Cloudbusting -- Kate Bush In Her Own Words

Oh England, My Lionheart

Can you tell me, why is it called lionheart?

Well, again it's similar to the last album, in as much as it's the title after the title track. And the title track on this album is called ``Oh England, My Lionheart.'' And it's really very much a song about the Old England that we all think about whenever we're away, you know, ``ah, the wonderful England'' and how beautiful it is amongst all the rubbish, you know. Like the old buildings we've got, the Old English attitudes that are always around. And this sort of very heavy emphasis on nostalgia that is very strong in England. People really do it alot, you know, like ``I remember the war and...'' You know it's very much a part of our attitudes to life that we live in the past. And it's really just a sort of poetical play on the, if you like, the romantic visuals of England, and the second World War... Amazing revolution that happened when it was over and peaceful everything seemed, like the green fields. And it's really just a exploration of that. (1978, Lionheart Promo)

A lot of people could easily say that the song is sloppy. It's very classically done. It's only got acoustic instruments on it and it's done ... almost madrigally, you know. I dare say a lot of people will think that it's just a load of old slush but it's just an area that I think it's good to cover. Everything I do is very English and I think that's one reason I've broken through to a lot of countries. The English vibe is very appealing. (1978, November, Melody Maker)

Is there a very conscious root in english culture in your writing? For example, the tennyson quote you used to introduce the ninth wave. And then there was `` oh! england, my lionheart'' on the second album.

My patriotic number! Yes, I think there probably was, moreso than there is now. (1985, Hot Press)

Gaffaweb / Cloudbusting / Music / Oh England, My Lionheart