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How to Be Invisible
Ivor Novello winner Kate Bush has long forged her love of literature with music. From Emily Brontë through to James Joyce, Bush has consistently referenced our literary heritage, combined with her own profound understanding of language and musical form.
How to Be Invisible: Selected Lyrics draws from her superlative, 40-year career in music. Chosen and arranged by Kate Bush herself, this very special, cloth-bound volume will be the first published collection of her work.
Accompanying the collection is an expansive introduction from Cloud Atlas author David Mitchell. ‘For millions around the world Kate is way more than another singer-songwriter: she is a creator of musical companions that travel with you through life,’ he said. ‘One paradox about her is that while her lyrics are avowedly idiosyncratic, those same lyrics evoke emotions and sensations that feel universal.’
How to Be Invisible: Selected Lyrics draws from her superlative, 40-year career in music. Chosen and arranged by Kate Bush herself, this very special, cloth-bound volume will be the first published collection of her work.
Accompanying the collection is an expansive introduction from Cloud Atlas author David Mitchell. ‘For millions around the world Kate is way more than another singer-songwriter: she is a creator of musical companions that travel with you through life,’ he said. ‘One paradox about her is that while her lyrics are avowedly idiosyncratic, those same lyrics evoke emotions and sensations that feel universal.’
194 pages, Hardcover
First published December 4, 2018
52 people are currently reading
1547 people want to read
About the author
Kate Bush
66 books67 followersCatherine "Kate" Bush, CBE (born 30 July 1958)[1] is an English singer-songwriter, musician and record producer. Her eclectic musical style and idiosyncratic vocal style have made her one of the United Kingdom's most successful solo female performers of the past forty years.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 100 reviews
January 12, 2019
What you get in the Kate Bush book "How To Be Invisible" is an 18 page introduction by novelist David Mitchell who wrote "Cloud Atlas", "The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet", and other novels.
In a press release, Mitchell says, “For millions around the world Kate is way more than another singer-songwriter: she is a creator of musical companions that travel with you through life. One paradox about her is that while her lyrics are avowedly idiosyncratic, those same lyrics evoke emotions and sensations that feel universal.”
Essentially this is a book for fans, and fans of Kate Bush are as legion as they are loyal. The collection ends with "Lake Tahoe". "How To Be Invisible" takes its title from the song on 2005’s "Aerial",
A half of a page of author notes and 193 pages of beautiful, wonderful, magical lyrics culled from Kate's work.
There is also a signed limited edition of this work available at prices nearing the stratosphere, currently selling on E-bay currently selling for nearly 1000 dollars. The Special Deluxe Edition Signed/numbered +Ltd Print.
In a press release, Mitchell says, “For millions around the world Kate is way more than another singer-songwriter: she is a creator of musical companions that travel with you through life. One paradox about her is that while her lyrics are avowedly idiosyncratic, those same lyrics evoke emotions and sensations that feel universal.”
Essentially this is a book for fans, and fans of Kate Bush are as legion as they are loyal. The collection ends with "Lake Tahoe". "How To Be Invisible" takes its title from the song on 2005’s "Aerial",
A half of a page of author notes and 193 pages of beautiful, wonderful, magical lyrics culled from Kate's work.
There is also a signed limited edition of this work available at prices nearing the stratosphere, currently selling on E-bay currently selling for nearly 1000 dollars. The Special Deluxe Edition Signed/numbered +Ltd Print.
November 13, 2023
I absolutely love this…
Obviously it is mostly because I love her music, but I also really enjoy having almost all of her lyrics here in one book. I read every song as if it is sort of a poem or prose first, but then the real joy came from listening to a song and reading along and afterwards chewing on parts of the lyrics just a little longer. It stirred up al kinds of emotions. Her songs are so often like original miniature stories. Stories with hidden meaning, hidden questions, hidden wisdom, and often times more ways than one to interpret her words. It was so much fun to dive in deep!
—————————
There’s a city, draped in net
Fisherman net
And in the half-light, in the half-light
It looks like every tower
Is covers in webs
Moving and glistening and rocking
Its babies in rhythm
As the spider of time is climbing
Over the ruins
~ A Coral Room
—————————
This moment in time
It doesn’t belong to you
It belongs to me
And to your little boy and to your little girl
And the one hand clapping
Where on your palm is my little line
When you’re written in mine
As an old memory?
~ Jig of Life
Obviously it is mostly because I love her music, but I also really enjoy having almost all of her lyrics here in one book. I read every song as if it is sort of a poem or prose first, but then the real joy came from listening to a song and reading along and afterwards chewing on parts of the lyrics just a little longer. It stirred up al kinds of emotions. Her songs are so often like original miniature stories. Stories with hidden meaning, hidden questions, hidden wisdom, and often times more ways than one to interpret her words. It was so much fun to dive in deep!
—————————
There’s a city, draped in net
Fisherman net
And in the half-light, in the half-light
It looks like every tower
Is covers in webs
Moving and glistening and rocking
Its babies in rhythm
As the spider of time is climbing
Over the ruins
~ A Coral Room
—————————
This moment in time
It doesn’t belong to you
It belongs to me
And to your little boy and to your little girl
And the one hand clapping
Where on your palm is my little line
When you’re written in mine
As an old memory?
~ Jig of Life
December 25, 2018
An absolute waste of trees, as anyone who's a big enough Kate fan already knows these lyrics by heart and they've all been previously published with her albums. No illustrations, no commentary, no extra content except for some really ugly fonts to suggest how amazingly deep and weird Bush is.
This is rich white capitalist garbage in book form.
This is rich white capitalist garbage in book form.
January 8, 2019
Can all of my favourite singer/songwriters please make collections of their lyrics like this one? I had no idea I wanted this until now, but reading this beautiful collection was such a joy, such an incredible reading experience, and I loved every second of it. Of course, as a life-long Kate Bush fan, I've always known she has a remarkable way with words, not just music; her imagination and imagery are all part of her charm. So, perhaps, the experience of reading lyrics written out in poetry form wouldn't quite work with some artists (in fact, thinking about it and without naming names, there are some that I love music-wise, but probably wouldn't seem so great if the focus was on their lyrics!), but with Kate it's amazing how well her words work on their own in this entirely different medium. Honestly, I would have never have purchased this book for myself; I had all the misgivings that David Mitchell (side note: I have no idea why I haven't read any of his novels yet, as he writes brilliantly) outlines in his terrific introduction to the collection:
OK, so I know this review has just turned into shameless fangirling, but, look, of course this book will not change your mind if you are not a Kate Bush fan, but if you are I urge you to pick this book up. You are in for a treat!
A book of lyrics is a strange beast. Readers who know the songs become 'bearers' as the brain belts out a speeded-up version of the familiar recording, while those readers unfamiliar with the lyrics are confronted by text presented in a poetry format, but which is avowedly not poetry. Poetry is a solo art form: most lyrics need to leave room for, and craft an affinity with, music - just as lines in a screenplay must be sparse enough to allow for an actor's interpretation. Even in instances where lyrics could pass for poetry to the unwary, lyrics on the page are still a boat in dry-dock, removed from the elements that buoy them and determine their velocity. (p.xi)So although I would not have bought this myself, I was of course mighty pleased to get it as a Christmas present, and the experience has been a whole lot more than I could have imagined it to be. The book itself is beautifully cloth bound, with a lovely little sparkle on the cover. Most of the songs included will be recognisable to fans, and it was tricky at first not to hear the melodies in your mind, but if you can make yourself focus just on the words on the page, I think even the die-hard follower will get something new from the songs by consuming in this different manner. After Mitchell's introduction, the collection began with a song that has always been one of my favourites lyric-wise, 'Top of the City':
One more step to the top of the cityOther favourites, that have always left me near tears when I've listened to them, included 'This Woman's Work' (I should be crying but I just can't let it show / I should be hoping but I can't stop thinking), 'Army Dreamers' (What could he do? / Should have been a father' / But he never even made it to his twenties / What a waste), 'Deeper Understanding' (about humans losing themselves to the digital age...can you believe this was from the late 80s?!), and 'Experiment IV'; the latter should be offered as proof that Kate is one of greatest and most emotive storytellers of our time:
Where just a couple of pigeons are living
Up on the angel's shoulders
I don't know if I'm closer to Heaven but
It looks like Hell down there
These streets have never been
Paved with gold
Welcome to the loneliest city in
The world (p.6)
We were working secretly for the militaryThen there were the surprises. Firstly, the songs that I've never really listened closely enough to notice how clever the lyrics are, such as with 'Sat in Your Lap', which I think has so much wacky stuff going on musically, it's hard to really listen to the words. Reading them both made me laugh out loud and marvel at how right Kate is (for it's true as a species we all have very little patience...):
Our experiment in sound was nearly ready to begin
We only know in theory what we are doing
Music made for pleasure, music made to thrill
It was music we were making here until
They told us all they wanted
Was a sound that could kill someone from a distance
So we go ahead and the meters are over in the red
It's a mistake in the making (p.64)
I've been doing it for years, my goal is moving nearSecondly, there were the songs that I didn't recognise, that have completely passed me by. So this book has also given me a few new (to me) Kate Bush songs to seek out, which I'm rather excited about!
It says 'Look, I'm over here', then it up and disappear
Some say that knowledge is something sat in your lap
Some say that knowledge is oh-oh-oh-oh
I want to be a lawyer, I want to be a scholar
But I really can't be bothered, ooh just
Gimme it quick, gimme it, gimme, gimme, gimme, gimme (p.34)
OK, so I know this review has just turned into shameless fangirling, but, look, of course this book will not change your mind if you are not a Kate Bush fan, but if you are I urge you to pick this book up. You are in for a treat!
July 11, 2019
Dzeju nelasu, bet lirikas diezgan skaistas, bieži vien strādā kā atsevišķi īsie stāstiņi. Dažreiz gan pāreja no lirikām uz dzeju īsti nestrādā, jo īpaši dziesmās, kurās piedziedājums atkārtojas vairākas reizes, tad var droši šķirt tālāk.
Bet, jā, dažas rindas jau ir ļoti skaistas, bet ko gan es saprotu. I'm biased.
Who knows who wrote that song of Summer
That blackbirds sing at dusk
This is a song of color
Where sands sing in crimson, red and rust
Then climb into bed and turn to dust
Bet, jā, dažas rindas jau ir ļoti skaistas, bet ko gan es saprotu. I'm biased.
Who knows who wrote that song of Summer
That blackbirds sing at dusk
This is a song of color
Where sands sing in crimson, red and rust
Then climb into bed and turn to dust
December 15, 2018
Weirdly, this does make you look at Kate Bush in a different way. Her lyrics translate really well as poetry, and when you actively try to read them without singing along, they become beautiful pieces in a fresh way. Also, David Mitchell (who can do no wrong in my eyes) provides an introduction that is a perfect analysis, almost song-by-song, of her impact on a generation. He prepares you so well for a worthy appreciation of Bush's poetry. I did initially assume this would just be a collection of lyrics, but for some reason having them arranged and spelled out on paper forces you to appraise them anew.
December 4, 2018
''Fans, too, can be the most fair-weather of friends. We want more of what we loved the first time, yet we complain if things feel repetitive. Kate is a mighty exception to all this, as rare as a real live yeti. Her fidelity to have ever-curious, ever-morphing muse has won her a global legion of devotees for whom her songs are treasured possessions, infused with private memories, to be carried through life. By dint of never having been in fashion, Kate has never fallen out of fashion.'' David Mitchell
November 16, 2024
Fabulous gift for Kate Bush fans!
January 29, 2019
Reason for reading:
The word genius is overused. In the context of the great singer/songwriters of my lifetime, however, I am happy to describe Kate Bush as one. Much of her music is truly remarkable, but her skill as a lyricist raises her to the highest level in a very small elite group. I only own one other book of lyrics, by the ultimate male musical poet, Bob Dylan. To buy someone a present like this for Christmas, without them having asked for it, you have to know them very well. Thank you again to my friend Sandra.
About the book:
This is as complete a collection of Kate Bush’s lyrics as one could wish for. Having been lucky enough to experience her Before The Dawn concert in Hammersmith it is wonderful to have the words for Tawny Moon, written for that run of shows, included. There are also the extended lyrics used for some of the concert tracks. There are words for single B-sides that have never appeared in print before and the ones for Lyra written for the film The Golden Compass. The book has an introduction written by David Mitchell (the Booker Prize-nominated author, not the entertaining husband of Victoria Coren-Mitchell) where he provides a guide to his personal experience of growing up listening to her music. The lyrics are organised by style and type of story, rather than chronologically. A Sky Of Honey and The Ninth Wave are, logically, presented as sections in their own right.
Quote, unquote:
Only you can do something about it
There’s no-one there, my friend, any better
I might know what you mean when you say you fall apart
Aren’t we all the same, in and out of doubt
I can see angels standing around you
They shimmer like mirrors in Summer
But you don’t know it
And they will carry you o’er the walls
If you need us, just call
Rest your weary world in their hands
Lay your broken laugh at their feet
I can see angels around you
They shimmer like mirrors in Summer
There’s someone who’s loved you forever
But you don’t know it
You might feel it and just not show it
What was good:
The introduction is so in tune with my own feelings about Kate Bush’s work, that it was a joy to read. Being a few years older than David Mitchell, I was actually in the position of being able to afford the albums at the time, poor man. There are a few items of trivia thrown in to remind you how remarkable Kate Bush’s achievements have actually been. I had forgotten that Wuthering Heights was the first song written by a female artist to top the charts - penned when she was only 18. Then you can just revel in the poetry of the lyrics, set out as Kate Bush decided. Let every word stimulate the senses and conjure up bright images. Take joy in the wonderful addition to your bookshelf.
What wasn’t good:
Not a flaw, more of a warning. You can get so sucked in that you will read song after song after song. Keep a grip on yourself, savour every page, take them slowly.
The word genius is overused. In the context of the great singer/songwriters of my lifetime, however, I am happy to describe Kate Bush as one. Much of her music is truly remarkable, but her skill as a lyricist raises her to the highest level in a very small elite group. I only own one other book of lyrics, by the ultimate male musical poet, Bob Dylan. To buy someone a present like this for Christmas, without them having asked for it, you have to know them very well. Thank you again to my friend Sandra.
About the book:
This is as complete a collection of Kate Bush’s lyrics as one could wish for. Having been lucky enough to experience her Before The Dawn concert in Hammersmith it is wonderful to have the words for Tawny Moon, written for that run of shows, included. There are also the extended lyrics used for some of the concert tracks. There are words for single B-sides that have never appeared in print before and the ones for Lyra written for the film The Golden Compass. The book has an introduction written by David Mitchell (the Booker Prize-nominated author, not the entertaining husband of Victoria Coren-Mitchell) where he provides a guide to his personal experience of growing up listening to her music. The lyrics are organised by style and type of story, rather than chronologically. A Sky Of Honey and The Ninth Wave are, logically, presented as sections in their own right.
Quote, unquote:
Only you can do something about it
There’s no-one there, my friend, any better
I might know what you mean when you say you fall apart
Aren’t we all the same, in and out of doubt
I can see angels standing around you
They shimmer like mirrors in Summer
But you don’t know it
And they will carry you o’er the walls
If you need us, just call
Rest your weary world in their hands
Lay your broken laugh at their feet
I can see angels around you
They shimmer like mirrors in Summer
There’s someone who’s loved you forever
But you don’t know it
You might feel it and just not show it
What was good:
The introduction is so in tune with my own feelings about Kate Bush’s work, that it was a joy to read. Being a few years older than David Mitchell, I was actually in the position of being able to afford the albums at the time, poor man. There are a few items of trivia thrown in to remind you how remarkable Kate Bush’s achievements have actually been. I had forgotten that Wuthering Heights was the first song written by a female artist to top the charts - penned when she was only 18. Then you can just revel in the poetry of the lyrics, set out as Kate Bush decided. Let every word stimulate the senses and conjure up bright images. Take joy in the wonderful addition to your bookshelf.
What wasn’t good:
Not a flaw, more of a warning. You can get so sucked in that you will read song after song after song. Keep a grip on yourself, savour every page, take them slowly.
August 3, 2019
My friend bought me this for my birthday earlier this year. Now, I don't really call myself a Kate Bush fan, but having said that, I do enjoy poetry and clever lyrics.
the first thing to say about this book is how beautifully it has been created; everything feels as though it is good quality. The only thing that I would say could add to it, is perhaps if they had commissioned an illustrator to create some images, inspired by her words. There is also an excellent introduction, which I would recommend you reading too, by David Mitchell. So, do you need to be a fan in order to appreciate this book? I would argue that, no you do not. I feel that if you appreciate poetry, you should find something to enjoy within these pages.
Mitchell, in his introduction, states that "A book of lyrics is a strange beast... A book of lyrics, then, begs a question: who would want such a strange beast purring on the bookshelf?" (p.xi)
I certainly would. In fact, I welcome the beast. Reading lyrics in such a way is an interesting experience. I also have Florence Welch's lyric book, "Useless Magic." The difference between these is that I am a fan of Florence's music, knowing a lot more of her songs than I do of Kate's. So, reading these two volumes has been a different experience for me. As Mitchell says, with Florence, as I read I can begin to hear the music behind the words. With Kate's collection, I rarely hear the music. I think, for me, reading Kate's lyrics in this way has made them more accessible to me. There are times when certain sentiments strike right at the heart of me, as I feel that I can relate to what she is describing, or alluding to. For example, in "Never Be Mine" she states:
"I look at you and see
My life that might have been
Your face just ghostly in the smoke...
I want you as the dream
Not the reality." (p141)
And in the track "Between a Man and a Woman":
"With her hand in his hand
They were both happy again
You started taking sides
They started arguing
He said it was her fault
She said it wasn't at all
But the truth lies somewhere in the middle." (p48)
I really do love this book. It makes me wish that one of my favourite female singer-songwriters, Tori Amos, would create something similar. I owned a copy of a lyrics book by her years ago, but I feel that a 'deluxe' volume would be amazing. This particular volume has made me consider listening to Kate's songs, to experience them in their primary form.
the first thing to say about this book is how beautifully it has been created; everything feels as though it is good quality. The only thing that I would say could add to it, is perhaps if they had commissioned an illustrator to create some images, inspired by her words. There is also an excellent introduction, which I would recommend you reading too, by David Mitchell. So, do you need to be a fan in order to appreciate this book? I would argue that, no you do not. I feel that if you appreciate poetry, you should find something to enjoy within these pages.
Mitchell, in his introduction, states that "A book of lyrics is a strange beast... A book of lyrics, then, begs a question: who would want such a strange beast purring on the bookshelf?" (p.xi)
I certainly would. In fact, I welcome the beast. Reading lyrics in such a way is an interesting experience. I also have Florence Welch's lyric book, "Useless Magic." The difference between these is that I am a fan of Florence's music, knowing a lot more of her songs than I do of Kate's. So, reading these two volumes has been a different experience for me. As Mitchell says, with Florence, as I read I can begin to hear the music behind the words. With Kate's collection, I rarely hear the music. I think, for me, reading Kate's lyrics in this way has made them more accessible to me. There are times when certain sentiments strike right at the heart of me, as I feel that I can relate to what she is describing, or alluding to. For example, in "Never Be Mine" she states:
"I look at you and see
My life that might have been
Your face just ghostly in the smoke...
I want you as the dream
Not the reality." (p141)
And in the track "Between a Man and a Woman":
"With her hand in his hand
They were both happy again
You started taking sides
They started arguing
He said it was her fault
She said it wasn't at all
But the truth lies somewhere in the middle." (p48)
I really do love this book. It makes me wish that one of my favourite female singer-songwriters, Tori Amos, would create something similar. I owned a copy of a lyrics book by her years ago, but I feel that a 'deluxe' volume would be amazing. This particular volume has made me consider listening to Kate's songs, to experience them in their primary form.
February 14, 2025
Despite it being a no buy year of books I couldn’t possibly pass up purchasing a *signed* brand new copy of this on eBay the other week.
The foreword by Kate herself makes this version a bit more special too as it’s rare when she sends words out into the external world. The anecdote of her singing the just-thought-out-lyric ‘I just know that something bad is gonna happen’ then a wasp flying in the window right on cue, prompting her to change it to ‘I just know that something good is gonna happen’ and if by magic, the wasp doing a U-turn straight back out was both hilarious and a little bit genius.
Aerial’s second half ‘A Sky of Honey’ and Hounds of Love second ‘The Ninth Wave’ after reading the lyrics back to back appear to me now to be two distinct sides of the same coin. From someone being lost, adrift at sea and the other; the languid drawn out hours of a summer coastal afternoon growing into the night and dawn.
The additional lyrics and Tawny Moon being included referencing the 2014 two week residency at the Eventim Apollo of Before the Dawn which I was lucky enough to see were very welcomed additions.
The sections as well as the experimental and visual typography helped evoke and express particular lyrics very affectively.
The foreword by Kate herself makes this version a bit more special too as it’s rare when she sends words out into the external world. The anecdote of her singing the just-thought-out-lyric ‘I just know that something bad is gonna happen’ then a wasp flying in the window right on cue, prompting her to change it to ‘I just know that something good is gonna happen’ and if by magic, the wasp doing a U-turn straight back out was both hilarious and a little bit genius.
Aerial’s second half ‘A Sky of Honey’ and Hounds of Love second ‘The Ninth Wave’ after reading the lyrics back to back appear to me now to be two distinct sides of the same coin. From someone being lost, adrift at sea and the other; the languid drawn out hours of a summer coastal afternoon growing into the night and dawn.
The additional lyrics and Tawny Moon being included referencing the 2014 two week residency at the Eventim Apollo of Before the Dawn which I was lucky enough to see were very welcomed additions.
The sections as well as the experimental and visual typography helped evoke and express particular lyrics very affectively.
September 8, 2023
"The first time I died
Was in the arms of good friends of mine
They kiss me with tears
The hadn't been near me for years."
-Kate Bush, All The Love
Well, if you didn't already think that Kate Bush is one of the most genius singer songwriters in the whole world, you'll certainly change your mind after reading this little gem.
I really loved the forword in the book, through wich Kate explains her journey in the music world and the relationship she has with her lyrics.
I discoverd a couple new songs I didn't even know about before reading this book, and some of the creative typography choices help you hear the music in your head whilst going through the lyrics.
It's also really fun to keep little taps on your favourite songs, so you can sing along whilst listening to the actual music.
Was in the arms of good friends of mine
They kiss me with tears
The hadn't been near me for years."
-Kate Bush, All The Love
Well, if you didn't already think that Kate Bush is one of the most genius singer songwriters in the whole world, you'll certainly change your mind after reading this little gem.
I really loved the forword in the book, through wich Kate explains her journey in the music world and the relationship she has with her lyrics.
I discoverd a couple new songs I didn't even know about before reading this book, and some of the creative typography choices help you hear the music in your head whilst going through the lyrics.
It's also really fun to keep little taps on your favourite songs, so you can sing along whilst listening to the actual music.
December 11, 2020
in love with her poetry - she is the most creative, unique and talented singer-songwriter ever!
May 1, 2019
I would describe myself as a moderate Kate Bush fan. I have several of her CDs and feel familiar with her work, but by no means is my knowledge of her music exhaustive. But I don't think that anyone could argue that some of her stuff is genius, and it was wonderful to read through some of my favorite songs and contemplate the lyrics; ("Suspended in Gaffa," anyone?) The book itself is gorgeous too, and I enjoyed the introduction.
Read
August 29, 2023My copy is signed, it’s something I’ll treasure forever! I love Kate
February 19, 2024
Ok I know this isn‘t RYM but.. sorry
5,00
5,00
October 6, 2021
Ich glaube es gibt keine Person auf der Welt, die mich so beeindruckt und fasziniert wie Kate Bush. Ich bin seit über zehn Jahren Fan von ihrer Musik und trotzdem entdecke ich immer wieder etwas neues beim Hören ihrer Lieder.
Dieses Buch ist eine Sammlung von Lyrics, die sich wie Gedichte lesen lassen. Das Besondere an Kates Songtexten ist, dass jeder einzelne von ihnen eine Geschichte erzählt. Ihre Musik ist wie eine Aneinanderreihung von grandiosen, atmosphärischen Kurzgeschichten und doch sind irgendwie alle miteinander verbunden. Besonders aufgefallen sind mir in dieser Kollektion die Texte des "50 Words for Snow"-Albums.
Als eingefleischter Fan konnte ich trotzdem noch unglaublich viel aus diesem Buch mitnehmen.
Das Vorwort von David Mitchell war übrigens wunderbar.
Dieses Buch ist eine Sammlung von Lyrics, die sich wie Gedichte lesen lassen. Das Besondere an Kates Songtexten ist, dass jeder einzelne von ihnen eine Geschichte erzählt. Ihre Musik ist wie eine Aneinanderreihung von grandiosen, atmosphärischen Kurzgeschichten und doch sind irgendwie alle miteinander verbunden. Besonders aufgefallen sind mir in dieser Kollektion die Texte des "50 Words for Snow"-Albums.
Als eingefleischter Fan konnte ich trotzdem noch unglaublich viel aus diesem Buch mitnehmen.
Das Vorwort von David Mitchell war übrigens wunderbar.
February 17, 2019
I got this book as a gift, and although I will cherish it and use it from time to time as a singing companion, maybe annotate it with chords, I can't say I really understand its purpose. As a whole it felt one-dimensional and a bit goofy: the lyrics in their printed form suddenly seem to take themselves very seriously and lose much of their strength. And Kate Bush, as usual, found a way to "be invisible": apart from a sparse one-page foreword there's no trace of her in the book, which makes one wonder to what extent there was a genuine desire from her part to bring this out into the world.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 25, 2023
For many a year I have wanted to read this, and yes, yes yes yes.
I'm not entirely sure whether it actually includes EVERY single song with lyrics that she's written (obviously excluding Pi) because I thought it would be nitpicky to go through every album and b-side just to make sure. I'd rather experience this in the book form that Kate has presented.
Kate's career so far of lyrics are overtly sensual, strongly sexual, extremely genius and whimsically humourous.
The beauty of Kate and her work is, simply, unbelievable.
And I love even further that David Mitchell totally understood the intent and thinking, the feeling behind her words. At times with his indepth interpretations.
And of course, page 100 is a beautiful experience unto itself.
I also loved that the songs weren't in a chronological album and tracklist order. They were organised either by the song cycle (the concept of song cycles fascinates me hugely and Kate masters it) they were in, or by underlying meaning (sometimes loosely on that part).
So you literally jump decades from page to page; meaning that the songs that I weren't as familiar with, I could hear them all in her voice despite knowing the tune, but had to wonder what "era" of her voice they were written from.
I'm not 100% sold on the title, Kate has many other lyrics that could be used for both the title and with links throughout the book, but that is to say that I am actually 98% sold on it.
It is strange and kind of disorienting and intoxicating at times to know that these are songs and yet to read them in verse format, despite some lyrics clearly existing as sort of half-improvisations with the use of musical voice and add-ins that usual poetry or slam poetry doesn't have.
It deepens the outline around the lines that are repeated, the ones Kate has chosen to force us to savour that bit more.
Good luck to anyone who finds the new invisible ink signed editions!!!
I'm not entirely sure whether it actually includes EVERY single song with lyrics that she's written (obviously excluding Pi) because I thought it would be nitpicky to go through every album and b-side just to make sure. I'd rather experience this in the book form that Kate has presented.
Kate's career so far of lyrics are overtly sensual, strongly sexual, extremely genius and whimsically humourous.
The beauty of Kate and her work is, simply, unbelievable.
And I love even further that David Mitchell totally understood the intent and thinking, the feeling behind her words. At times with his indepth interpretations.
And of course, page 100 is a beautiful experience unto itself.
I also loved that the songs weren't in a chronological album and tracklist order. They were organised either by the song cycle (the concept of song cycles fascinates me hugely and Kate masters it) they were in, or by underlying meaning (sometimes loosely on that part).
So you literally jump decades from page to page; meaning that the songs that I weren't as familiar with, I could hear them all in her voice despite knowing the tune, but had to wonder what "era" of her voice they were written from.
I'm not 100% sold on the title, Kate has many other lyrics that could be used for both the title and with links throughout the book, but that is to say that I am actually 98% sold on it.
It is strange and kind of disorienting and intoxicating at times to know that these are songs and yet to read them in verse format, despite some lyrics clearly existing as sort of half-improvisations with the use of musical voice and add-ins that usual poetry or slam poetry doesn't have.
It deepens the outline around the lines that are repeated, the ones Kate has chosen to force us to savour that bit more.
Good luck to anyone who finds the new invisible ink signed editions!!!
July 30, 2024
Amazing! Just wow. As I was reading the lyrics, I couldn't help but start singing some of them in the tune. My favourite section was 'The Ninth Wave'. How that was laid out in the book was really well done, and captured the loneliness and feeling of confusion in those collection of songs.
I wish this book got the same treatment as The Lyrics by Paul McCartney in terms of how you have the lyrics and a story / background behind the song. I'd love to find out more about Kate's creative process and influences for some of her songs - especially for concepts like The Ninth Wave and A Sky of Honey.
I wish this book got the same treatment as The Lyrics by Paul McCartney in terms of how you have the lyrics and a story / background behind the song. I'd love to find out more about Kate's creative process and influences for some of her songs - especially for concepts like The Ninth Wave and A Sky of Honey.
July 19, 2019
I have read several books of lyrics over the past few years but none come close to this collection from Kate Bush. Sometimes I had to just go with the flow when my mind wouldn't allow me to let go of the tune and phrasing of the words to my favourite songs, but the real power of her storytelling came through in the ones that had not been embedded into my memory. Proof if it was ever needed of how great a writer she is. A fine introduction by novelist David Mitchell too.
April 28, 2024
Kate Bush is fantastic. I love her music. It's so creative and she's not afraid to experiment and make her music loud or weird. On top of that she is an amazing lyricist. This became even more clear after reading and analyzing some songs. There are clever references and poetic lines in her songs, which you don't even notice until you take the time to read the lyrics.
January 16, 2022
Despite the total misunderstanding of key songs by the guy who wrote the introduction the book was solid! Obviously Bush's lyrics will always benefit from her delivery but even stripped down they showcased her wit, elegance, and humor just fine.
August 19, 2023
It's great to have Kate Bush's songs written up as poems, even though a few work better if you can remember the melodies and the music. But all of them are fun and whimsical and often a bit sadder and darker than you might remember the songs being.
May 16, 2025
I mean we all know I love my girl, but I think Kate’s voice is so much of the magic of her music… words take on new meanings when she sings them so I feel like some of the magic is lost when it’s just lyrics on a page. but the lyrics are still lovely so ✨
February 1, 2019
Delightful Christmas present - selected lyrics by Kate Bush, presented as poetry in a lovely hardback book. For a fan like me, this is a joy.
June 29, 2023
Mother! <3
February 5, 2024
Thanks Kyle!
July 2, 2024
3.75
Wuthering Heights ily <33333
Wuthering Heights ily <33333
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