We’ve all been there. That feeling where something is so heavy in your chest you can't even tell your sister, let alone a priest. It’s that weird, suffocating space between having too much to say and no words to say it with. Honestly, that’s exactly where Kate Bush Love and Anger lives.
Released as the third single from her 1989 album The Sensual World, "Love and Anger" is kind of a strange beast in Kate’s discography. It doesn't have the immediate, spooky recognition of "Wuthering Heights" or the TikTok-fueled immortality of "Running Up That Hill." But if you ask a die-hard fan? They’ll tell you it’s the heart of her most "adult" era.
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The Struggle of Creating Kate Bush Love and Anger
Most people think a genius like Kate just sits down and magic happens. Not this time. Kate has been pretty open about the fact that "Love and Anger" was a total nightmare to finish. It was actually one of the first songs she started for The Sensual World and literally the last one she finished. Talk about a long birth.
She had the tune. She had that first verse. But the rest? It just wouldn't come. She told WAAF radio back in '89 that the song was "elusive" and that she didn't really know what she wanted to say. Sometimes a song just pulls itself together because everyone around you is pushing you not to give up on it.
"It's just kind of a song that pulled itself together... there were so many times I thought it would never get on the album." — Kate Bush
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It’s funny because, for a song that was so hard to write, it sounds so... big. It has this massive, sweeping energy. It’s a rock song at its core, but it’s fueled by this frantic piano and a layer of hand percussion that makes it feel like it's vibrating.
That David Gilmour Connection
You can't talk about Kate Bush Love and Anger without mentioning the guitar. That soaring, piercing solo? That’s David Gilmour of Pink Floyd.
Gilmour is basically the fairy godfather of Kate’s career. He’s the one who heard her demos when she was just sixteen and helped her get signed to EMI. By 1989, they were old friends, and his playing on this track gives it a specific kind of "stadium-spiritual" vibe. It’s not just a solo; it’s like another voice screaming alongside her.
He actually appears in the music video, too. If you haven't seen it, it's worth a watch just for the glitter. Kate directed it herself, and it starts with her alone in a spotlight, looking almost prostrate in prayer. Then, as the song builds, the world opens up. Dancers appear. The band shows up. By the end, she’s throwing handfuls of glitter into the camera like a "pop baptism." It’s pure 80s, but also kinda timeless.
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What is Love and Anger Actually About?
Because Kate was so vague about the meaning, fans have spent decades dissecting the lyrics. Is it about a breakup? A spiritual crisis? Coming out of the closet?
The chorus is the key:
"Take away the love and the anger / And a little piece of hope holding us together / Looking for a moment that'll never happen..."
That line about "living in the gap between past and future" is so relatable it hurts. It feels like she’s talking about that point in a relationship—or even just a phase of life—where the "stone and timber" (the structure of your life) has been taken away. You’re left with just a "little piece of rope."
Some critics, like Jack Parlett, suggest the song is about the difficulty of confession. The lyrics jump from "I" to "you" to "us," making it feel like she's talking to herself or maybe several different versions of herself. It’s a "lyric chamber" where secrets are trying to get out.
Why It Hit Number One (In America)
Here’s a fun fact: while it only reached number 38 in the UK, "Love and Anger" hit number one on the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart.
In the late 80s, the US was finally "getting" Kate Bush. The production on this track is a bit more direct than her earlier, weirder stuff like The Dreaming. It’s radio-friendly but still has that weird "Kate" DNA. It’s the sound of an artist entering what she called her "mental puberty"—that transition into her 30s where things get more introspective and a lot more complicated.
Actionable Insights for the Kate Bush Listener
If you're looking to dive deeper into this specific era of her work, don't just stop at the single. Here is how to actually experience the "Love and Anger" vibe:
- Listen to the full album in order: "Love and Anger" is the second track on The Sensual World. It serves as the "energetic awakening" right after the title track.
- Watch the Beavis and Butt-Head clip: Believe it or not, they reviewed the "Love and Anger" video. Seeing them react to the part where she hands off the scepter and orb is a weirdly perfect piece of pop culture history.
- Compare it to "The Big Sky": If you like the "big," driving rock energy of "Love and Anger," go back and listen to "The Big Sky" from Hounds of Love. They are like cousins—both have that sense of movement and "looking up."
- Check out the B-sides: The 12-inch single included tracks like "Ken" and "The Confrontation." They were written for The Comic Strip, and they show the more whimsical side of her work during that same period.
Ultimately, Kate Bush Love and Anger is a reminder that it's okay to not have the words. Sometimes the feeling is so deep you just have to let the music carry it until the glitter starts falling. It’s a song about the messiness of being human, and 30-plus years later, that "little piece of hope" still holds up.
To get the most out of this track, try listening to it on high-quality headphones. You’ll notice the layers of the Trio Bulgarka’s backing vocals and the way the bassline by John Giblin actually drives the melody more than the piano does.