Let me begin by admitting that when I first became aware of Kate Bush in 1985, her style of music was not really a part of my listening experience. Through the years, in Ted Tocks I have poked fun at myself for the narrowmindedness that defined my early days as a music lover. What I recall from watching the video of ‘Running Up that Hill (A Deal with God)’ as it enjoyed a regular rotation on Canada’s ‘Much Music’ was that the lyrics of the song were gripping and the imagery was extremely powerful. In a word, the overall presentation was captivating. I remember being drawn to the song. Admittedly, I didn’t act on this, but the positive first impression was meaningful.
Again, I have to state, I in no way had made a discovery. ‘Running Up that Hill’ was released by Kate Bush as the lead single for her 1985 ‘Hounds of Love’ album. This was her fifth album. Here at Ted Tocks Covers, you will never see me suggest that I am on the cutting edge. I am a master at retrospective analysis. Back in the day, I sometimes needed a certain level of validation. That came in the form of a 1987 Kate Bush collaboration that saw her perform ‘Running Up that Hill’ live for the first time.
Here she is playing the ‘Secret Policemen’s Third Ball’ with David Gilmour of Pink Floyd.
Hmmm! Now she really had my attention.
Listen to this interview with David Gilmour. He talks about his connection to Kate Bush.
For me, it all came to a head when I watched the 1988 John Hughes movie ‘She’s Having a Baby’, starring Kevin Bacon and Elizabeth McGovern. The scene where the couple were faced with a crisis involving the birth of their first child hit home for Heather and I. The montage was presented through the lyrics of ‘This Woman’s Work’. Tears flowed, and they still do, to this day. What a song.
This represents the evocative power of Kate Bush as an artist. Her lyrics and delivery continually transcend the moment.
All of this is a long way of introducing the well documented resurgence of Kate Bush. For those really paying attention, it is not a resurgence at all. It is more like a retribution, although that may be a strong word, because it implies vengeance. I have already used the word validation.
What I am getting at is, each of the last three years Kate Bush has been nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and each time she has missed the cut. For her fans, it has become a running joke. Take note of this extremely witty take which suggests that Kate Bush’s consideration for the honour hinged on the request that she perform backed by an orchestra consisting of kazoos and a light percussion ensemble. This was an April fool’s joke expanding on the story that had broken citing Dolly Parton and her rejection of her nomination due to the fact that she does not consider herself a ‘rock and roll’ artist.
The tongue in cheek excerpt included this ‘fake’ release from Kate Bush.
I am saddened that the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Foundation feels that a kazoo-based performance does not adhere to their remit of promoting a certain type of music. To my mind the kazoo, which is in fact an American instrument, is a beautiful, unearthly sound, resonating deeply and soulfully, especially when played by the musicians I had hoped to work on with this performance. I have recently come to love the kazoo sound and had hoped to bring it to wider exposure on the stage in Ohio. I feel I have no other course of action but to withdraw the kind offer to take my place in the RRHOF and wish my fellow nominees, who are all absolutely wonderful, the very best of luck this year.”
Sean at KateBushnews.com
Very funny stuff.
As we all know, Dolly Parton has been honoured and will be inducted later this year. Kate Bush remains on the outside looking in, and probably has not lost any sleep.
To coin a phrase…’Stranger Things’ have happened. Yes, they really have.
The resurgence of Kate Bush has reached monumental proportions.
Based on ‘Running Up that Hill’ taking a major role in season 4 of ‘Stranger Things’ its popularity has exploded. The character, Max Mayfield, is portrayed by Sadie Sink. Her body is in our dimension, and her mind is in the upside-down world. She needs to be brought back or face the very real possibility of dying. In order to retrieve her from the horrors of the alternate dimension her friends need to call her back by playing her favourite song. That song is ‘Running Up that Hill’ by Kate Bush. To make a long story short, the song saves her life.
The scene is spellbinding, and in many ways, it has become the primary talking point of the season. A season that broke Netflix viewing records
All of this has happened with little more than a permission to use from Kate Bush and her subsequent record label; Sony Music Publishing. It all began as an idea by ‘Stranger Things’ music supervisor Nora Felder. A Kate Bush fan; she felt the song fit the storyline perfectly, while admitting that Kate Bush’s lyrics have the ability to mean many things to many people, she suggests that;
In the face of Max’s painful isolation and alienation from others, a ‘deal with god’ could heart-wrenchingly reflect Max’s implicit belief that only a miracle of unlikely understanding and show of support could help her climb the hills of life before her.”
Nora Felder
It should also be noted that according to hearsay from the ‘Stranger Things’ set there are indications that Winona Ryder is a big fan, who also advocated for Kate Bush’s work to be utilized. She would often wear Kate Bush shirts as a subtle reminder.
Felder sent the request to Wende Crowley of Sony Music who was moderately sceptical, but agreed to contact the songwriter. As you see in this quote, their approach was very carefully presented. According to Crowley;
Kate Bush is selective when it comes to licensing her music and because of that, we made sure to get script pages and footage for her to review so she could see exactly how the song would be used.”
Wende Crowley
As it happened, Kate Bush is a fan of ‘Stranger Things’ and she appreciated the vision related to its use. Upon the success of the show, and the ultimate resurgence of ‘Running Up that Hill’ she posted a message on her website stating;
It’s all really exciting! I wait with bated breath for the rest of the series in July.”
Kate Bush
From here, it just happened organically.
It is a little bit ironic that not only did the song appear in Season One of ‘Stranger Things’, it has been used as part of TV shows and pilots on numerous occasions throughout the 2000s. It is also credited on at least four movie soundtracks.
Presently, ‘Running Up that Hill’ is in the midst of an unbelievable rebirth. It has reached the top five on the Billboard Hot 100 and gone to #1 in eight countries worldwide. This is made all the more fascinating, when one considers that upon its release 37 years ago this summer it made it to #3 in the U.K. and a modest #30 in the U.S. market.
This is where the importance of ‘Running Up that Hill’ should be emphasized by the person that matters most in this story…Kate Bush.
To the artist, the song has a depth with a wealth of importance and she was determined to share the message. This resolve saw Bush push for the song to be the lead single. It was the first song she had written for the record, and in her mind, it best represented the album as a whole. EMI wanted the song ‘Cloudbursting’ to serve as her fan’s introduction to ‘Hounds of Love’, but Kate persisted and ultimately won.
It seems that the fight had only just begun. The song was initially entitled ‘A Deal with God’, but in 1985 the idea of invoking God’s name in a song title bordered on being perceived as sacrilegious. The title was modified to ‘Running Up that Hill (A Deal with God)’, which has ultimately become shortened. All of this led to a degree of misinterpretation. In a 1985 interview, Kate Bush clarified everything to the best of her ability.
I was trying to say that, really, a man and a woman can’t understand each other because we are a man and a woman. And if we could actually swap each other’s roles, if we could actually be in each other’s place for a while, I think we’d both be very surprised! [Laughs] And I think it would lead to a greater understanding. And really the only way I could think it could be done was either… you know, I thought a deal with the devil, you know. And I thought, ‘well, no, why not a deal with God!’ You know, because in a way it’s so much more powerful the whole idea of asking God to make a deal with you. You see, for me it is still called “Deal With God”, that was its title. But we were told that if we kept this title that it would not be played in any of the religious countries, Italy wouldn’t play it, France wouldn’t play it, and Australia wouldn’t play it! Ireland wouldn’t play it, and that generally we might get it blocked purely because it had God in the title.”
Kate Bush
This was a rare compromise for Kate Bush. In hindsight, it was the right decision.
Like many great songs, it not only stands the test of time, it has actually intensified on every front.
This is where it is essential to remind everyone that the recent success of ‘Running Up that Hill’ is not the first comeback.
Ten years ago, Kate Bush had another brief rebirth of ‘Running Up that Hill’. She added the subtitle ‘2012 Remix’. It reached #6 on the U.K. singles charts in the summer of 2012. Credit for its success could be attributed to the fact that it was included in the closing ceremony of the 2012 London Olympics closing ceremony. For this rousing version her vocal track was transposed down a semitone to fit the 2012 version of her vocal range.
A fascinating version of the same song.
Lower, faster, stronger, if I can borrow from the traditional Olympics motto.
Another intriguing fact related to Kate Bush is related to her reluctance to tour, in favour of creating music in studio and enhancing it with video. Her only actual tour occurred in 1979 when she did a 24 stop European run.
Speaking to this point it seems, Kate Bush came along at the perfect time.
Remarkably, this can be said more than once over the course of her career.
Before I move on to a handful of the many, many cover versions of ‘Running Up that Hill’ here is a live version from Kate herself. As you would expect, it is both dynamic and flawless.
As noted above, due to the song’s immense popularity and longevity, it has been covered into the triple digits. I am sure this number is climbing daily.
Going back to 2003, Placebo produced a very good recording. Here they are, along with The Cure and Kate Bush. This was too good not to share. Kate Bush fans seem divided on this cover. Let’s just say Kate Bush fans are intensely loyal and eternally passionate and interesting.
Remember Tiffany? This demonstrates some depth to what may have been written off as a pop star image. It is a credible cover that was released in 2010, but actually recorded during the recording sessions that brought us ‘I Think We’re Alone Now’.
I absolutely love First Aid Kit. When I saw that they covered ‘Running Up that Hill’ it had to be included. Just a stunning combination of musicians and voices. ‘Running Up that Hill’ translates so well to the acoustic format. Words escape me. This is my comfort zone, but it also speaks to the pure beauty of Kate Bush’s creation. This cover exists as a compliment to her brilliance.
Now let’s switch to another style. Here is a choir/orchestra’s take on ‘Running Up that Hill’. They are called Mozartine. Just another perspective that works well.
In 2019, Meg Myers released a beautiful cover of ‘Running Up that Hill’ that included an explanation related to its place in her world; a world that had been isolated due to religious intolerance and shelter.
Growing up, I was never really interested in covering other artist’s music. I always wanted to write my own songs because I knew I could only sing music and lyrics that were truly authentic, from my heart (and also would have to make sense with my deep voice). Well, then I discovered Kate Bush’s ‘Running up that Hill,’ which for years has resonated with my soul like nothing ever before. What if we could experience role reversal? What would it be like living in each other’s shoes? I think we would find a lot more compassion for one another and a passion for kindness and truth. This song to me, represents an opening of our hearts and a possibility of acceptance for all. And to me, this is an important message for the world we are living in right now.”
Meg Myers
Here is the quality cover. The video presents over 2000 hand drawn impressions from children in Los Angeles area schools.
Bringing it all back to Canada, here is a nice live recording from right across the bay from where I live. Enjoy Hamilton’s own Ellevator. They draw from their huge Kate Bush influence, but also add a solid independent dimension. Please don’t say no one creates good music any more. You just need to look harder. It’s out there. Ellevator is proof of this statement.
No doubt, I have missed some good ones. If you have a favourite, please share it with me.
It is not lost on me that I have written all this about ‘Running Up that Hill’ and not even discussed the lyrical content. Admittedly, it has been touched upon in two areas. When Kate Bush agreed to alter the song title from ‘A Deal with God’ to ‘Running Up that Hill’ the concept was alluded to. Her goal was to create the power of perspective.
It’s about a relationship between a man and a woman. They love each other very much, and the power of the relationship is something that gets in the way. It creates insecurities. It’s saying if the man could be the woman and the woman the man, if they could make a deal with God, to change places, that they’d understand what it’s like to be the other person and perhaps it would clear up misunderstandings. You know, all the little problems; there would be no problem.”
Kate Bush
This explanation speaks volumes.
So do these lyrics.
If I only could, I’d be running up that hill.
Kate Bush
If I only could, I’d be running up that hill.”
It doesn’t hurt me.
Do you want to feel how it feels?
Do you want to know that it doesn’t hurt me?
Do you want to hear about the deal that I’m making?
You, it’s you and me.
And if I only could,
I’d make a deal with God,
And I’d get him to swap our places,
Be running up that road,
Be running up that hill,
Be running up that building.
If I only could, oh…
You don’t want to hurt me,
But see how deep the bullet lies.
Unaware I’m tearing you asunder.
Ooh, there is thunder in our hearts.
Is there so much hate for the ones we love?
Tell me, we both matter, don’t we?
You, it’s you and me.
It’s you and me won’t be unhappy.
And if I only could,
I’d make a deal with God,
And I’d get him to swap our places,
Be running up that road,
Be running up that hill,
Be running up that building,
Say, if I only could, oh…
You,
It’s you and me,
It’s you and me won’t be unhappy.
“C’mon, baby, c’mon darling,
Let me steal this moment from you now.
C’mon, angel, c’mon, c’mon, darling,
Let’s exchange the experience, oh…”
And if I only could,
I’d make a deal with God,
And I’d get him to swap our places,
Be running up that road,
Be running up that hill,
With no problems.
And if I only could,
I’d make a deal with God,
And I’d get him to swap our places,
Be running up that road,
Be running up that hill,
With no problems.
And if I only could,
I’d make a deal with God,
And I’d get him to swap our places,
Be running up that road,
Be running up that hill,
With no problems.
If I only could
Be running up that hill
With no problems…
“If I only could, I’d be running up that hill.
If I only could, I’d be running up that hill.”
Is there so much hate for the one’s we love?
Too often, the answer is yes. Familiarity breeds contempt. But why?
Tell me, we both matter.
We know the clear answer to this statement is an emphatic; yes, we do.
As a society we sometimes lose our course. We need to get back on the right path. Let’s run up that hill, and look down. The view from a higher place may help us actually see what is really important.
I mean this both figuratively and literally.
Sometimes we run up that hill, searching for something that we think is eluding us, only to discover that everything we need is back where we began.
Ted Tocks Covers 
I had no idea that this song had been covered so many times. I was a big fan from the time I saw her on SNL in December 1979. She sang to Paul Shaffer’s piano playing. I could not believe my ears and eyes. Mind you, I was 17 at the time and she was a sight to behold.
I do have all of her albums, and have to say that the older ones appeal to me the most. Their melodies seem so much more beautiful. I still don’t like this song that much at all but I’m so glad that a new generation are discovering her genius and art.
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First Aid Kit are awesome too.
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Great feedback Scott.
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