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.
Ne t'en fui pas
Kate Bush Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Comme un chat
Par la nuit si noire.
Tu attends,
Et je tombe
Dans tes ailes blanches, la-la-la...
Et je vole,
Et je coule
Si les grands yeux de mon Dieu
Ne me gardaient pas,
Je te volerais.
Ne t'en fui pas!
Tu as des ailes,
Le pouvoir de me quitter.
Tu es tombé
Do ciel comme un ange, la-la-la
Et j'ai peur
Que le ciel
Te reprenne.
Si les grands yeux de mon Dieu
Ne me gardaient pas,
Je te volerais.
Je viens
Comme un chat
Par la nuit si noire.
Je t'en prie,
Je t'en prie,
Je t'en prie,
Je t'en prie,
Je t'en prie,
Je t'en prie--
Ne t'en fui
Pas!
The song Ne t'en fui pas, sung by Kate Bush in both French and English, may be translated as "Don't Run Away". The first verse is a metaphor for sneaking into someone's heart under the cover of darkness, and the second verse reveals the underlying fear of losing someone who may belong somewhere else, somewhere heavenly. Despite this feeling, the chorus pleads with the loved one not to run away, acknowledging the power they hold to leave at any time, and begging them to stay.
The lines "Si les grands yeux de mon Dieu/Ne me gardaient pas" may be interpreted as the singer's belief that only God's protection over them is keeping them from losing this love interest. It's possible that the "cat" imagery in the first and third verses could refer to the idea of cats having nine lives, suggesting the singer has taken a risk in pursuing this relationship but could still have many more chances at it.
Overall, the song is a heartfelt plea to a loved one not to leave, despite the singer's own insecurities and fears of losing them. The final repetition of "Je t'en prie, ne t'en fui pas" is especially mournful and desperate, emphasizing the song's themes of love and loss.
Line by Line Meaning
Je viens
I come
Comme un chat
Like a cat
Par la nuit si noire.
In the darkest night.
Tu attends,
You wait,
Et je tombe
And I fall
Dans tes ailes blanches, la-la-la...
In your white wings, la-la-la...
Et je vole,
And I fly,
Et je coule
And I flow
Comme une plume.
Like a feather.
Si les grands yeux de mon Dieu
If the great eyes of my God
Ne me gardaient pas,
Did not guard me,
Je te volerais.
I would steal you.
Ne t'en fui pas!
Don't run away!
Tu as des ailes,
You have wings,
Le pouvoir de me quitter.
The power to leave me.
Tu es tombé
You fell
Do ciel comme un ange, la-la-la
From the sky like an angel, la-la-la
Et j'ai peur
And I'm afraid
Que le ciel
That the sky
Te reprenne.
Will take you back.
Je t'en prie,
I beg you,
Ne t'en fui Pas!
Don't run away!
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
romane ♡
Lyrics in English :
I come
Like a cat
Through the night so dark
You wait
And I fall
In your white wings, la-la-la...
And I fly
And I'm sinking
Like a feather
If the big eyes of my God
Didn't keep me
I will steal you
Don't run away
You have wings
The power to leave me
You fell from the sky
Like an angel
And I'm scared
Than the sky
Take you back
If the big eyes of my God
Didn't keep me
I will steal you
I come
Like a cat
Through the night so dark
Please
Please
Please
Please
Please
Please
Don't run away
Tricie
Je viens
Comme un chat
Par la nuit si noire.
Tu attends,
Et je tombe
Dans tes ailes blanches, la-la-la...
Et je vole,
Et je coule
Comme une plume.
Si les grands yeux de mon Dieu
Ne me gardaient pas,
Je te volerais
Ne t'enfuis pas!
Tu as des ailes,
Le pouvoir de me quitter.
Tu es tombé - You fell
Du ciel comme un ange, la-la-la
Et j'ai peur
Que le ciel
Te reprenne.
Si les grands yeux de mon Dieu
Ne me gardaient pas,
Je te volerais.
Je viens
Comme un chat
Par la nuit si noire.
Je t'en prie,
Je t'en prie,
Je t'en prie,
Je t'en prie,
Je t'en prie,
Je t'en prie--
Ne t'enfuis
Pas!
romane ♡
Lyrics in French :
Je viens
Comme un chat
Par la nuit si noire
Tu attends
Et je tombe
Dans tes ailes blanches, la-la-la...
Et je vole
Et je coule
Comme une plume
Si les grands yeux de mon Dieu
Ne me gardaient pas
Je te volerai
Ne t'enfuis pas
Tu as des ailes
Le pouvoir de me quitter
Tu es tombé du ciel
Comme un ange
Et j'ai peur
Que le ciel
Te reprenne
Si les grands yeux de mon Dieu
Ne me gardaient pas
Je te volerai
Je viens
Comme un chat
Par la nuit si noire
Je t'en pris
Je t'en pris
Je t'en pris
Je t'en pris
Je t'en pris
Je ten pris
Ne t'enfuis pas
Lyrics in English :
I come
Like a cat
Through the night so dark
You wait
And I fall
In your white wings, la-la-la...
And I fly
And I'm sinking
Like a feather
If the big eyes of my God
Didn't keep me
I will steal you
Don't run away
You have wings
The power to leave me
You fell from the sky
Like an angel
And I'm scared
Than the sky
Take you back
If the big eyes of my God
Didn't keep me
I will steal you
I come
Like a cat
Through the night so dark
Please
Please
Please
Please
Please
Please
Don't run away
SilverRascal
“If the great eyes of my God didn’t hold me, I would steal you.” The implications of that lyric make Kate Bush great. Along with everything else, of course! ❤
rene eby-egles
Merci, Kate, de chanter pour nous en français. Your accent is so lovely. 😍
Eloísa García
Oh, the joyful moment of falling in love with yet another Kate Bush song
Nellie S
This song is so good, so mysterious. I translated the lyrics and it's so beautiful! I wish it was longer.
LindaTheCat
This is one of my favourite Kate Bush songs. Mesmerising and beautiful.
wigginsdesign
Listening & viewing to many clips back to back has kept me in tears of bliss. Kate is simply indescribable in words. Her music, voice , style, and beauty are so captivating on so many levels.
bratattack5
This song is just so amazing. I had no idea what it's translation was but it just had something special about it.
romane ♡
Lyrics in English :
I come
Like a cat
Through the night so dark
You wait
And I fall
In your white wings, la-la-la...
And I fly
And I'm sinking
Like a feather
If the big eyes of my God
Didn't keep me
I will steal you
Don't run away
You have wings
The power to leave me
You fell from the sky
Like an angel
And I'm scared
Than the sky
Take you back
If the big eyes of my God
Didn't keep me
I will steal you
I come
Like a cat
Through the night so dark
Please
Please
Please
Please
Please
Please
Don't run away
Arnaud FAUCHERE
Un bel hommage de la diva britannique à la langue française .Toujours aussi sensuelle .Merci Kate "flower."
Gavin Lowe
It's a shame this has never been released digitally.