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.
Before the Fall
Kate Bush Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Holding hands, they found the broom-cupboard
Where he had control as far as the fall
When his hand covered wet hair
She took over among furniture wax
Dust, and the cloying yellow of polishing-cloth
When he was sick, she comforted him
And cuddle to the wind
Sleep on through the waves
That may wet your lover's dream
We have been far through this night long hours
We will go far, tomorrow, out of sight, ooh...
He couldn't do it properly
The disco, the office, the pub,
Had left out those details of delight.
Satisfied, he would collapse out,
Puzzled at why she still squirmed,
Held onto him, tears curling into her mouth
This was something their stories always omitted
That her joy would seem like pain
When he focused after his release.
Do sand and shells and stones
Peep in through your night?
But you should not be hurt
For all will pass with time.
We have been far through this night long hours
We will go far, tomorrow, out of sight, ooh...
In the third week of the relationship
She was tripping on organic acid
Would stop to pick up a rained-out leaf
Would give it tenderly into his hand
Full of dead things before they reached the car
When they drove she sat with mouth open
As though photographed on the impact of a stomach punch
Her right fist gripping the skin of his left leg
Hooking the steering-wheel closer to his heart
He feared her, and slapped out sideways into her face
She entered the cut with her tongue
Gurgling gratitude for the strange taste
Do you fear the dark?
Then hush, and realise
That though the angels never come
Prayers can soothe your mind
We have been far through this night long hour
We will go far, tomorrow, out of sight, ooh...
There was no premonition of the wet Hog's Back
The sportscar slumped, snout into a beech
Their corpses giving the vehicle arms
Petrol and blood at last dripping together
But quick flashes of a planned lunch
Cold red beef, white cloth by a cherrywood fire
Game pie, and for him two pints of colder beer
The winter air tucking under their eyelids
As they spun on the gravel at Clandon
Their hands steaming from quick moisture
The aromatic finger drawn up to his nostril
Dazed after mutual masturbation
They zigzagged into a conservative end
Oh hush, my friend, asleep.
The song "Before the Fall" by Kate Bush is a deeply emotional and complicated piece that tells the story of a tumultuous relationship that ends in tragedy. The lyrics are incredibly powerful, although they are somewhat ambiguous and open for interpretation.
The first verse describes the beginning of the relationship, which started with a drunken encounter in a broom closet. The man in the relationship is in control, but as they continue, the woman takes over. The lines "She took over among furniture wax/ Dust, and the cloying yellow of polishing-cloth" suggest that she is cleaning up after the man, but also that she has a sense of ownership over the relationship. The second verse focuses on the difficulties within the relationship, and how the woman's joy is sometimes mistaken for pain by the man. The two seem to be struggling to understand each other, but they are also deeply connected.
The final verse describes the end of the relationship, which is marked by the couple's death in a car accident. The imagery in this verse is particularly powerful, with "Petrol and blood at last dripping together" suggesting an inevitability to the couple's fate. Despite the tragic ending, the song ends on a note of peace and acceptance. The repeated refrain of "Oh hush, my friend, asleep" suggests that the couple is at rest, finally free from the struggles of their relationship.
Overall, "Before the Fall" is a complex and emotionally charged song that explores the ups and downs of a troubled relationship. The lyrics are open for interpretation, but they are also incredibly powerful, and the song as a whole is a haunting and beautiful piece.
Line by Line Meaning
He got her drunk very quickly
He quickly made her drunk
Holding hands, they found the broom-cupboard
They held hands and found a hidden place
Where he had control as far as the fall
Where he had control over the situation
When his hand covered wet hair
When his hand touched her wet hair
She took over among furniture wax
She took control amidst the smell of furniture wax
Dust, and the cloying yellow of polishing-cloth
Amidst the dust and the yellow of polishing-cloth
When he was sick, she comforted him
She comforted him when he was sick
Oh hush, my friend, and sleep
Sleep now, my friend
And cuddle to the wind
And let the wind embrace you
Sleep on through the waves
Continue sleeping through the waves
That may wet your lover's dream
That may disrupt your lover's dream
We have been far through this night long hours
We have been far during this long night
We will go far, tomorrow, out of sight, ooh...
We will go far tomorrow, out of sight
He couldn't do it properly
He couldn't perform properly
The disco, the office, the pub,
The places they frequent - the disco, the office, and the pub
Had left out those details of delight.
Did not include the pleasurable details
Satisfied, he would collapse out,
Satisfied, he would collapse
Puzzled at why she still squirmed,
Puzzled at why she squirmed
Held onto him, tears curling into her mouth
Holding onto him, crying
This was something their stories always omitted
Something their stories always left out
That her joy would seem like pain
That her pleasure would feel like pain
When he focused after his release.
When he regained focus after finishing
Do sand and shells and stones
Do sand, shells, and stones
Peep in through your night?
Appear in your dreams?
But you should not be hurt
You shouldn't be hurt by them
For all will pass with time.
They will all pass with time
She was tripping on organic acid
She was on an acid trip
Would stop to pick up a rained-out leaf
She would stop to pick up a leaf that had been rained on
Would give it tenderly into his hand
She would give it gently into his hand
Full of dead things before they reached the car
Full of dead things before they got to the car
When they drove she sat with mouth open
When they drove, she sat with her mouth open
As though photographed on the impact of a stomach punch
As though captured in a photo of a stomach punch
Her right fist gripping the skin of his left leg
Her right fist holding tight to his left leg
Hooking the steering-wheel closer to his heart
Holding the steering wheel closer to him
He feared her, and slapped out sideways into her face
He was afraid of her and hit her in the face
She entered the cut with her tongue
She put her tongue in her wound
Gurgling gratitude for the strange taste
Making a noise of gratitude for the unusual taste
Then hush, and realise
And now, be quiet and understand
That though the angels never come
Although the angels never come
Prayers can soothe your mind
Prayers can calm your mind
There was no premonition of the wet Hog's Back
They had no warning of the wet Hog's Back (a hilly road)
The sportscar slumped, snout into a beech
The sports car crashed into a beech tree
Their corpses giving the vehicle arms
Their bodies were the vehicle's final embrace
Petrol and blood at last dripping together
Fuel and blood finally mixing
But quick flashes of a planned lunch
But quick images of a planned lunch
Cold red beef, white cloth by a cherrywood fire
Cold rare beef and white tablecloth by a cherrywood fire
Game pie, and for him two pints of colder beer
Game pie and two cold beers for him
The winter air tucking under their eyelids
The cold winter air beneath their closed eyes
As they spun on the gravel at Clandon
As their car spun on the gravel at Clandon
Their hands steaming from quick moisture
Their hands steamy from brief moisture
The aromatic finger drawn up to his nostril
The fragrant finger drawn up to his nose
Dazed after mutual masturbation
Dazed after mutual masturbation
They zigzagged into a conservative end
They careened into a predictable conclusion
Contributed by Grace O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Kari Bunn
Omg omg just found this thanks to your recent uploads. Thank you so so so so so so so so much. I’m a female singer/songwriter from America and I’m 40 ish and had a nanny who played me her VHS tapes of Kates videos pretty much daily growing up from age 7-14. All I have done since is try to tell other musicians here in the US about her. You have NO IDEA how obscure she was here until a couple weeks ago. We had Tori Amos and Bjork but that was it. I read an interview with the band And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of The Dead… and they said the best thing about her ever- the amount of talent it takes most bands to make a record today she uses to brush her teeth
michelle per
how can you hear anything
and i dont see any songs, maybe couple, mostly broadway like stuff with low sound??
where is kate bush concert as it should be.. it is about time to put something up with the british national orchestra... come on kate do one concert, even george did few later on... do just 1!
stardusth2o
SO MANY OF US HAVE THOUGHT WE’D NEVER HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF WITNESSING THIS. I CANNOT THANK YOU ENOUGH!!!
William Lindblad
I understand why she might not want to release the DVD/Blu-Ray. She's famously self-critical, and with each passing day she's probably less pleased by small details of the performance, as she became with her film The Line, the Cross, and the Curve. I hope she reassesses and allows its release at some point in the future. Nothing is perfect, but her voice and performance are beautiful, poetic, inspirational. This segment is head and shoulders above many full concerts I've attended. I'd love to see the whole thing.
Bunji Jumper
She had every right to criticize The Line the cross….it was ok as a music video but this live show is fantastic
stardusth2o
@trappistpreserves alright then, girl!
trappistpreserves
@stardusth2o Well, yes. Her voice was not at its best as I said. It's not a question of fair or unfair.
stardusth2o
@trappistpreserves to be fair, I’m sure she didn’t do much singing these past couple decades. Very little recording. Also, she hasn’t done a concert since like the 70’s. Plus, she was what in her 50’s here? So, all that considered, it’s pretty impressive that she still sounds as good as she does!
trappistpreserves
Me too. Her voice, for whatever reasons, was not at its best and she will hate that, but I WISH she would let us see the whole thing. so what if her voice is not at its best? We know how amazing she is. We just want to watch the whole thing. I don't think it's going to happen though.
Tommy Gets Stupid
AND I've been glued to my computer screen for 48 minutes! As Kate Bush once said "Wow Wow Wow Wow Wow Wow Unbelievable!" And I cried during The Morning Fog.