Love & Anger

Kate Bush's 'Love & Anger' delves into the complexities of human emotions, particularly focusing on the interplay between love and anger. The song opens with a sense of something deeply buried within the narrator, something so profound that it defies easy articulation. This sets the stage for a journey through the emotional landscape, where the narrator grapples with feelings that are both overwhelming and elusive. The lyrics suggest that while it might take a lifetime to fully understand these emotions, a single moment of clarity could reveal their essence. However, the narrator is unsure if they are ready to confront these feelings, highlighting the tension between the desire for emotional honesty and the fear of vulnerability.

The chorus emphasizes the fragile balance that holds relationships together, symbolized by 'a little piece of hope.' Bush paints a picture of living in a liminal space, 'the gap between past and future,' where the present moment is fraught with uncertainty. The imagery of 'stone and timber' and 'a little piece of rope' suggests that the foundations of these relationships are precarious, held together by tenuous threads of hope and understanding. This metaphor extends to the idea that without love and anger, the very elements that make us human, our connections would fall apart.

In the latter part of the song, Bush explores the idea of communication and the difficulty of expressing deep-seated emotions. The lyrics question whether these feelings can be shared with others or if they must be confronted internally. The metaphor of 'two strings beating' and 'speaking in sympathy' evokes a sense of harmony and mutual understanding that can arise when people are in tune with each other's emotions. The song concludes with a hopeful message, encouraging the listener to reach out and touch both the past and the future, suggesting that change is possible and that help will come when needed. This ending offers a sense of resolution, implying that while the journey through love and anger is challenging, it is also transformative and ultimately hopeful.