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 Inside – The 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”
Lionheart – Symphony 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 Ever – The 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 Dreaming – Houdini
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 World – This 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 Shoes – Moments 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”