Kate Bush‘s “Running Up That Hill” is a pop song about how hard it can be for men and women to understand each other. Bush imagines what it would be like to swap places and see life through someone else’s eyes.
Below is a section-by-section breakdown of the lyrics in “Running Up That Hill.”
- Song: Running Up That Hill
- Artist: Kate Bush
- Songwriter: Kate Bush
- Released: 1985
- Album: Hounds of Love
- Genre: Synth-pop
“Running Up That Hill” Meaning: Line by Line
Verse 1: Misunderstanding Between Two People
It doesn’t hurt me
Do you wanna feel how it feels?
Bush is trying to convince her partner that she is strong and unaffected, but she also offers a glimpse into her inner world.
She asks him if he is curious enough to truly experience her pain.
Do you wanna know, know that it doesn’t hurt me?
Do you wanna hear about the deal that I’m makin’?
She repeats that she isn’t hurt, but adding “Do you wanna know?” implies a need for validation.
The second question, which introduces the idea of a “deal,” hints at a drastic plan to bridge the communication gap, a proposition so serious it needs to be explained.
Pre-Chorus: The Hope for Connection
You
It’s you and me
She narrows the entire conversation down to just the two of them, cutting out the outside world.
This creates a feeling that the rest of the song is their private exchange.
It’s you and me, won’t be unhappy
This part, which is added to the later pre- and post-choruses, shows her goal.
The deal being made is ultimately to bring happiness and prevent the unhappiness caused by their miscommunication.
It’s a hope and a promise that their effort to connect will lead to a better outcome.
Chorus: A Divine Exchange of Roles
And if I only could
I’d make a deal with God
And I’d get him to swap our places
She imagines asking God to intervene and let them change lives.
This could be a metaphor for empathy, showing how powerful it would be to literally live in each other’s skin and see through each other’s eyes.
This isn’t just about walking in his shoes for a moment, but a total exchange of their lives and perspectives.
Be runnin’ up that road
Be runnin’ up that hill
Be runnin’ up that buildin’
“Running up that hill” represents the struggle and effort required to overcome the differences between them.
By “running up” various physical structures, she imagines succeeding at what seems impossible. Once their places are swapped, this difficult journey toward understanding would be easier to complete, as if she would now have the correct perspective to face the challenge.
Say, if I only could
This deal with God is only a fantasy.
The distance between them remains, and the struggle to understand each other continues.
Verse 2: The Deeper Wounds
You don’t wanna hurt me
But see how deep the bullet lies
She knows his intentions aren’t to cause pain, but the hurt is already there, buried deep like a bullet.
This implies that the wounds linger and can’t be easily remedied.
Unaware, I’m tearin’ you asunder
Oh, there is thunder in our hearts
Miscommunication is a two-way street. Bush recognizes that she has also been causing pain without knowing it.
“Thunder in our hearts” describes the sadness they both feel because of this lack of understanding. It’s a painful but mutual experience.
Is there so much hate for the ones we love?
Oh, tell me, we both matter, don’t we?
She questions whether the pain they are experiencing is a form of hate. She wants to understand why two people who love each other can cause so much suffering.
Saying they both matter is her way of pointing out that there should be no reason for this kind of hurt.
Bridge: A Final Effort to Connect
Oh, come on, baby
Oh, come on, darlin’
Let me steal this moment from you now
Bush wants to seize the moment before it slips away.
She desperately wants to pause everything else and fully connect, even if just for an instant.
Oh, come on, angel
Come on, come on, darlin’
Let’s exchange the experience
She wants to “exchange the experience,” which is a more grounded way of describing the “deal with God.”
This is both a romantic and philosophical request, wanting to merge lives and understand each other completely.
“Running Up That Hill” Song Meaning: The Impossible Deal for a Better Understanding
“Running Up That Hill” is about the distance that can grow between two people, even when they love each other. Bush wants to see the world from her partner’s perspective, believing that this is the only way to stop hurting each other and finally achieve true harmony.
The “deal with God” is a fantastical solution to a very real problem. It’s a way of saying, “I wish I could experience your life just for a moment to understand you and feel understood in return.”
Songs Like “Running Up That Hill”
If you’re a fan of “Running Up That Hill,” here are some songs with similar themes:
1. “Take On Me” by a-ha
“Take On Me” is another classic ’80s song about a difficult relationship where one person is struggling to connect with the other. The desperate hope for a deeper connection is present in both songs.
Related: “Take On Me” Song Meaning
2. “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” by Simple Minds
“Don’t You (Forget About Me)” speaks to the fear of being forgotten or misunderstood by someone they care about. Both songs are about the intense desire for recognition and a lasting bond that can’t be broken by distance or time.
3. “I Will Possess Your Heart” by Death Cab for Cutie
“I Will Possess Your Heart” is about a person who is determined to make a connection with someone, even if it takes a long time. It’s also about the work it takes to bridge the gap between two people.
Conclusion: Closing the Gap
“Running Up That Hill” turns the idea of empathy into something almost magical, imagining a literal exchange of bodies and minds. Kate Bush uses this premise to tackle the frustration of miscommunication and the need to be understood.
The song is a reminder that sometimes the biggest challenge in love is simply seeing the world through someone else’s eyes.
You can listen to “Running Up That Hill” on Spotify and Amazon.
Check out more 1980s Song Meanings!
