Catherine Bush, professionally known as Kate Bush, is an English singer, so… Read Full Bio ↴Catherine Bush, professionally known as Kate Bush, is an English singer, songwriter, musician, dancer and record producer. In 1978, aged 19, she topped the UK Singles Chart for four weeks with her debut single "Wuthering Heights", becoming the first female artist to achieve a UK number one with a self-written song. Bush has since released 25 UK Top 40 singles, including the Top 10 hits "The Man with the Child in His Eyes", "Babooshka", "Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God)", "Don't Give Up" (a duet with Peter Gabriel) and "King of the Mountain". All 10 of her studio albums reached the UK Top 10, including the UK number one albums Never for Ever (1980), Hounds of Love (1985) and the compilation The Whole Story (1986). She was the first British solo female artist to top the UK album charts and the first female artist to enter the album chart at number one.

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.

Scares Me Silly
Kate Bush Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Here in the studio,
As they're turning down the lights,
I lick my lips to start the first line -
How can this girl be me?
"Oh, little thing, are you looking lost?"
The vertigo, the need to lose."

Ooh, ooh...

They try to put me on the tapes begin to spin,
I feel a little sick and hope my notes are in,
I try to put it all in, do it for you,
Don't even know you but I need you to love me, too.
They try to put me on the tape begin to spin,
I feel a little sick and hope my notes are in,
I try to put it all in, do it for you,
Don't even know you but I need you to love me, too.

Scares me silly, but it gets me going,
Like a Romeo.
Scares me silly, but it gets me going,
Like a Romeo.
Scares me silly, but it gets me going.

Swimming amid the cans
I wonder can I goad myself into another take,
And keep the mood?
It's like a film - such balance.
I close my eyes to the cello solo and ache,
The music will never let me blow away you-oo.

You know the feeling when you're on the right track.
You fall in love and you're never gonna turn it back.
It's a part of you, they're so sensitive,
Oozing without me, filling over with secrets.
You know the feeling when you're on the right track.
You fall in love and you're never gonna turn it back.
It's a part of you, they're so sensitive,
Oozing without me, filling over with secrets.

Scares me silly, but it gets me going,
Like a Romeo.
Scares me silly, but it gets me going,

Like a Romeo.
Scares me silly, but it gets me going.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Kate Bush's song "Scares Me Silly" describe the inner thoughts and emotions of an artist in the recording studio. The singer licks her lips and begins to sing as the lights are turned down, questioning how she can be the girl in the song. She feels a sense of vertigo and a need to lose herself in the music. As the tape begins to spin, she hopes her notes are in and tries to do it all for the listener, even though she doesn't know them, hoping for their love.

As the scene shifts to "swimming amid the cans," the singer wonders if she can goad herself into another take and keep the same balance and mood. She closes her eyes and aches as the cello solo plays, knowing that the music will never let her blow away the listener. The second verse describes the feeling of being on the right track in creating music, falling in love with the process, and never turning back, as the music becomes a part of the artist.

Overall, the lyrics suggest an intense desire to create, share and connect through music, while also feeling vulnerable and scared. It shows the intense process of recording music and how much energy goes into each line or note.

Line by Line Meaning

Here in the studio,
Kate is in the studio where she's about to record her song.

As they're turning down the lights,
The lights are being turned down in the studio as they prepare to record.

I lick my lips to start the first line -
Kate is getting ready to start singing the first line of her song, and licks her lips.

How can this girl be me?
Kate is reflecting on how she's feeling nervous about recording her song.

"Oh, little thing, are you looking lost?"
Someone in the studio asks Kate if she's feeling lost or nervous.

The vertigo, the need to lose."
Kate feels dizzy and nervous, and wants to let go of her fears.

They try to put me on the tapes begin to spin,
The recording process is beginning, and Kate feels anxious about it.

I feel a little sick and hope my notes are in,
Kate feels nauseous and hopes that she sings the right notes.

I try to put it all in, do it for you,
Kate is trying her best to put all her energy into recording the song for her fans.

Don't even know you but I need you to love me, too.
Kate wants her fans to love and appreciate her music, even if she doesn't know them personally.

Swimming amid the cans
Kate is surrounded by equipment and technology used in the recording process.

I wonder can I goad myself into another take,
Kate wonders if she can push herself to do another take of the song.

And keep the mood?
Kate wants to maintain the same mood and energy as her previous takes.

It's like a film - such balance.
The recording process feels like a movie production, with a sense of balance and harmony.

I close my eyes to the cello solo and ache,
Kate feels a strong emotion when listening to the cello solo in her song.

The music will never let me blow away you-oo.
Kate believes that her music will keep her connected to her fans.

You know the feeling when you're on the right track.
Kate is familiar with the feeling of being in the right place and doing the right thing.

You fall in love and you're never gonna turn it back.
When you find your passion, you will never want to give it up.

It's a part of you, they're so sensitive,
Kate believes that her music and passion are a part of who she is, and she's very sensitive about it.

Oozing without me, filling over with secrets.
Kate's music is so passionate that it spills out of her and reveals her deepest secrets and emotions.

Scares me silly, but it gets me going,
Kate is afraid of the recording process, but it also excites her and makes her feel alive.

Like a Romeo.
Just like Romeo from Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, the feeling of passion and love inspires Kate to create her music with a lot of emotion.

Scares me silly, but it gets me going.
Kate is repeating that although she is scared, it is also a motivation for her.

Scares me silly, but it gets me going.
Kate repeats the chorus to emphasize that her fear fuels her passion for music.

Contributed by Sydney R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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