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.
Sensual World
Kate Bush Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Then I'd taken the kiss of seedcake back from his mouth
Going deep South, go down, mmh, yes
Took six big wheels and rolled our bodies
Off of Howth Head and into the flesh, mmh, yes
He said I was a flower of the mountain, yes
But now I've powers o'er a woman's body, yes
Stepping out of the page into the sensual world
Stepping out
To where the water and the earth caress
And the down of a peach says mmh, yes
Do I look for those millionaires
Like a Machiavellian girl would
When I could wear a sunset? mmh, yes
And how we'd wished to live in the sensual world
You don't need words, just one kiss, then another
Stepping out of the page into the sensual world
Stepping out, off the page, into the sensual world
And then our arrows of desire rewrite the speech, mmh, yes
And then he whispered would I, mmh, yes
Be safe, mmh, yes, from mountain flowers?
And at first with the charm around him, mmh, yes
He loosened it so if it slipped between my breasts
He'd rescue it, mmh, yes
And his spark took life in my hand and, mmh, yes
I said, mmh, yes
But not yet, mmh, yes
Mmh, yes
Mmh, yes
The lyrics in Kate Bush's song Sensual World describe the experience of a woman who takes back a "kiss of seedcake" from a man's mouth and proceeds to travel "deep South." The lyrics "stepping out of the page into the sensual world" suggest that the woman is stepping out of the confines of literature or fantasy into experiencing the sensual world in reality. She speaks of having "powers o'er a woman's body" and looking for "millionaires like a Machiavellian girl would," but then realizes that she could simply "wear a sunset."
The second verse of the song describes the woman's desire to live in the sensual world and experience it through kisses without the need for words. The third verse describes the interaction between the woman and the man and how their "arrows of desire rewrite the speech." The man asks her if she will be safe from "mountain flowers" and presents her with a charm that she ultimately decides not to use. The song ends with repeated "mmh yes" sounds, perhaps signifying satisfaction or contentment with the experience.
Line by Line Meaning
Mmh, yes
An affirmative vocalization, expressing agreement or excitement.
Then I'd taken the kiss of seedcake back from his mouth
Retrieving the essence of pleasure and desire from this person's grasp.
Going deep South, go down, mmh, yes
Embarking on a journey towards the source of sensuality and passion in the southern regions.
Took six big wheels and rolled our bodies/Off of Howth Head and into the flesh, mmh, yes
Utilizing a large vehicle to carry our physical selves from the top of Howth Head to the realm of desire and the physical body.
He said I was a flower of the mountain, yes/But now I've powers o'er a woman's body, yes
Being viewed as a fragile object, but having gained strength and agency over my own form and desires.
Stepping out of the page into the sensual world/Stepping out
Entering an immersive experience of sensation and desire, leaving behind the constraints of the written word.
To where the water and the earth caress/And the down of a peach says mmh, yes
Arriving at a place where the elements of nature intertwine and beckon with suggestive textures and sensations.
Do I look for those millionaires/Like a Machiavellian girl would/When I could wear a sunset? mmh, yes
Questioning the desire for material wealth when the beauty of nature provides riches beyond value.
And how we'd wished to live in the sensual world/You don't need words, just one kiss, then another
Desiring a life of sensory pleasure beyond the realm of verbal communication, embracing the power of physical touch and desire.
And then our arrows of desire rewrite the speech, mmh, yes/And then he whispered would I, mmh, yes/Be safe, mmh, yes, from mountain flowers?
Our strong desires reshape the way we express ourselves, and this person asks if I feel secure from the risks of physical pleasure and passion.
And at first with the charm around him, mmh, yes/He loosened it so if it slipped between my breasts/He'd rescue it, mmh, yes/And his spark took life in my hand and, mmh, yes/I said, mmh, yes/But not yet, mmh, yes
Initially impressed by this person's seductive charm, but ultimately maintaining control over the pace and progression of our physical intimacy.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: KATE BUSH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@CraigMansfield
That sums her up really.
She has always been in a league of her own.
I like many things about her, but what usually struck me, was how over the decades she's never shown any sign of any ego.
She was always a consummate artist who worked hard on her art. She never became arrogant.
She was always if anything, really shy.
I don't care what anybody says, I believe she's the most talented artist to have come out of the UK.
@anitag4669
WHAT A GIFT TO HUMANITY THIS WOMAN IS
@waltergilmore8255
Tru Fact's 😌
@Redguard677
But men are more
@andrewtucker1828
Let's get married in California. I'm in Chico
@janewright2800
She sure is and brightens my life!🙏💚☀️✨
@titteryenot1136
She's a pop singer not the saviour
@dimitrisoen5657
The sound she makes, when saying "hmmmm yes", is so enchanting to me. It takes me to other places. Like all of her music. There's always something special.
This woman IS art.
@paolasavoia5289
Well said!
@moondancer6488
🎯
@crimsonnova5619
True!