Bush on the song: "The song The Kick Inside, the title track, was inspired by a traditional folk song and it was an area that I wanted to explore because it's one that is really untouched and that is one of incest. There are so many songs about love, but they are always on such an obvious level. This song is about a brother and a sister who are in love, and the sister becomes pregnant by her brother. And because it is so taboo and unheard of, she kills herself in order to preserve her brother's name in the family. The actual song is in fact the suicide note. The sister is saying 'I'm doing it for you' and 'Don't worry, I'll come back to you someday." (Self Portrait, 1978)
The Kick Inside
Kate Bush Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oh, do you know you have the face of a genius?
I'll send your love to Zeus.
Oh, by the time you read this,
I'll be well in touch.
I'm giving it all in a moment or two.
I'm giving it all in a moment, for you.
This kicking here inside
Makes me leave you behind.
No more under the quilt
To keep you warm.
Your sister I was born.
You must lose me like an arrow,
Shot into the killer storm.
You and me on the bobbing knee.
Didn't we cry at that old mythology he'd read!
I will come home again, but not until
The sun and the moon meet on yon hill.
I'm giving it all in a moment or two.
I'm giving it all in a moment, for you.
I'm giving it all, giving it, giving it.
This kicking here inside
Makes me leave you behind.
No more under the quilt
To keep you warm.
Your sister I was born.
You must lose me like an arrow,
Shot into the killer storm.
The lyrics of Kate Bush's song The Kick Inside are complex and layered, combining themes of love, loss, and mythology. The singer in the song is a young woman who is experiencing an intense romantic relationship, but who is also struggling to find her independence and identity. She begins by speaking of "pulling down" her lace and chintz, which may refer to the trappings of traditional femininity or a sense of domesticity. She then tells her lover that he has "the face of a genius," perhaps signifying her admiration and desire for him.
The singer goes on to say that she is "giving it all in a moment or two" for her lover, but that she is also experiencing a powerful sensation of "kicking" inside of her that makes her feel the need to leave him behind. She describes herself as being born as her lover's sister, which could suggest that she has been in a position of subservience to him in their relationship. However, she resolves to break free and "lose" him like an arrow that is shot into a "killer storm."
Towards the end of the song, the singer recalls crying at "old mythology" that she and her lover read together, perhaps suggesting that they bonded over a shared interest in stories of gods, heroes, and epic battles. She concludes by saying that she will return to her lover, but only "not until the sun and the moon meet on yon hill," which could signify an unknown point in the future or a reference to something mythical or symbolic.
Overall, The Kick Inside is a beautifully crafted song that captures the complicated emotions of a young woman who is struggling to reconcile her desires for love, independence, and self-discovery.
Line by Line Meaning
I've pulled down my lace and the chintz.
I have undressed myself, removing the lace clothing and chintz fabric.
Oh, do you know you have the face of a genius?
Your appearance suggests that you have the intellectual and creative abilities of a genius.
I'll send your love to Zeus.
I will appeal to the Greek god Zeus on your behalf in order to express your love.
Oh, by the time you read this, I'll be well in touch.
At the moment you read this message, I will already be in contact with you.
I'm giving it all in a moment or two.
I am preparing to devote my entire being to a cause or activity, which will happen shortly.
I'm giving it all in a moment, for you.
I am giving all of myself to you in a specific moment, entirely for your benefit.
I'm giving it all, giving it, giving it.
I am offering everything I have and more, giving it completely without reservation.
This kicking here inside, makes me leave you behind.
The uncontrollable emotions surging within me cause me to leave you and move on.
No more under the quilt, to keep you warm.
I cannot provide the comfort and warmth you were used to finding in my embrace beneath the covers.
Your sister I was born.
I am the one who was destined to be your sister.
You must lose me like an arrow, shot into the killer storm.
You must let me go completely, like an arrow shot into the midst of a deadly storm.
You and me on the bobbing knee. Didn't we cry at that old mythology he'd read!
Remember when we were youngsters sitting side by side rocking on grandmother's knee? And we cried over the old myths our grandfather would read to us?
I will come home again, but not until the sun and the moon meet on yon hill.
I will return home in the future, but only when the sun and the moon align over a distant hill.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: KATE BUSH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Laura......
@@jalaneperry7643 only just saw your reply. Here are the lyrics......"This kicking here inside
Makes me leave you behind.
No more under the quilt
To keep you warm.
Your sister I was born.
You must lose me like an arrow,
Shot into the killer storm"
Not forgetting this also "You and me on the bobbing knee.
Didn't we cry at that old mythology he'd read!"
It was about insest. She has to leave as she's carrying her brothers baby. An unusual subject for such a beautiful melody I always thought. Hope it doesn't ruin the song for you.
@jalaneperry7643
The lovely kate bush.
At the time this was made
You had your sex pistols
And the noise of punk rock
And this lovely artist came out with weithering hights which
She wrote herself she was a
Novelty which nobody appreciated
I remember my aunt winnie pyke
Called her screecher and turned down the volume of top of the pops.But i loved her from the beginning when all other acts
Came and went including
Punk rock
Kate Bush has stood the test of time surpassing the sex pistols
And punk rock disco and all
The novelty acts.
Kate Bush music is real and true
She faced flack and came through
It with flying colors
Kate Bush is an artist that
Has lived passed the 1970s
And is still appreciated
That is real music
Love you Kate Bush
@DanHunterSportsWriter
This song is without doubt her most underrated. Imo its one of her best
@razrv3lc
It's so hard to wrap my head around the fact that a teenager wrote the songs on this album.
@odetteswann7694
Don't care what anyone says - THIS - not 'Hounds Of Love' - was pop music's quantum leap. Kate is a genius.
@rexmandrake4182
You are absolutely right.
@skeletonpony3852
thank you!
@odetteswann7694
One of the best pieces of art EVER.
@fionamaddock3984
One of the most touching songs ever! This makes me cry every time. Makes my heart ache with the sadness and beauty
@kuhnhan
This is a direct quote from Kate Bush about this song :" The song The Kick Inside, the title track, was inspired by a traditional folk song and it was an area that I wanted to explore because it's one that is really untouched and that is one of incest. There are so many songs about love, but they are always on such an obvious level. This song is about a brother and a sister who are in love, and the sister becomes pregnant by her brother. And because it is so taboo and unheard of, she kills herself in order to preserve her brother's name in the family. The actual song is in fact the suicide note. The sister is saying 'I'm doing it for you' and 'Don't worry, I'll come back to you someday."
@blistabliss
Thank you for sharing that. It's hard to grip the motivation or reasoning behind a song like this without info like that. Amd has also given me insight into another song "ashamed" by the Lemon Twigs. They are about the same thing. No reason other to write about something that's probably more prevalent than we think (not in a good way) but nonetheless a very real and peculiar topic.
@bravenguyen9170
wtf