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.
The King is Dead
Kate Bush Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
No doubt about it
We came a long way
Just to say goodbye
And in the end
It was some old swansong
The king is dead
You'd never know it
Of a different man
He's flesh and blood
No-one knows all the answers
Some days we just do the best we can
You changed my mind in a minute
It breaks my heart to admit it
Don't make me say...
The king is dead
The show is over
We came a long way
Just to turn around
Lesson learned
No-one knows all the answers
Some days we just do the best we can
You changed my mind in a minute
It breaks my heart to admit it
Don't make me say...
You let me in behind the lies
But you're no use to me lifesize
No-one's to blame
Some days we just do the best we can
The opening lines of the song "The king is dead, no doubt about it, we came a long way just to say goodbye" immediately set the somber and reflective tone of the song. The song seemingly speaks about the demise of a great leader or a kind of ruler, and how the people around him are dealing with the death. However, as the lyrics describe, "we got pictures of a different man, he's flesh and blood, no one knows all the answers, some days we just do the best we can." This suggests that the king might have been different than what he was perceived to be by the public, and that in the end, everyone is just doing what they can with the knowledge they have.
In the next couple of verses, the song explores how someone has changed the singer's mind in just a minute, which has broken the singer's heart. The line "you're no use to me lifesize" suggests that the singer may have been disillusioned by someone they looked up to as a great leader, and now they see the person as they truly are. The song ultimately conveys that even the greatest leaders can disappoint us, and at the end of the day, we are all just doing the best we can with the life and knowledge we have.
Line by Line Meaning
The king is dead
The ruler has died and it is a fact
No doubt about it
There is no question about the truth
We came a long way
We've traveled a long distance
Just to say goodbye
Only to say farewell
And in the end
Ultimately
It was some old swansong
The ending was inevitable, like the beautiful song of a dying swan
You'd never know it
It's not obvious or apparent
But we got pictures
Nonetheless, we have evidence of what happened
Of a different man
The man pictured is someone else
He's flesh and blood
He's a human with the same physical properties as the rest of us
No-one knows all the answers
We don't have complete knowledge or understanding
Some days we just do the best we can
On certain days, we do what we can given the circumstances
You changed my mind in a minute
You altered my opinion quickly
It breaks my heart to admit it
It pains me to recognize it
Don't make me say...
Don't force me to speak what I don't want to speak
The show is over
The performance, or what was happening, is finished
Lesson learned
We've gained knowledge from our experience
You let me in behind the lies
You allowed me to see the truth behind falsehoods
But you're no use to me lifesize
However, you aren't useful to me in reality
No-one's to blame
Nobody is at fault
Contributed by Aiden Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Ann-Marie Eriksson
Peters voice is a well balanced instrument that he uses to perfection, you seldom find that kind of raw talent. Just love it!
Vick Lavender
Wow i didn't know that.
Ann Marie Morales-Ear
One of my favorite albums ever!
Robert Fish
Que razon tienes. Oh yeah.
Garret Boykin
A mood and style that is only Go West, getting chills as I listen and type .......
Harlin Neal
My brother had this album back in the late 80's. I've been a Go West fan since 1985's "We Close Our Eyes". One question...does anyone know what Peter Cox is talking about in this song? Do the lyrics have some unique, British context? Someone elaborate for me...thanks.
M Grayl1983
@kelley peagler I thought it was about Elvis - hear me out.
"The King is dead, the show is over, we came a long way just to turn around" - people making pilgrimages to Graceland after Elvis's death.
"The King is dead, you'd never know it, but we've got pictures of a different man" - people saying how the body in Elvis's open casket didn't really look like him.
Any way up, great song & Kate Bush is on background vocals so that automatically steps it up a gear! :-)
kelley peagler
I always thought it was about the breakup of a relationship. Two people who had grown apart and realized that this was the end. "You let me in behind the lies, but you're no use to me live-size".
Lesley Gibson
Harlin Neal the album has a political lean.. If you listen to "Crossfire" you can pick up the references and they no longer perform that song because it just not the right place for it anymore.
gummy24601
This was my first CD i bought back in the day.......1987 good times.