'Ship': Not (This Time), again

[Peter Byrne Manchester <PMANCHESTER@ccmail.sunysb.edu>]

	The question about whether Kate sings "ship" in "Not This Time" has 
come up again, generated by the text of the lyrics printed in "Kate Bush 
Complete."  Vickie voices a view on which there was consensus in late April, 
1991:  everything about the context and meaning of the song overall--not to 
mention the entirely clear and explicit enunciation of the line itself in the 
recording--shows that she sings "shit."

	The thread that year also exposed a number of other ways in which the 
KBC lyrics for this song differ from the performance.  The text that follows 
is my compilation of a number of efforts to transcribe the recorded 
performance.  I have added notes to flag places where it differs from the 
printed version.  What is interesting about the changes--which apart from the 
"shit" instance are not very significant--is that they are characteristic of 
ways in which a singer might alter the text before her in actual performance. 
This makes me think that the KBC lyrics in general are drawn from the texts as 
published for copyright, and are not transcriptions of the songs as sung.

	Also, in IED's absence, *somebody* has to keep up the standards of 
amiable pedantry traditional in this group!

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NOT THIS TIME
Kate Bush

Oh with a mind that renders everything sensitive(1)
What chance do I have here
Put an end, put an end
Put an end to every dream
When you're near I fear you
And I forget myself

Not this time baby
Not this time
Not this time baby

I dunno why I give in but I do every time
And here I am a'wondering(2) why I'm doing it(3) again
Toor-ee-ah Toor-ee-oh
Toor-ee-ah Toor-ee-oh
Toor-ee-oh(4) that's what I say
To keep me going and to keep the shit(5) away
I don't know what it is
Every time you're near
I fear you
And I forget myself

No, not this time baby
Not this time you won't
Not this time(6)
Not this time darling

C'mon, we all sing

(Refrain)
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NOTES:
(1)  KBComplete prints "insensitive"; Vickie Mapes hears it either way, and 
can fit either reading into her interpretation of the song; I definitely hear 
"sensitive."
(2)  KBC prints "wondering"; Vickie and I both hear "a'wondering."
(3)  KBC prints "I did it," as did Vickie in an earlier transcription.  I am 
quite positive I hear "I'm doing it."
(4)  KBC prints only four "tour-ee-a/oh"s, and I did too.  Only Vickie can 
count:  there are five.
(5)  Believe it.
(6)  KBC misses the third line.  Vickie draws attention to the stunning 
growling howl of "darling" in the next line.

............................................................................
                                                            Peter Manchester
"C'mon, we all sing!"                               pmanches@sbccmail.bitnet
                                               pmanchester@ccmail.sunysb.edu