The meaning of RUTH

[Doug Alan <nessus>]

> From: Eric

>> [Me:] Also, RUTH is *not* about jogging and construction workers!
>> (Don't worry J. Eric, I'll get around to responding to that claim
>> sometime soon....)

> You would have a much harder time convincing me of that than of
> anything else at the moment, since I am now fairly convinced. 

Will it help to convince you if I tell you that both Peter Morris (one of
the editors of Homeground, a KB fanzine) and I independently came to the
same conclusion?  This is what Peter Morris says:

	It is that eternal mystery -- how can you see things from the
	viewpoint of another human being?  Even enmeshed lovers cannot
	ultimately know what the other feels, though perhaps a deal with
	God to swap their places might solve the connundrum.

I should also point out that the promo video (not the one being shown on
MTV) perfectly matches this interpretation (which I had long before
seeing the video or *even* hearing the song -- I had the lyrics).  There
are hills and a road and a building and lovers, but no construction
workers and no jogging.  At the point where "Is there so much hate for
the ones we love?" is sung, Kate and her partner become symbollically
crucified on each other, and later Kate becomes trapped in a whole croud
of Kate Bush's.

Also, Kate's newsletter just came out (I got it Friday), and Kate's
explanations of all her songs are all compatible with my interpretations
of all of the songs (except perhaps "The Big Sky", because even her
explanation is pretty cryptic).  This is what Kate says about RUTH:

	The song is very much about two people who are in love and how
	the power of love is almost too big for them, it leaves them
	very insecure and in fear of losing each other.  It's also
	perhaps talking about some of the fundamental differences
	between men and woman.

I believe that all this is also a metaphor for the artist/fan
relationship.

> You would have to explain these things:

>	What the hill symbolizes.
>	What the road symbolizes.
>	What the building symbolizes.
>	What the phrase "with no problems" means.

Okay, I'll do a line by line analysis.

	It doesn't hurt me

Don't be afraid of loving me.

	Do you want to feel how it feels
	Do you want to know, know that it doesn't hurt me

If you knew how it felt, you wouldn't be afraid.

	Do you want to hear 'bout the deal that I'm making
	You, you and me,
	And if I only could
	I'd make a deal with God
	And I'd get him to swap our places

If only we could know what it's like to be each other.

	Be running up that road

I want to solve the problems, to achieve my goals, to realize perfect
communication, to reach prefection.

	Be running up that hill

I want to overcome the natural obstacles.

	Be running up that building

I want to overcome the man-made obstacles.

	If I only could, oh....

But it seems so impossible.

	You don't want to hurt me
	But see how deep the bullet lies

Difficulty with communication causes problems.  Because I don't know
what it is like to be you and you don't know what it is to be me.
Sometimes it does hurt a lot.

	Unaware I'm tearing you asunder

And sometimes I hurt you by accident, without knowing it.

	Ooh there is thunder in our hearts

This causes strife between us.

	Is there so much hate for the ones we love?

Love and hate are so intertwined.  A love relationship is always a
love/hate relationship.

	Tell me we both matter don't we?

Both of us are important in the grand scheme of things, aren't we?  (Hints
strongly at the artist/fan interpretation.)

	You
	You and me
	You and me won't be unhappy

If we could know what it is like to be each other, we wouldn't be unhappy.

	C'mon baby c'mon darlin'
	Let me steal this moment from you now
	Come on angel, c'mon,c'mon darling
	Let's exchange the experience oh,

If only we could know what it's like to be each other....

	If I only could 
	Be running up that hill
	With no problems.

I'd be on the road to perfection and have no problems.

>	And, finally, why the song has an angry tone.

It's not "angry".  It's frustrated.  But frustration is anger at the
hopeless situation of the universe, right?

			"I hold a cup of wisdom
			 But there is nothing within"

			 Doug