Kate Bush explains meaning behind Running Up That Hill and original title

By Molly Moss

Published: Thursday, 23 June 2022 at 12:00 am

Singer Kate Bush has spoken out about the meaning behind Running Up That Hill and its original title after her recent Stranger Things-inspired chart success.

Running Up That Hill topped the UK charts 37 years after it was first released, after being featured heavily in Netflix’s hit sci-fi drama series.

37 years is the longest time a song has ever taken to each UK No 1, topping Wham!, whose Last Christmas finally made it back in January 2021.

Speaking for first time about the resurgence of interest in the song, Bush said on BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour: “I thought that the track would get some attention. But I just never imagined that it would be anything like this. It’s so exciting.”

She continued: “But it’s quite shocking really, isn’t it? I mean, the whole world’s gone mad.”

When host Emma Barnett touched on the song’s new, younger audience and asked how the singer would describe the song’s meaning, Bush added: “I really like people to hear a song and take from it what they want. But originally it was written as the idea of a man and a woman swapping with each other. Just to feel what it was like, from the other side.”

Speaking about how the song was originally set to be called something different, she added: “It was called ‘A Deal With God’. I think they were just worried, the record company, that it wouldn’t get played on the radio. That people would feel it was a sensitive title.”