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.
Warm and Soothing
Kate Bush Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Written by Kate Bush
Warm and soothing,
That's how I remember home.
Walking into arms
Through the back door.
Hearing voices I know well,
Cold and boozy,
Our holiday in the Alps.
Sitting in the lobby,
Mostly smoking.
Choking on the woozy afternoon.
I'm reeling in the music
And I've only had a few.
And I'm afraid
By the way we grow old,
My darling.
Abrupt, too moody,
You making our party list.
I remember sulking
On the sofa.
For most of the winter
We were strangers.
Just one more
To ease the ache,
Before the night takes me.
When you stay asleep
On your side of the bed,
Don't look at me,
Don't look at you...
I'm reeling in the music
And I've only had a few.
And I'm afraid
By the way we grow old,
Kate Bush's song "Warm and Soothing" presents a stark contrast between two different environments that are attached to different memories. The first half of the song conveys a warm and comforting memory of home where the singer recalls walking into the welcoming arms of those she knows well and longs for. The sound of familiar voices serves as a reminder of happy memories of a cozy environment. However, the second half shows a completely different scene. The singer describes a cold and boozy holiday in the Alps with acrid smoke choking the air. The music seems to take her to a place where she is afraid of the way they grow old, and she becomes apprehensive. She then talks about how her partner's sudden mood shifts can lead to sulking on the sofa and feeling like strangers. She acknowledges that she is scared about growing old together as the memories of warm and cold environments continue to clash in her mind.
Overall, the song is about the nostalgia and the memories that are associated with different environments. It serves to remind the listener of how seemingly minute details of the environment can evoke different emotions and experiences.
Line by Line Meaning
Warm and soothing,
The feeling of comfort and relaxation comes to mind when I think of home.
That's how I remember home.
I associate my childhood home with feelings of warmth and comfort.
Walking into arms
The embrace of loved ones is the first thing I think of when I arrive home.
Through the back door.
The entrance I use to enter the house doesn't matter as long as I'm greeted by loved ones.
Hearing voices I know well,
The sound of familiar voices brings me comfort and a sense of belonging.
And long for.
I miss the comforting sound of the voices of those from home.
Cold and boozy,
Remembering my trip to the Alps, I recall feelings of coldness and drunkenness.
Our holiday in the Alps.
I remember the trip I took to the Alps for vacation.
Sitting in the lobby,
I spent time in the common area of the hotel where we were staying.
Mostly smoking.
I spent a lot of time smoking while in the hotel's common area.
Choking on the woozy afternoon.
The combination of the cold and the alcohol made me feel sick and disoriented.
I'm reeling in the music
The music I'm listening to overwhelms me and makes me feel dizzy.
And I've only had a few.
Despite feeling intoxicated, I haven't had much to drink.
And I'm afraid
I'm scared of what the future holds.
By the way we grow old,
I'm worried about the inevitability of aging and what that will mean for us.
My darling.
Endearment directed towards a loved one, who may be present or absent.
Abrupt, too moody,
Your mannerisms are harsh and unpredictable.
You making our party list.
You're the one planning the details for our upcoming social gathering.
I remember sulking
I recall being upset and brooding alone.
On the sofa.
I was sitting on the couch while sulking.
For most of the winter
Throughout the season of winter, we felt distant from each other.
We were strangers.
We went through a phase of feeling like we didn't know each other at all.
Just one more
I need to have one more drink to numb the pain I'm feeling.
To ease the ache,
Alcohol has the power to make me feel better temporarily.
Before the night takes me.
I'll keep drinking until I pass out and let the night take me away.
When you stay asleep
When you're still asleep and can't see me.
On your side of the bed,
You're sleeping on the opposite side of the bed from me.
Don't look at me,
I don't want to interact with you right now.
Don't look at you...
I'm trying to disconnect from you emotionally.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: KATE BUSH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Kevin F
Never heard Kate when I was kid but somehow so much of her work makes me feel nostalgic including this one, wakes up parts of me that I forgot existed, memories I've forgotten, even have fantasies that feels like old memories.
Mark Liddell
A close cousin in terms of melody and mood to 'In The Warm Room'. A sensual delight.
Sean McGarry
So, in case anyone was wondering... this is how perfection sounds... Thanks Kate.
Brian Miles
God i love this song. kate at her most perfect.
64andyjh
I always thought this song, and another "The Empty Bullring" were far too good to be B-Sides, they should have made it onto an album. Shows what a wealth of great material Kate had, that they were relegated in this way.. Brilliant.
inthe stars
64andyjh Under The Ivy is the one I really can't understand why it never got onto an album, it's one of Kate's best songs.
Flo Jo
Wow. I have never heard this before. I am on the track of rarities. Jesus, it's unbearably true to life. And yet there is that voice over it all. OK, sorry family, it's going to be a Kate Bush day today. I will try to keep it down.
Mike McM
A brilliant track from an incredibly talented artist...
wigginsdesign
Never heard this either. Kate is too too brilliant. What a God gifted voice and spirit. She is one who can absolutely bring tears to my eyes. No one like her
Anne Teleczkan
This is stunningly beautiful...I've never heard it before, but it's taken me back to the late 70's. It reminds me of, In The Warm Room. Aaah!