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.
Rockets Tail
Kate Bush Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You said hey wish that was me up there
It's the biggest rocket I could find
And it's holding the night in its arms
If for only a moment
I can't see the look in its eyes
But I'm sure it must be laughing
But it seemed to me the saddest thing I'd ever seen
I saw only a stick on fire
Alone on its journey
Home to the quickening ground
With no one there to catch it
I put on my pointed hat
And my black and silver suit
And I check my gunpowder pack
And I strap the stick on my back
And dressed as a rocket on Waterloo Bridge
Nobody seemed to see me
Then with the fuse in my hand
And now shooting into the night
And still as a rocket
I land in the river
Was it me said you were crazy?
I put on my cloudiest suit
Size five lightning boots too
'Cause I am a rocket
On fire
Look at me go with my tail on fire
Tail on fire
On fire
The lyrics in "Rocket's Tail" by Kate Bush describe a conversation between two people on a November night, where one person looks up at the sky and wishes they were up in a rocket. The other person thinks they are crazy for wanting to leave the ground and points out the sadness of the rocket being alone on its journey. However, the first person decides to dress up as a rocket, straps a stick on their back, and shoots into the night sky. The lyrics convey a sense of yearning for something greater, a desire to escape from the mundane world and explore new realms of possibility.
The lyrics suggest that the rocket is a symbol of freedom and adventure, representing the desire to break free from the limitations of the everyday world. The rocket's journey is one of solitude, but also of wonder and mystery. The singer of the song is initially skeptical of this desire to escape, but ultimately embraces it and transforms themselves into a rocket, blasting off into the night with their tail on fire. The imagery of the rocket is potent and transformative, representing the promise of exploration and discovery beyond the confines of earth.
Overall, "Rocket's Tail" is a beautiful song that captures the longing for adventure and the desire to break free from the constraints of everyday life. It celebrates the wonder and mystery of the universe and the transformative power of imagination.
Line by Line Meaning
That November night, looking up into the sky
On a particular November night, you looked up at the sky
You said hey wish that was me up there
You expressed your desire to be up there in the sky
It's the biggest rocket I could find
The rocket that you found was the largest available
And it's holding the night in its arms
The rocket seems to embrace the night, holding it in its arms
If for only a moment
Even though it's for a brief period
I can't see the look in its eyes
The rocket has no visible face or eyes
But I'm sure it must be laughing
You believe that the rocket is joyous and happy
But it seemed to me the saddest thing I'd ever seen
To you, the scene was melancholic and sorrowful
And I thought you were crazy wishing such a thing
You perceived the desire to fly away in a rocket as an irrational wish
I saw only a stick on fire
The rocket appeared to you like a flaming stick
Alone on its journey
On its way by itself
Home to the quickening ground
Heading towards the ground that is coming closer
With no one there to catch it
There's no one present to catch the rocket
I put on my pointed hat
You wore a pointed cap
And my black and silver suit
You dressed up in a black and silver suit
And I check my gunpowder pack
You made sure to verify your gunpowder supplies
And I strap the stick on my back
You tethered the rocket onto your back
And dressed as a rocket on Waterloo Bridge
You disguised yourself as a rocket while being on Waterloo Bridge
Nobody seemed to see me
Despite your outfit, nobody noticed you
Then with the fuse in my hand
You held the fuse in your hand
And now shooting into the night
You started soaring into the night sky
And still as a rocket
You're still flying like a rocket
I land in the river
You descended and landed in a river
Was it me said you were crazy?
You are inquiring if it was you that was referred to as crazy
I put on my cloudiest suit
You put on your suit that's the cloudiest
Size five lightning boots too
You also put on your size five boots with lightning design
'Cause I am a rocket
You refer to yourself as a rocket
On fire
You are burning in flames
Look at me go with my tail on fire
You're telling someone to take notice of you flying with your flaming backside
Tail on fire
You're reiterating again that your tail is on fire
On fire
Once more, you say that you're still burning in flames
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Kate Bush
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind