Bush began writing songs at 11. She was signed to EMI Records after Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour helped produce a demo tape. Her debut album, The Kick Inside, was released in 1978. Bush slowly gained artistic independence in album production and has produced all her studio albums since The Dreaming (1982). She took a hiatus between her seventh and eighth albums, The Red Shoes (1993) and Aerial (2005). Bush drew attention again in 2014 with her concert residency Before the Dawn, her first show since 1979's The Tour of Life.
The TV series "Stranger Things" used Bush's "Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)" in Season 4. As a result of the resurgence of interest, in 2022 the song reached #1 on the UK charts, 37 years after its initial release, and generated 100s of millions of streams.
Bush's eclectic and experimental musical style, unconventional lyrics, performances, and literary themes have influenced a diverse range of artists. She has been nominated for 13 British Phonographic Industry accolades, winning for Best British Female Artist in 1987, and has been nominated for three Grammy Awards. In 2002, Bush was recognized with an Ivor Novello Award for Outstanding Contribution to British Music. Bush was appointed a CBE in the 2013 New Year Honours for services to music. She was nominated three times for induction in the 2018, 2021, and 2022 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Babooshka
Kate Bush Lyrics
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Babooshka
She wanted to test her husband
She knew exactly what to do
A pseudonym to fool him
She couldn't have made a worse move
She sent him scented letters
Just like his wife
But how she was before the tears
And how she was before the years flew by
And how she was when she was beautiful
She signed the letter
All yours
Babooshka, Babooshka, Babooshka-ya-ya
All yours
Babooshka, Babooshka, Babooshka-ya-ya
Babooshka
She wanted to take it further
So she arranged a place to go
To see if he
Would fall for her incognito
And when he laid eyes on her
He got the feeling they had met before
Uncanny how she
Reminds him of his little lady
Capacity to give him all he needs
Just like his wife before she freezed on him
Just like his wife when she was beautiful
He shouted out
I'm all yours
Babooshka, Babooshka, Babooshka-ya-ya
All yours
Babooshka, Babooshka, Babooshka-ya-ya
All yours
Babooshka, Babooshka, Babooshka-ya-ya
Babooshka, Babooshka, Babooshka-ya-ya
Babooshka, Babooshka, Babooshka-ya-ya
Babooshka, Babooshka, Babooshka-ya-ya
Babooshka-ya-ya
Babooshka
Babooshka
Babooshka
In Kate Bush's song "Babooshka," the singer is apparently trying to test her husband's loyalty by sending him letters under a pseudonym, and arranging a blind date. The pseudonym, "Babooshka," is a Russian word meaning "grandmother" or "old woman." The singer wants to see if her husband will be faithful, or if he will fall for her incognito. She signs the letters "All yours," suggesting that she wants her husband to remain faithful to her even if she is no longer physically attractive.
The character of Babooshka represents the fear and paranoia that can come with a longterm relationship. After years of marriage, the singer wants to know if her husband still desires her. Her plan ultimately backfires, however, as her husband falls in love with the Babooshka persona. The song expresses the pain and jealousy that come with infidelity and the loss of love.
Line by Line Meaning
She wanted to test her husband
She had doubts about her husband's loyalty and wanted to test him.
She knew exactly what to do
She had a plan to test her husband, and was confident in executing it.
A pseudonym to fool him
She used a false name to deceive her husband.
She couldn't have made a worse move
Her plan backfired and caused more problems instead of solving them.
She sent him scented letters
She wrote letters to her husband with a pleasant scent, hoping to win his affection.
And he received them with a strange delight
Her husband was pleased to receive the letters, but the scent wasn't enough to disguise the deception.
Just like his wife
Her husband thought the letters were from his real wife.
But how she was before the tears
Before their relationship fell apart, she was a happy and loving wife.
And how she was before the years flew by
Before they grew old, she was full of life and energy.
And how she was when she was beautiful
When she was young and attractive, their relationship was strong and happy.
She signed the letter
All yours
She signed the letter with a false name, but still gave her husband the impression that it was from her, and that he had her love.
She wanted to take it further
She wanted to push the limits of her husband's loyalty, and see if he would still be faithful if she were someone else entirely.
So she arranged a place to go
She made plans to meet her husband under a false identity at a specific location.
To see if he would fall for her incognito
She wanted to see if her husband would be attracted to her even if she were pretending to be someone else.
And when he laid eyes on her
When her husband saw her, he recognized something familiar in her.
He got the feeling they had met before
Her husband was reminded of his own wife, but he couldn't put his finger on why.
Uncanny how she reminds him of his little lady
He was surprised at how much the woman he met reminded him of his real wife.
Capacity to give him all he needs
He was drawn to the woman pretending to be his wife because she still possessed the qualities he loved in his real wife.
Just like his wife before she freezed on him
The woman pretending to be his wife had the same traits and energy that his real wife had before their relationship grew cold.
Just like his wife when she was beautiful
His real wife was once beautiful and loving, and that's what drew him to her in the first place.
He shouted out
I'm all yours
Her husband was convinced that the woman pretending to be his wife was actually her, and he declared his loyalty and love for her.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Kate Bush
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind