Posted by Running Up That Hill is one of Kate Bush’s biggest hits and, in general, one of the most appreciated songs of the 80s. It even met a new wave of popularity in 2022, when it became an essential element of Stranger Things Season 4, as Max’s favorite song: millions of viewers had the opportunity to listen to it again and ask themselves what the real meaning of the lyrics is. In this article, we will deeply analyze the song’s meaning, as Kate Bush herself wanted to convey it and give an interpretation of the author’s perspective.
The meaning of Running Up That Hill
As Kate Bush itself explained in an interview, Running Up That Hill talks about the relationship between men and women and how the two worlds are so hard to understand to each other. Therefore Kate Bush wishes to make a deal with God (“A Deal with God” was indeed the original title proposed by Kate, changed afterward under the request of her label) and switch places to see the world through the other side’s eyes.
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
Looking closer at the song lyrics, the singer worries about how the two parts of the relationship tend to hurt each other without genuine reasons. “There is thunder in our hearts” is a painful verse through which Kate Bush wants to highlight the natural inclination of human beings to enter into conflicts when they fall into a relationship in which they are not understood.
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
With those words, Kate Bush points her finger at the fact that men and women don’t really mean to hurt each other. But they do, as an instinctive reaction in a situation of distance and discomfort. These two feelings become natural when it comes to a relationship between a man and a woman, unable to put oneself in the other’s shoes.
The deep meaning of Running Up That Hill lyrics, therefore, lies in a beautiful, evergreen purpose: correctly understanding everybody’s point of view to avoid unnecessary pain to anyone. A message that can apply to many of us, still today.
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The full lyrics of the song
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
Oh come on, baby
Oh come on, darling
Let me steal this moment from you now
Oh come on, angel
Come on, come on, darling
Let’s exchange the experience, oh, uh-oh
And if I only could
I’d make a deal with God
And I’d get him to swap our places
I’d be running up that road
Be running up that hill
With no problems
Say, if I only could
I’d make a deal with God
And I’d get him to swap our places
I’d be running up that road
Be running up that hill
With no problems
