Can I have it all now?
February 23, 2008 at 9:00 am (80's nostalgia, Mid-life Crisis, random musings, things you never knew about mrs metaphor)
Tags: kate bush, obscure but awesome music, what the heck is gaffa anyway?
When I was in college I got into Kate Bush very big-like. I had a friend in the dorm who opened my eyes to a whole lot of “alternative” music I had not accessed before. On a whim, I walked into the college radio station one day (WWSU, “Dayton’s New Music Alternative” doncha know….) in my black leather miniskirt and lime green thrift store men’s shirt and paisley vest and asked who was in charge. Luckily, I amused the music director enough to earn me a spot in their On Air program and that changed me completely. I now had an entire radio station’s music library at my fingertips. It was cool. Really cool.
Although my listeners, I think, enjoyed my show it was probably equally annoying that I opened and closed each one with Kate Bush. Most people just don’t “get” Kate. That’s alright with me.
Since this is my blog though and I make you suffer my poetry…I’m going to make you suffer my Kate too. Suck it up. She has amazing things to say and a vocal range that would make most singers cry and give it all up. This is one of my favorites and happily, there is also a video.
The song is Suspended in Gaffa and it was originally included on her album, The Dreaming in 1982.
Out in the garden
There’s half of a heaven,
And we’re only bluffing.
We’re not ones for busting through walls,
But they’ve told us
Unless we can prove
That we’re doing it,
We can’t have it all.
He’s gonna wangle
A way to get out of it.
She’s an excuse
And a witness who’ll talk when he’s called.
But they’ve told us
Unless we can prove
That we’re doing it,
We can’t have it all.
We can’t have it all.
“I caught a glimpse of a god, all shining and bright.”
Suddenly my feet are feet of mud.
It all goes slo-mo.
I don’t know why I’m crying.
Am I suspended in Gaffa?
Not until I’m ready for you,
Not until I’m ready for you
Can I have it all.
I try to get nearer,
But as it gets clearer
There’s something appears in the way,
It’s a plank in me eye,
With a camel
Who’s trying to get through it,
Am I doing it?
Can I have it all now?
I pull out the plank and say
“Thank you for yanking me back
To the fact that there’s
Always something to distract.”
But sometimes it’s hard
To know if I’m doing it right.
Can I have it all?
Can I have it all now?
We can’t have it all.
“We all have a dream…maybe.”
Suddenly my feet are feet of mud.
It all goes slo-mo.
I don’t know why I’m crying.
Am I suspended in Gaffa?
Not until I’m ready for you,
Not until I’m ready for you
Can I have it all.
I won’t open boxes
That I am told not to.
I’m not a Pandora.
I’m much more like
That girl in the mirror.
Between you and me
She don’t stand a chance of getting anywhere at all.
Not anywhere at all.
No, not a thing.
She can’t have it all.
“Mother, where are the angels? I’m scared of the changes.”
Suddenly my feet are feet of mud.
It all goes slo-mo.
I don’t know why I’m crying.
Am I suspended in Gaffa?
Not until I’m ready for you,
Not until I’m ready for you
Can I have it all.
