Under The Ivy

[Doug Alan <nessus>]

Here's something I wrote to Hugh Maher a week ago, that contains the
lyrics to "Under The Ivy", the B-side to "Running Up That Hill":

>From nessus Thu Aug  8 13:40:50 1985
Subject: Lyrics and interpretation of "Under The Ivy"

These are the lyrics as I hear them.  This is the first of Kate's songs
where I've ever noticed her lisp while singing.

What a song!  What lyrics!  I can barely take it!  I'm typing this in
with tears in my eyes....

	It wouldn't take me long
	To tell you how to find it
	To tell you where we'll meet
	This little girl inside me
	Is retreating to her favorite place
	Go into the garden
	Go under the ivy
	Go under the leaves
	Away from the party
	Go right to the rose
	Go right to the white rose
	I sit here in the thunder
	The green on the grave
	I feel it all around me
	And it's not easy for me
	To give away your secret
	It's not safe
	But go into the garden
	Go under the ivy
	Under the leaves
	Away from the party
	Go right to the rose
	Go right to the white rose
	Go under the ivy
	Go under the leaves
	Go right to the rose
	Go right to the white rose
	I'll be waiting for you
	It wouldn't take me long
	To tell you where we'll meet

It seems to me to be about the longing for youthful innocence lost.
(Isn't a white rose a symbol of virginity?  I'm not sure.)  In this
sense it seems to be a follow-up to "In Search of Peter Pan", which is
also one of my very favorite pre-Dreaming KB songs.  (My favorite
pre-Dreaming songs are for your info "Breathing", "Egypt", "In Search of
Peter Pan", "Moving", "Saxophone Song", "L'Amour...", and "December...")
"In Search of Peter Pan" is about Kate's desire not to lose her youthful
innocence, which she still had, I suppose, when she wrote the song.

"Under The Ivy" also seems to be about Kate contemplating suicide.  And
maybe the song is addressed to Death.

			"It wouldn't take me long
			 To tell you how to find it"

			 Doug