Tension, instability, subtle contrasts – a listener might feel these aspects of the harmony and melody support the themes of the song we were talking about earlier. Bush’s vocals don’t employ much of a dynamic range in this song, so this contrast in word-setting really stands out. The pre-chorus sections are then contrasting: the words ‘you, you and me’ feature melismatic singing (this is when a phrase where many notes is sung to the vowel of one word). This brings a lingering harmonic tension and instability within the driving C minor of the bass and synths.īush’s vocals in the verses are quite declamatory, almost like a sung spoken word or recitative. To a listener’s ear, a minor seventh note always feels it’s leading somewhere, about to resolve. Bush’s vocal lines often focus on the B♭, or the minor seventh of the scale. The vocal line is based on the C natural minor scale, which gives the melodies a modal, slightly bluesy feel. At the climax of the song, you hear a bridge, before three repetitions of the chorus and an outro or coda section. The song has two verses and the chorus, that is preceded by a pre-chorus section. Those glorious 80s synths (Fairlight CMIs) ring out short, descending phrases with a minor key feel. There’s a driving drum beat from the beginning, which almost feels like a drone. We’re in C minor – the classic key of Beethoven angst – and a slightly unusual key for a pop song. The music theory of Bush’s ‘Running Up that Hill’ There’s uncertainty and a longing for that emotional resolution – Bush does some very interesting things harmonically that also bring these themes into the music for the listener. The song’s mood is passionate and pleading. “If they could make a deal with God, to change places, that they’d understand what it’s like to be the other person and perhaps it would clear up misunderstandings,” Bush said.
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