" One of my new songs, 'All We Ever Look For', it's not about me. It's abou… Read Full Bio ↴" One of my new songs, 'All We Ever Look For', it's not about me. It's about family relationships generally. Our parents got beaten physically. We get beaten psychologically. The last line - "All we ever look for - but we never did score".' Well, that's the way it is - you do get faced sometimes with futile situations. But the answer's not to kill yourself. You have to accept it, you have to cope with it." (Derek Jewell, 'How To Write Songs And Influence People'. Sunday Times (UK), 5 October 1980)

All We Ever Look For
Kate Bush Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Just look at your father
And you'll see how you took after him.
Me, I'm just another
Like my brothers
Of my mother's genes.

All they ever want for you
Are the things they didn't do.

All they ever wanted, a little clue.
All they ever wanted, the truth.
All they ever wanted, a little bit of you.
All they ever wanted,
But they never did get.

The whims that we're weeping for
Our parents would be beaten for
Leave the breast
And then the rest
And then regret you ever left.

All we're ever looking for
Is another open door.

All we ever look for, another womb.
All we ever look for, our own tomb.
All we ever look for, ooh, la lune.
All we ever look for, a little bit of you, too.
All we ever look for,
But we never do score.

All we ever look for, a god.
All we ever look for, oh, a drug.
All we ever look for, a great big hug.
All we ever look for, a little bit of you.
All we ever look for, a little bit of you, too.

All we ever look for,
But we never do score.

Overall Meaning

Kate Bush's song "All We Ever Look For" explores the notion of how we are influenced by our parents and the desire to find our own identity. The opening lines, "Just look at your father and you'll see how you took after him", suggest how we inherit physical and personality traits from our parents. In contrast, the singer sees herself as being similar to her brothers due to her mother's genes. The song suggests that we are shaped by our family's expectations, as seen in the lines, "All they ever want for you are the things they didn't do. All they ever wanted, a little clue. All they ever wanted, the truth."

The second verse touches on the struggle to break away from our family's influence and find our own path. The "whims that we're weeping for" represent our own individual desires and dreams, which may not match our family's expectations. This is juxtaposed with the notion that our parents would be "beaten for" the same desires if they were to pursue them. The chorus, "All we're ever looking for is another open door", suggests the search for a way to break free and find our own identity.

Overall, "All We Ever Look For" explores the universal theme of the tension between our individual identity and our familial and societal expectations. It highlights the importance of finding our own path while acknowledging the influence of our upbringing.

Line by Line Meaning

Just look at your father And you'll see how you took after him.
Observing your father reveals how you have inherited his traits.

Me, I'm just another Like my brothers Of my mother's genes.
The singer is similar to their siblings due to their shared maternal ancestry.

All they ever want for you Are the things they didn't do. All they ever wanted, a little clue. All they ever wanted, the truth. All they ever wanted, a little bit of you. All they ever wanted, But they never did get.
Parents aspire for their children to achieve unfulfilled ambitions and gain insight into their lives but often fail.

The whims that we're weeping for Our parents would be beaten for Leave the breast And then the rest And then regret you ever left.
Seeking trivial desires dismay us while our parents faced severe consequences for the same actions. Departing from our initial dependence leads to remorse.

All we're ever looking for Is another open door.
We seek chances and opportunities.

All we ever look for, another womb. All we ever look for, our own tomb. All we ever look for, ooh, la lune. All we ever look for, a little bit of you, too. All we ever look for, But we never do score.
Our search varies from birth to death, including nurturing, resting places, and even extraterrestrial objects, but we seldom find what we crave.

All we ever look for, a god. All we ever look for, oh, a drug. All we ever look for, a great big hug. All we ever look for, a little bit of you. All we ever look for, a little bit of you, too. All we ever look for, But we never do score.
Our desires range from spiritual aspirations, temporary highs, human connection, and even the presence of a specific individual, but all remain largely unfulfilled.

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: KATE BUSH

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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