"The song was taking the whole idea of how we cling onto things that change… Read Full Bio ↴"The song was taking the whole idea of how we cling onto things that change - we're always trying to not let things change. I thought it was such a lovely image of people reaching up for a star, and this star explodes. Where's it gone? It seemed to sum it all up really. That's kind of about how you can't hold on to anything because everything is always changing and we all have such a terrible need to hold onto stuff and to keep it exactly how it is, because this is nice and we don't want it to change. But sometimes even if things aren't nice, people don't want them to change. And things do. Just look at the natural balance of things: how if you reach out for something, chances are it will pull away. And when things reach out for you, the chances are you will pull away. You know everything ebbs and flows, and you know the moon is full and then it's gone: it's just the balance of things." - Kate Bush

REACHING OUT
Kate Bush Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

See how the child reaches out instinctively
To feel how the fire will feel

See how the man reaches out instinctively
For what he cannot have

The pull and the push of it all

Reaching out for the hand
Reaching out for the hand that smacked
Reaching out for that hand to hold
Reaching out for the Star
Reaching out for the Star that explodes
Reaching out for Mama

See how the flower leans instinctively toward the light
See how the heart reaches out instinctively
For no reason but to touch

The pull and the push of it all

Reaching out for the hand
Reaching out for the hand that smacked
Reaching out for that hand to hold
Reaching out for the Star
Reaching out for the Star that explodes
Reaching out for Mama

(Can't we see)
Reaching out for Mama

Overall Meaning

In Kate Bush's song "Reaching Out," she explores the fundamental nature of human behaviour that happens without conscious effort or direction. She creates a vivid experience of the natural impulses we all have through the use of poetic and metaphoric lyrics. The song begins by observing how a child instinctively reaches out to feel the warm flame, and how a man reaches out for things he knows he can't have. This behaviour is the pull and the push of it all, meaning that it is an inevitable part of being human, and we can't escape it.

The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "Reaching out for the hand." Bush is suggesting that the human need for affection and connection is universal, reaching out to those who may not be kind or loving, reaching out to those who dismiss us. She repeats the phrase several times to emphasise the intense yearning that forms our humanity, the sense of wanting to be held, understood, and guided through life. The song also compares the traits of humans to the leaning of a flower toward the light, the innate behaviour that is woven into our existence.

The final lines of the song are "Reaching out for Mama, (can't we see)." This line is a poignant reflection on the fact that people never outgrow their need for the maternal connection. It captures the essence of what it means to be human, the imperfection of our nature and the need to be connected to someone else. It's as if we are asking ourselves if we can see the things that all humans seek, sometimes, in ways that may seem confusing or even irrational.

Line by Line Meaning

See how the child reaches out instinctively To feel how the fire will feel
Observing how a child instinctually reaches out to touch the flames of a fire to understand and feel its warmth

See how the man reaches out instinctively For what he cannot have
Noticing how a man reaches out to attain something that he knows to be out of his reach

The pull and the push of it all
Describing the constant push and pull or give and take that exists in all aspects of life

Reaching out for the hand Reaching out for the hand that smacked Reaching out for that hand to hold Reaching out for the Star Reaching out for the Star that explodes Reaching out for Mama
Expressing the different reasons people reach out for different things, such as for comfort, love, understanding, and sometimes even for things that are seemingly impossible to attain

See how the flower leans instinctively toward the light
Noticing how a flower naturally turns and leans towards the light in order to grow and bloom

See how the heart reaches out instinctively For no reason but to touch
Highlighting the inexplicable urge for people to reach out and touch something without any clear reasoning behind it

(Can't we see) Reaching out for Mama
Reiterating the importance of maternal figures and the instinctual need for comfort and support from them, regardless of age or situation

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Kate Bush

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS