Cloudbusting -- Kate Bush In Her Own Words

Anger/Sarcasm

I became very shy at school. It laid some very heavy inhibitions on me. I wasn't exactly bullied, but there were people who picked on me and gave me a very hard time. I was very thin, and younger than most in my class, so I was rather like the runt of the litter. I'd get hit occasionally, but nothing that heavy. And I never fought back.

I was aware of a lot of my friends being into things that I wasn't into. Like sarcasm. It had never been a part of my family - they still don't use sarcasm. I don't actually think it's nice. I think sarcasm is a very cheap and negative way of trying to get laughs and make yourself superior. (1982, Flexipop)

I think losing your temper is a waste of time and a bloody nuisance. If you're uptight about something it's often you own fault so you should keep it to yourself. If someone does something that I'm not really into, if they're doing something to offend me or someone I love then I will assume annoyance to get at them but I don't really mean it. (????, SH)

I think my lyrics have a far tougher edge to them now. I always thought that ultimately I would be super tough... presuming that as I gathered experiences I would learn to accept situations for what they are. That has worked in some ways, but in others I'm far more vulnerable. (1982, Company)

Tell me, kate, what sort of a person are you? Do you shout and scream when things go wrong?

No. I don't shout. I can't see the point. I think I can make hard decisions, though. Sometimes, though, I feel vulnerable, like a little girl. I need people to protect me. (1982, Robin Smith)

I think the last album is about trying to cope...to get through all the shit. I think it was positive: showing how certain people approach all these negative things - war, crime, etcetera. I don't think I'm actually an aggressive person, but I can be. But I release that energy in work. I think it's wrong to get angry. If people get angry, it kind of freaks everybody out and they can't concentrate on what they're doing. (1982, NME)

Maybe bits of me don't want to grow up. Maybe I am an escapist, a romantic, but I think if you've got an artistic - horrible word! - bent, that's essential. I dislike cynicism. It's bad energy. Does that make me childlike? (1985, What Kate Bush Did Next)

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