Originally titled, "A Deal with God", representatives at EMI were hesitant to release the song, as they feared the title could have prevented radio play, especially in the United States. Bush relented and changed the title because her single from her previous release, The Dreaming, had done so poorly in the charts. The executives of EMI initially wanted to release another song, Cloudbusting, as the lead single from the album. Bush successfully convinced them to release "Running Up That Hill" first, citing that it was the first song to be written for the album, and felt that it better represented the broader feel for "Hounds of Love".
The song itself has often been misinterpreted. Kate Bush herself has said, "I was trying to say that, really, a man and a woman, can't understand each other because we are a man and a woman. And if we could actually swap each other's roles, if we could actually be in each other's place for a while, I think we'd both be very surprised! [Laughs] And I think it would lead to a greater understanding. And really the only way I could think it could be done was either... you know, I thought a deal with the devil, you know. And I thought, 'well, no, why not a deal with God!' You know, because in a way it's so much more powerful the whole idea of asking God to make a deal with you. You see, for me, it is still called "Deal With God", which was its title. But we were told that if we kept this title that it wouldn't be played in any of the religious countries, Italy wouldn't play it, France wouldn't play it, and Australia wouldn't play it! Ireland wouldn't play it, and that generally, we might get it blacked purely because it had 'God' in the title."
The song is about a lover that is holding a deep secret hurt from the other lover," How deep the bullet lies ", hating him/her for it at times, wanting desperately for the uninjured party to trade the pain to ( Swap our places) so she/he could be free of it while the other lover experiences it," Hurt the ones we love"
and he/she could "be running up that hill running up that building with no problem"
Musically, the background vocal chants ("e-yo") are almost identical to singing in classical Japanese musical theatre such as Noh, and the prominent drumming pattern appears to be influenced by Japanese taiko.
In May 2022, “Running Up That Hill” surged in popularity following its prominent usage in the Netflix show “Stranger Things”. In the United States, it re-entered the Hot 100 at #8 and later peaked at #3, becoming her first Top 10 in the country. Globally, it reached #1 in various countries including the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Ireland, Belgium and Australia, where it spent 8 weeks at #1, more than any other act in 2022.
References in Movies/Songs:
The song can be heard during the final credits of the 1988 film The Chocolate War.
The song was also used as the theme tune for the 1986 BBC children's drama "Running Scared".
English band Coldplay claims the drum beat of this song inspired their single "Speed of Sound".
The song is referenced by The Hold Steady on "Hornets! Hornets!" and Fiona Apple on “Fetch The Bolt Cutters”.
In 2022, the song was used in an episode of "Stranger Things", resulting in a boost of streams for the song.
Running up That Hill
Kate Bush Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Do you wanna feel how it feels? (Yeah, yeah, yo)
Do you wanna know, know that it doesn't hurt me? (Yeah, yeah, yo)
Do you wanna hear about the deal that I'm making? (Yeah, yeah, yo)
You
It's you and me
I'd make a deal with God
And I'd get Him to swap our places
Be runnin' up that road
Be runnin' up that hill
Be runnin' up that building
Say, if I only could, oh
You don't wanna hurt me (yeah, yeah, yo)
But see how deep the bullet lies (yeah, yeah, yo)
Unaware I'm tearin' you asunder (yeah, yeah, yo)
Oh, there is thunder in our hearts (yeah, yeah, yo)
Is there so much hate for the ones we love? (Yeah, yeah, yo)
Oh, tell me, we both matter, don't we? (Yeah, yeah, yo)
You
It's you and me
It's you and me
Won't be unhappy
And if I only could
I'd make a deal with God
And I'd get Him to swap our places
Be runnin' up that road
Be runnin' up that hill
Be runnin' up that building (yo)
Say, if I only could, oh
You (yeah, yeah, yo)
It's you and me
It's you and me
Won't be unhappy (yeah, yeah, yo)
Oh, come on, baby (yeah)
Oh, come on, darlin' (yo)
Let me steal this moment from you now
Oh, come on, angel
Come on, come on, darlin'
Let's exchange the experience (yo), oh, ooh, ooh
And if I only could
I'd make a deal with God
And I'd get Him to swap our places
I'd be runnin' up that road
Be runnin' up that hill
With no problems
Say, if I only could
I'd make a deal with God
And I'd get Him to swap our places
I'd be runnin' up that road
Be runnin' up that hill
With no problems
Say, if I only could
I'd make a deal with God
And I'd get Him to swap our places
I'd be runnin' up that road
Be runnin' up that hill
With no problems
Say, if I only could
I'd be runnin' up that hill
With no problems
(If I only could)
(I'd be runnin' up that hill)
(If I only could)
(Be runnin' up that hill)
"Running Up That Hill" is a song by the British musician Kate Bush, released in 1985 as the first single from her album "Hounds of Love". The lyrics appear to be about two people who are in love but have a communication problem. The repetitive lines of "It doesn't hurt me, do you want to feel how it feels?" suggest that one person may be trying to convince the other to open up and share their emotions, while the lines "You don't wanna hurt me, but see how deep the bullet lies" hint at the pain caused by keeping feelings bottled up.
The chorus features the line "If I only could, I'd make a deal with God" which has been interpreted as a desire for the singer to change places with their lover in order to truly understand them. The second verse contains the lines "Is there so much hate for the ones we love? Oh tell me, we both matter, don't we?" which suggest that the communication problem may be a result of insecurities on both sides.
Overall, the song seems to be a plea for better communication and understanding in a relationship, with the repeated line of "It's you and me, it's you and me, won't be unhappy" suggesting that these two people are meant to be together.
Line by Line Meaning
It doesn't hurt me (yeah, yeah, yo)
I am resilient and strong enough to withstand any hardship
Do you wanna feel how it feels? (Yeah, yeah, yo)
Do you want to experience the indomitable spirit and unbreakable will that I possess?
Do you wanna know, know that it doesn't hurt me? (Yeah, yeah, yo)
Do you want to understand that nothing can hold me back or bring me down?
Do you wanna hear about the deal that I'm making? (Yeah, yeah, yo)
Do you want to learn about the pact I am forging to achieve leaps and strides in my life?
And if I only could, I'd make a deal with God
If only I could make an agreement with a higher power to change my circumstances, life would be beyond what I can even imagine
And I'd get Him to swap our places
I would request to exchange my life for someone else's, who has what I want
Be runnin' up that road / Be runnin' up that hill / Be runnin' up that building / Say, if I only could, oh
I would be able to overcome any obstacle and achieve all my goals, if only I had the chance
You don't wanna hurt me (yeah, yeah, yo)
You don't intend to harm or hinder me in any way
But see how deep the bullet lies (yeah, yeah, yo)
But the underlying issues and emotions are far more complex and damaging than they appear
Unaware I'm tearin' you asunder (yeah, yeah, yo)
Unknowingly, I am causing you significant emotional pain
Oh, there is thunder in our hearts (yeah, yeah, yo)
Our internal emotional conflict is causing both of us to suffer deeply
Is there so much hate for the ones we love? (Yeah, yeah, yo)
Why do we harbor so much resentment and anger toward those we care about the most?
Oh, tell me, we both matter, don't we? (Yeah, yeah, yo)
We both have value and worth, and we deserve to be treated with respect and kindness
Oh, come on, baby (yeah) / Oh, come on, darlin' (yo)
Let's work through our issues and come to a better understanding of each other
Let me steal this moment from you now
Allow me to seize this opportunity to connect and bond with you in a meaningful way
Come on, angel / Come on, come on, darlin'
Let's move past our problems and treat each other with love and compassion
Let's exchange the experience (yo), oh, ooh, ooh
Let's try to empathize and understand each other's perspectives, in order to heal our relationship
With no problems
If only I could achieve my goals with ease and without obstacles in my path
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Kate Bush
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@philld1201
@@witchcorpse
Running Up That Hill - Actual chart positions in 1985
U.K no 3
Germany no 3
Ireland no 4
Australia no 6
Belgium no 6
Netherlands no 6
France no 7
Europe (European Hot 100 Singles) no 8
Switzerland no 10
Canada no 16
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Running_Up_That_Hill
@danberry3417
This song and Cloudbusting will forever remind me of my grade 3 teacher Mrs. Fournier
She had a really great perspective on life that was just contagious.
We had an hour of music class everyday and she loved sharing new bands and music with us.
She played Kate Bush, Violent Femmes, Talking Heads and Cloverdale Paige for us and it was magical at the time... on vinyl
The cold War was just ending and you could feel it in the air, it felt like being under compression for a time and then suddenly not..
Musically we collectively opened up and responded with undulating frequencies to find a equilibrium
Amazing how a song can bring so many thoughts and feelings across time and space.
@TDBRICKS
Listening to this throughout the day so Vecna doesn't kill me
@Sham912
stoppp imagine the singer looking at tgis comment
@adventuresofbilljohnson8271
Are you still alive? 🤞
@andreastateopoulos1926
W
@angelanortman6472
Meeee toooo😂😂😂😂
@elvisedison1741
😂
@DaFuqBoom
The song is literally running up those charts, surpassing Harry Styles. This is insane 🤯
@adelineesmee7191
🤣 love the pun!
@IndigoAiReviews
Absolutely, how could it not when a scene leaves you breathless the way it did.
@matdesign2008
Definitely top charts for sure.