"Waking the Witch"

The Ninth Wave (Hounds of Love)
Written by Kate Bush

[Note: The text of Waking the Witch is the most conversational and least "lyrical" of all of Kate's song-texts to date. One could argue for the participation of at least ten different parties to the "dialogue" in this song. In order to maintain some clarity in this edition, the different voices have been limited to four types: the "morning wake-up" voices (left margin); the "inquisitor's voice" (first indentation from the left margin); the "witch's", or "victim's" voice (second indent from the left); and the chorus (third indent from the left). Some words, including what are presumed to be snatches of Latin Christian prayer, are still not precisely known.]

"Wake up!"
"A good morning, ma'am. Your early morning call."
"You must wake up!"
"[titter] Wake up! [titter]"
"Wake up, man!"
"Wake up, child! Pay attention!"
"Come on, wake up!"
"Wake up, love!"
"We should make the night, but see your little light's alive!"
"Stop that lyin' and a-sleepin' in bed--get up!"
"Ma needs a shower. Get out of bed!" [words uncertain]
"Little light..."
"Can you not see that little light up there?"
"Where?"
"There!"
"Where?"
"Over here!"
"You still in bed?"
"Wake up, sleepy-head!"
"We are of the going water and the gone. We are of water in the holy land of water"
"Don't you know you've kept him waiting?"
"Look who's here to see you!"

"Listen to me, listen to me, baby. Listen, baby, help me,

baby! Help me, help me! Listen to me, talk to me!"

"You won't burn."

"Red, red roses."

"You won't bleed."

"Pinks and posies."

"Confess to me, girl."

"Red, red roses,"*

"Go down!"

"Spiritus sanctus in nomine...[inaudible]"

"Poor little thing,"

"Red, red roses,"

"The blackbird!"

"Pinks and posies."

"Wings in the water,"

"Red, red roses, Go down,"**

"Go down."

"Pinks and posies."

"Deus et dei domino...[inaudible]"

"What is it, child?"

"Bless me, father, bless me, father, for I have sinned."

"Red, red roses!"

"Help me, listen to me!"

"Red, red rose!"

"I question your innocence!"

"Help this blackbird!"

"She's a witch!"

"There's a stone around my leg."

"Uh! Damn you, woman!"

"Help this blackbird!

There's a stone around my leg."

"What say you, good people?"

"Guilty! Guilty! Guilty!"

"Help this blackbird!"

"I am responsible for your actions."

"Oh-hoh-hoh!"

"Not guilty!"

"Help this blackbird!"

"Wake (of) the witch!"

"Get out of the waves! Get out of the water!"

[*--"Red, red roses": FitzGerald-Morris has this line as "Don't bring Moses."]

[**--"Red, red roses": FitzGerald-Morris has this line as "Ring, ding roses."]

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