let me into your window!

During my month-long stay at summer camp, I happened to hear a song at a karaoke party that was like none other I had heard before - "Wuthering Heights" by Kate Bush, from the album "The Kick Inside". The song is painfully corny and ridiculous, with an even more goofy music video. Nonetheless, I immediately fell in love with the singer, prancing around in a white billowy dress, and I loved the song even more. That's the main reason why I was so compelled to read Emily Brontë's classic, which the song was named after. I wanted to find out what had driven Kate Bush to write such an unexpected song, and how the lyrics corresponded to the actual book. Before I go any further, though, here's the lyrics so you can get better acquainted with the song:

Out on the wiley, windy moors
We'd roll and fall in green
You had a temper, like my jealousy
Too hot, too greedy
How could you leave me?
When I needed to possess you?
I hated you, I loved you too

Bad dreams in the night
They told me I was going to lose the fight
Leave behind my wuthering, wuthering
Wuthering Heights

(Chorus) Heathcliff, its me, Cathy come home
I'm so cold, let me in-a-your window

Oh it gets dark, it gets lonely
On the other side from you
I pine alot, I find the lot
Falls through without you
I'm coming back love, cruel Heathcliff
My one dream, my only master

Too long I roam in the night
I'm coming back to his side to put it right
I'm coming home to wuthering, wuthering,
Wuthering Heights

(Chorus)
Oh let me have it, let me grab your soul away
Oh let me have it, let me grab your soul away
You know it's me, Cathy
(Chorus)

Well, that certainly is an interesting song. I'm only half done with the book, but I have a pretty good idea of which parts of the book Kate is referring to. She touches on the major parts of the story, from Catherine's jealousy of Heathcliff's kissing Isabella, to her never-ending love for him, even if she is married. It mentions Heathcliff and Cathy's childhood friendship at the beginning, and she calls him "cruel Heathcliff" at one point in the song, which is how Catherine sometimes refers to him in the book. This makes me wonder why there aren't any more songs about such passionate love stories.

To me, love stories are perfect for putting music to. I feel that music is so much easier to connect to than a complex novel - for me, at least. I have a passion for music, and this song made me appreciate the art of song writing even more. Songs are such a good way of communicating difficult opinions or ideas to people. Everyone can listen to a song and appreciate it tune, and some people can truly understand its lyrics as well, which is so important since many songs try to express a deeper message or meaning. I love how Kate Bush sums up the main ideas of the story in a simple song.

I also think that it's important to express different aspects of culture in songs. Kate Bush does a wonderful job of introducing this wonderful book to a large audience in a way that gives them the context of the story and displays the passion of the book. I don't know about the other listeners, but this song made me want to read the story.

Kate Bush is obviously incredibly ambitious and talented artist. She was smart to write a love song based on a book. Maybe she didn't have a love story of her own to share in a song, so she took someone else's. That what makes the song so unique.

see the music video here...