The song is about the destruction of Aboriginal Australians' traditional lands by white Australians in their quest for weapons-grade uranium. Musical guest Rolf Harris plays the didgeridoo on the recording, and bird impersonator Percy Edwards provided sheep noises. The title is based on The Dreaming, a concept in Aboriginal mythology.
The original title for the track was "The Abo Song", which unwittingly made use of a racial slur; promotional 7-inch copies were circulated before being recalled. A 12-inch version of the single was also mooted but ultimately rejected by EMI for "not being commercially viable".
The Dreaming
Kate Bush Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
On the bonnet of the van
(See the light ram through the gaps in the land)
Many an Aborigine's mistaken for a tree
'Til you near him on the motorway
And the tree begin to breathe
(See the light ram through the gaps in the land)
In the morning
(Coming in with the golden light)
Is the New Man
(Coming in with the golden light)
Is my dented van
(Woomera)
Dree-ee-ee-ee-ee
A-a-a-a-a
M-m-m-m-m
Ti-ti-ti-ti-ti
I-i-i-i-i
Me-me-me-me-me
Dree-ee-ee-ee-ee
A-a-a-a-a (woomera)
M-m-m-m-m
Ti-ti-ti-ti-ti
I-i-i-i-i
Me-me-me-me-me
Dree-ee-ee-ee-ee
A-a-a-a-a
M-m-m-m-m
Ti-ti-ti-ti-ti
The civilized keep alive
The territorial war
(See the light ram through the gaps in the land)
Erase the race that claim the place
And say we dig for ore
Or dangle devils in a bottle
And push them from the (pull of the bush)
(See the light ram through the gaps in the land)
You find them in the road
(See the light bounce off the rocks to the sand)
In the road
(Coming in with the golden light)
In the morning
(Coming in with the golden light)
With no warning
(Coming in with the golden light)
We bring in the rigging
(Dig, dig, dig, dig away)
Dree-ee-ee-ee-ee
A-a-a-a-a
M-m-m-m-m
Ti-ti-ti-ti-ti
I-i-i-i-i
Me-me-me-me-me
Dree-ee-ee-ee-ee
A-a-a-a-a (woomera)
M-m-m-m-m
Ti-ti-ti-ti-ti
I-i-i-i-i
Me-me-me-me-me
Dree-ee-ee-ee-ee
A-a-a-a-a
M-m-m-m-m
Ti-ti-ti-ti-ti (woomera)
I-i-i-i-i
Me-me-me-me-me
Dree-ee-ee-ee-ee
A-a-a-a-a
M-m-m-m-m
Ti-ti-ti-ti-ti
I-i-i-i-i (woomera)
Me-me-me-me-me
Ma-ma-many an Aborigine's mistaken for a tree
(See the light ram through the gaps in the land)
You near him on the motorway
And the tree begin to breathe
Erase the race that claim the place
And say we dig for ore
(See the light ram through the gaps in the land)
Dangle devils in a bottle
And push them from the pull of the bush
(See the sun set in the hand of the man)
Bang, goes another kanga
On the bonnet of the van
(See the light bounce off the rocks to the sand)
You find them in the road
(See the light ram through the gaps in the land)
In the road
(See the light)
(Push 'em from the)
Pull of the Bush
(See the light bounce off the rocks to the sand)
(Push 'em from the)
Pull of the Bush
(See the sun set in the hand of the man)
(Oh, re Mikayina)
Kate Bush's song The Dreaming is a powerful commentary on the treatment of the Aboriginal peoples of Australia at the hands of the British. The lyrics of the song describe the impact that colonialism has had on the Aboriginal people and their land, with the opening lines describing the brutal killing of a kangaroo by a van driver. Bush then goes on to highlight the mistreatment of the Aboriginal people and their misrepresentation as trees, symbols of the earth, until they are seen up close. She comments on the appropriation of their ancestral land and the horrors of the mining industry, which is destroying the land and culture of the peoples that hold it sacred. The line "Erase the race that claim the place" speaks directly to the government's forced removal of children from their families, the Stolen Generations, who were raised in white institutions without any connection to their culture or identity.
The chorus of the song is an evocative and mysterious chant, which builds on Aboriginal themes of community and spirituality. It is a powerful reminder of the Aboriginal people's connection to the earth, despite the crimes perpetrated against them. The song also includes the repeated word "Woomera" which refers to a detention centre for refugees in South Australia, an example of further mistreatment of peoples by the government.
Line by Line Meaning
Bang, goes another kanga
On the bonnet of the van
(See the light ram through the gaps in the land)
Another kangaroo was hit by the van, causing it to produce a bang sound. The light is visible as it passes through the vast openings within the country's terrain.
Many an Aborigine's mistaken for a tree
'Til you near him on the motorway
And the tree begin to breathe
(See the light ram through the gaps in the land)
Since they have lived there for thousands of years, many Aborigines have been misjudged as a plant. It's not until you draw closer to them on the highway that you realize it's a person, and the 'tree' starts to breathe. The light of day is breaking through the gaps in the earth's crust, which can be seen.
(Coming in with the golden light)
In the morning
(Coming in with the golden light)
Is the New Man
(Coming in with the golden light)
Is my dented van
The golden light of a new day is emerging. It signifies the arrival of the new man in our lives. The dented van enters with the golden light, as the beginning of a new day commences.
(Woomera)
Dree-ee-ee-ee-ee
A-a-a-a-a
M-m-m-m-m
Ti-ti-ti-ti-ti
I-i-i-i-i
Me-me-me-me-me
...
This is a chorus in which the refrain 'Woomera' is repeated. The other sounds that come after it are just to accompany it.
The civilized keep alive
The territorial war
(See the light ram through the gaps in the land)
Erase the race that claim the place
And say we dig for ore
Or dangle devils in a bottle
And push them from the (pull of the bush)
(See the light ram through the gaps in the land)
You find them in the road
(See the light bounce off the rocks to the sand)
In the road
This verse alludes to the facets of civilization, expressing how it is preserved through territorial war. They try to turn native Australians into an unknown civilization, linking racism with capitalism. The light is shown as it passes through the vast gaps in the continent, revealing that the forces that drive our society to advance at a breakneck pace are resulting in casualties and fatalities.
(Coming in with the golden light)
In the morning
(Coming in with the golden light)
With no warning
(Coming in with the golden light)
We bring in the rigging
(Dig, dig, dig, dig away)
Another new day begins as the golden light emerges without any early signs. As this new phase begins, the term 'we bring in the rigging' could suggest a fresh construction of something new, which is conveyed by the subsequent rhythm of 'dig, dig, dig.'
Ma-ma-many an Aborigine's mistaken for a tree
(See the light ram through the gaps in the land)
You near him on the motorway
And the tree begin to breathe
In this repetition of an earlier stanza, there is a belief that someone of Aboriginal heritage may be mistaken for a tree because they appear completely integrated with it. Only when you get closer to them on the roadway, can you tell the difference. The light from the sky continues to pass through the gaps in the ground.
Erase the race that claim the place
And say we dig for ore
(See the light ram through the gaps in the land)
Dangle devils in a bottle
And push them from the pull of the bush
(See the sun set in the hand of the man)
The song's closing lines refer to the removal of native people from their ancestral homes in order to work in mines or make space for Western civilization. The light from the sky continues to pass through the gaps in the ground, revealing that any development or growth that our country undergoes may have serious implications. As the daylight fades, the sun can be seen being held in a man's hand, a symbolic reference to the power that man believes he has over the natural world.
(Oh, re Mikayina)
This line is likely to signal the end of the song, with no direct importance to any characteristics of the song.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: KATE BUSH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@itallia666
I was in the bloom of youth when the sublime Kate Bush burst onto the music scene
No one had seen her like before & no ones ever come close to being her equal since!
I still have all her music on vinyl cassette, dvd through each time change of technology
Now shes just a press of a key away nowadays
Im thrilled that our Kate has topped the charts in 2022 with
Running up that Hill
Amazing!
I love Dreaming plus Wow &
Babouska, Dont Give Up, &
The superb " The Man with the
Child in his Eyes"
She was so unique with music her voice range, her mime dancing & theatrical stage sets
Im off on a Kate Bush musical binge now, she is so uplifting
& inspirational
🇬🇧👧
@philipferguson8570
What more can you ask for? Weird and wonderful - she sings them, she writes them, she produces them, she plays keyboards on them, she looks good, she sings well and she organises imaginative videos. The consummate artist. She is like no-one and no-one can be like her.
@Hung895
I think also BjÖRK is that kind of summit creator like her - totally weirdly unique..(exc my engl-I'm french!)
@Hung895
" All is full of love" by her is just amazing...As Kate she's amazing too -maybe a little less "weird" than the lady from the b ig North...what you think well it is silly to compare I know.;lol
@pantallazopatucaso
@@Hung895 true, Kate and bjork are literally perfect, they write, produce, sing, and are creative directors of their own work; I still s
think homogenic is ahead of our time, it was so good
@CBlargh
She's an incredible dancer too!
@EliteA26
so true
@brianreilly8661
dreaming is a work of art way ahead of its time
@gazhazzler1916
I've been properly listening some of her albums lately, never got around to it before even though I always liked her. I particularly love this song! She is a bit batshit but in a good way!
@sixteenfortytwo3578
Yup, it’s genius.
@jasoncollins1702
Check out Rolf Harris' Sunarise for a source of inspiration for Kate.