving.

With your spit

Still on my lip

You hit the water

Him and I in the room

To prove you are with us too

He's using code that only you and I know

This is no trick of his

This is your magic

I'd catch the cues

Watching you

Hoping you'd do something wrong

Everybody thinks you'll never make it

But every time you escape

'Rosabel believe,

Not even eternity

Can hold Houdini!'

"Rosabel, believe!"

Through the glass

I'd watch you breathe

("Not even eternity")

Bound and drowned

And paler than you've ever been

("will hold Houdini!")

With your life

The only thing in my mind

We pull you from the water

You ("Hou-di-ni")

And I and Rosabel believe

Hounds of Love - And Dream of Sheep

Album Release Date: 16th September, 1985

Producer: Kate Bush

The Second-Best Song for Lyrics: Cloudbusting

The Lyrics:

Little light shining

Little light will guide them to me

My face is all lit up

My face is all lit up

If they find me racing white horses

They'll not take me for a buoy

Let me be weak, let me sleep and dream of sheep

Oh I'll wake up to any sound of engines

Every gull a seeking craft

I can't keep my eyes open

Wish I had my radio

I'd tune into some friendly voices

Talking 'bout stupid things

I can't be left to my imagination

Let me be weak, let me sleep and dream of sheep

Ooh, their breath is warm

And they smell like sleep

And they say they take me home

Like poppies, heavy with seed

They take me deeper and deeper

The Sensual WorldThis Woman’s Work

Album Release Date: 16th October, 1989

U.K. Single Release Date: 20th November, 1989

Producer: Kate Bush

The Second-Best Song for Lyrics: Deeper Understanding

The Lyrics:

Pray God you can cope.

I stand outside this woman's work,

This woman's world.

Ooh, it's hard on the man,

Now his part is over.

Now starts the craft of the father.

I know you have a little life in you yet.

I know you have a lot of strength left.

I know you have a little life in you yet.

I know you have a lot of strength left.

I should be crying, but I just can't let it show.

I should be hoping, but I can't stop thinking

Of all the things I should've said,

That I never said.

All the things we should've done,

That we never did.

All the things I should've given,

But I didn't.

Oh, darling, make it go,

Make it go away.

Give me these moments back.

Give them back to me.

Give me that little kiss.

Give me your hand.

(I know you have a little life in you yet.

I know you have a lot of strength left.

I know you have a little life in you yet.

I know you have a lot of strength left.)

I should be crying, but I just can't let it show.

I should be hoping, but I can't stop thinking

Of all the things we should've said,

That were never said.

All the things we should've done,

That we never did.

All the things that you needed from me.

All the things that you wanted for me.

All the things that I should've given,

But I didn't.

Oh, darling, make it go away.

Just make it go away now

The Red ShoesMoments of Pleasure

Album Release Date: 2nd November, 1993

U.K. Single Release Date: 15th November, 1993

Producer: Kate Bush

The Second-Best Song for Lyrics: Lily

The Lyrics:

Some moments that I've had

Some moments of pleasure

I think about us lying

Lying on a beach somewhere

I think about us diving

Diving off a rock, into another moment

The case of George the Wipe

Oh God, I can't stop laughing

This sense of humour of mine

It isn't funny at all

Oh, but we sit up all night

Talking about it

Just being alive

It can really hurt

And these moments given

Are a gift from time

On a balcony in New York

It's just started to snow

He meets us at the lift

Like Douglas Fairbanks

Waving his walking stick

But he isn't well at all

The buildings of New York

Look just like mountains through the snow

Just being alive

It can really hurt

And these moments given

Are a gift from time

Just let us try

To give these moments back

To those we love

To those who will survive

And I can hear my mother saying

"Every old sock meets an old shoe"

Ain't that a great saying?

"Every old sock meets an old shoe"

Here come the Hills of Time

Hey there Maureen

Hey there Bubba

Dancing down the aisle of a plane

'S Murph, playing his guitar refrain

Hey there Teddy

Spinning in the chair at Abbey Road

Hey there Michael

Do you really love me?

Hey there Bill

Could you turn the lights up?

Aerial - Mrs. Bartolozzi

Album Release Date: 7th November, 2005

Producer: Kate Bush

The Second-Best Song for Lyrics: How to Be Invisible

The Lyrics:

I remember it was that Wednesday

Oh when it rained and it rained

They traipsed mud all over the house

It took hours and hours to scrub it out

All over the hall carpet

I took my mop and bucket

And I cleaned and I cleaned

The kitchen floor

Until it sparkled

Then I took my laundry basket

And put the linen all in it

And everything I could fit in it

And all our dirty clothes that hadn't gone into the wash

And all your shirts and jeans and things

And put them in the new washing machine

Washing machine

Washing machine

I watched them go 'round and 'round

My blouse wrapping itself in your trousers

Oh the waves are going out

My skirt floating up around my waist

As I wade out into the surf

Oh and the waves are coming in

Oh and the waves are going out

Oh and you're standing right behind me

Little fish swim between my legs

Oh and the waves are coming in

Oh and the waves are going out

Oh and the waves are coming in

Out of the corner of my eye

I think I see you standing outside

But it's just your shirt

Hanging on the washing line

Waving its arm as the wind blows by

And it looks so alive

Nice and white

Just like its climbed right out

Of my washing machine

Washing machine

Washing machine

Slooshy sloshy slooshy sloshy

Get that dirty shirty clean

Slooshy sloshy slooshy sloshy

Make those cuffs and collars gleam

Everything clean and shiny

Washing machine

Washing machine

Washing machine

50 Words for Snow - Misty

Release Date: 21st November, 2011

Producer: Kate Bush

The Second-Best Song for Lyrics: 50 Words for Snow

The Lyrics:

Roll his body.

Give him eyes.

Make him smile for me,

Give him life.

My hand is bleeding, I run back inside.

I turn off the light,

Switch on a starry night.

My window flies open.

My bedroom fills with falling snow,

Should be a dream but I'm not sleepy.

I see his snowy white face but I'm not afraid.

He lies down beside me.

So cold next to me.

I can feel him melting in my hand.

Melting, in my hand.

He won't speak to me.

His crooked mouth is full of dead leaves.

Full of dead leaves, bits of twisted branches and frozen garden,

crushed and stolen grasses from slumbering lawn.

He is dissolving, dissolving before me and dawn will come soon.

What kind of spirit is this?

Our one and only tryst.

His breath all misty,

And when I kiss his ice-cream lips

And his creamy skin,

His snowy white arms surround me.

So cold next to me.

I can feel him melting in my hand.

Melting, melting, in my hand.

Sunday morning.

I can't find him.

The sheets are soaking

And on my pillow:

Dead leaves, bits of twisted branches and frozen garden,

crushed and stolen grasses from slumbering lawn.

I can't find him - Misty

Oh please can you help me?

He must be somewhere.

Open window closing,

Oh but wait, it's still snowing.

If you're out there,

I'm coming out on the ledge.

I'm going out on the ledge