Jig of Life
Kate Bush Lyrics
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I know your face well
I know it well
She says
I'll be sitting in your mirror
Now is the place where the crossroads meet
Will you look into the future?
Never, never say goodbye
To my part of your life
No, no, no, no, no
Oh, oh, oh
Let me live
She said
C'mon and let me live, girl
She said
C'mon and let me live, girl
(C'mon and let me live)
This moment in time
(She said)
It doesn't belong to you
(She said)
It belongs to me
And to your little boy and to your little girl
And the one hand clapping
Where on your palm is my little line
When you're written in mine
As an old memory?
Never, never say goodbye
To my part of your life
Oh no, no, no, no, no
Never, never, never
Never, never let me go
She said
C'mon and let me live, girl
(C'mon and let me live)
She said
C'mon and let me live, girl
(C'mon and let me live)
I put this moment here
I put this moment here
I put this moment
Over here
Over here
Can't you see where memories are kept bright?
Tripping on the water like a laughing girl
Time in her eyes is spawning past life
One with the ocean and the woman unfurled
Holding all the love that waits for you here
Catch us now for I am your future
A kiss on the wind and we'll make the land
Come over here to where When lingers
Waiting in this empty world
Waiting for Then, when the lifespray cools
For Now does ride in on the curl of the wave
And you will dance with me in the sunlit pools
We are of the going water and the gone
We are of water in the holy land of water
And all that's to come runs in
With the thrust on the strand
The lyrics to Kate Bush’s “Jig of Life” seem to be addressed to an elderly lady who may have passed away or be close to death. The singer remembers her well and is visited by her as a spirit. The old lady tells the singer not to say goodbye to her yet and asks her to let her live. She claims that this moment in time belongs to her, as well as to the singer’s children, and that memories are kept bright where time does not pass. The old lady then speaks of water and the future, urging the singer to catch her and dance with her in the sunlit pools.
The lyrics are, as expected from Kate Bush, full of mysticism and metaphor. The old lady that the singer addresses may be a metaphor for death, and the song explores the idea that even after one dies, their memory and spirit can live on. The notion that certain moments don’t belong to us but to someone else, be it the old lady or the future, is intriguing, as it suggests that time flows in a nonlinear way and that different people or entities can claim ownership of it. The water imagery that appears towards the end of the song is also interesting, as it is often associated with spirituality and rebirth.
Line by Line Meaning
Hello, old lady
Beginning of a conversation with an old lady
I know your face well
The singer recognizes the old lady
I know it well
Reaffirmation of recognition
She says
Shift to old lady's perspective and dialogue
I'll be sitting in your mirror
Old lady will be watching the artist
Now is the place where the crossroads meet
A decisive moment when choices must be made
Will you look into the future?
An invitation to consider the consequences of present actions
Never, never say goodbye
A plea to never forget the old lady
To my part of your life
The old lady has been a meaningful part of the artist's life
No, no, no, no, no
Emphatic denial of an imminent separation
Oh, oh, oh
Emotional intensity
Let me live
Old lady requests to continue to have presence in the artist's life
C'mon and let me live, girl
Reiteration of the plea for reconnection
This moment in time
A reminder of the present moment
It doesn't belong to you
An assertion that the future is not solely controlled by the singer
It belongs to me
Claiming agency over the future
And to your little boy and to your little girl
Reference to the artist's children and their future
And the one hand clapping
Metaphor for something that only exists in harmony
Where on your palm is my little line
A request to know if the singer is still remembered
When you're written in mine
Reference to a deep, unbreakable connection
As an old memory?
Questioning whether they will only be remembered as a distant memory
Never, never say goodbye
Repeated reminder to not part ways
Never, never, never
Further emphasis on staying connected
Never, never let me go
Final plea to remain connected
I put this moment here
Claiming responsibility for the present moment
Over here
Further detail on the perceived placement of a certain event
Can't you see where memories are kept bright?
Reference to the preservation of memories
Tripping on the water like a laughing girl
Reference to buoyancy and youthful exuberance
Time in her eyes is spawning past life
Age and experience inform perspective
One with the ocean and the woman unfurled
Metaphor for the interconnectedness of humanity and nature
Holding all the love that waits for you here
Recognition of love and potential in the present moment
Catch us now for I am your future
A call to seize the moment
A kiss on the wind and we'll make the land
Metaphor for the power of intention
Come over here to where When lingers
Invitation to be present in the moment
Waiting in this empty world
A sense of anticipation for what's to come
Waiting for Then, when the lifespray cools
A reference to a calm after turbulent times
For Now does ride in on the curl of the wave
Present moment is fleeting and requires seizing
And you will dance with me in the sunlit pools
An invitation to engage in joy and wonder
We are of the going water and the gone
Humans are part of the natural cycle of life and death
We are of water in the holy land of water
Humans are connected to nature
And all that's to come runs in
The sense of continuity and interconnectedness of life
With the thrust on the strand
Reference to the power of the ocean to shape and connect
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Kate Bush
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind