Today I thought I would share this wonderful song “Running Up That Hill” by Kate Bush. It is from her seminal 1985 album “Hounds of Love”, which as I mentioned in this blog on the best albums of the 1980s, is one of my favourite albums from that decade.
If you haven’t listened to “Hounds of Love” then I highly recommend it. The first side has the four hit singles “Running Up That Hill”, “Hounds of Love”, “The Big Sky” and “Cloudbusting”. These and the other song “Mother Stands for Comfort” on the first side are great songs, and would make “Hounds of Love” a good album on their own. But, for me, it is the second side of this album which elevates this album to a higher level. The second side is subtitled “The Ninth Wave”, and is a voyage through the story of a person lost at sea at night, but who is ultimately saved.
Kate Bush has been in the news quite a bit this last week because she has been performing her first live shows since 1979. That is 35 years! After bursting on to the scene in 1978 with her hit song “Wuthering Heights” as a tender 19-year old, Bush has been one of the most innovative artists in music. I vividly remember seeing Bush performing “Wuthering Heights” on “Top of the Pops” back in 1978. The song’s unusual lyrics, her singing and per ballet-style dancing were like nothing I’d heard of seen before. I must admit, not all of her work is to my liking, but the songs of hers which I like I like a lot.
As part of the renewed interest in Kate Bush, the BBC ran a very interesting documentary about her career so far on BBC4 last Friday. Here is the link to that programme, it is well worth watching. In that documentary I learnt that “Running Up That Hill” is Bush’s biggest hit in the US, and it got to number 3 in the Disunited Kingdom’s singles chart. I find the song spell-binding, it is certainly one of my favourite songs by her. The video below also shows her dancing in a balletic style, at a time when most of her music contemporaries were dancing (or at least trying to dance) like Michael and Janet Jackson. Lyrically, vocally and visually, Bush has always done her own thing, setting her own trends rather than following others.
“If I only could, I’d be running up that hill.
If I only could, I’d be running up that hill.”It doesn’t hurt me.
Do you want to feel how it feels?
Do you want to know that it doesn’t hurt me?
Do you want to hear about the deal that I’m making?
You, it’s you and me.And if I only could,
I’d make a deal with God,
And I’d get him to swap our places,
Be running up that road,
Be running up that hill,
Be running up that building.
If I only could, oh…You don’t want to hurt me,
But see how deep the bullet lies.
Unaware I’m tearing you asunder.
Ooh, there is thunder in our hearts.Is there so much hate for the ones we love?
Tell me, we both matter, don’t we?
You, it’s you and me.
It’s you and me won’t be unhappy.And if I only could,
I’d make a deal with God,
And I’d get him to swap our places,
Be running up that road,
Be running up that hill,
Be running up that building,
Say, if I only could, oh…You,
It’s you and me,
It’s you and me won’t be unhappy.“C’mon, baby, c’mon darling,
Let me steal this moment from you now.
C’mon, angel, c’mon, c’mon, darling,
Let’s exchange the experience, oh…”And if I only could,
I’d make a deal with God,
And I’d get him to swap our places,
Be running up that road,
Be running up that hill,
With no problems.And if I only could,
I’d make a deal with God,
And I’d get him to swap our places,
Be running up that road,
Be running up that hill,
With no problems.And if I only could,
I’d make a deal with God,
And I’d get him to swap our places,
Be running up that road,
Be running up that hill,
With no problems.If I only could
Be running up that hill
With no problems…“If I only could, I’d be running up that hill.
If I only could, I’d be running up that hill.”
Here is the video of this mesmerising song. Enjoy!
Which is your favourite song from “Hounds of Love”?