Dancing with ghosts

This post started out as my Crucial Tracks entry for today. The prompt was:

What song makes you feel like you’re in a dream?

I immediately thought of Wuthering Heights by Kate Bush, inspired by Emily Brontë’s novel with the same title.

I love that song! To me, it really feels like being in a dream. It’s like something taken from a fairytale — which it pretty much is, considering the ghostly novel it’s based on.

I once saw an interview where Kate Bush was asked why she sings the way she does on that track. She explained that since she’s playing the character Cathy, who was a spirit (if you’re not familiar with the story — it’s kind of like Baby Reindeer on steroids), the song needed some kind of ethereal effect. Hence the high register.

I also love the “red dress version” of the video for Wuthering Heights. She really moves like a spirit and illustrates the lyrics in such a wonderful way.

Like all great music, it lives on in its timelessness. In fact, there was a news story about it in Swedish media today — it’s in Swedish, but there’s a video clip too that’s quite a fun watch… and maybe just a little awkward. A group of people, all dressed in red, got together and danced to honor the song.

Music might not have the power to change the world, but it sure can accomplish a lot.