"Blow Away" (Kate Bush)

[David]

This Kate Bush song is one of the most unusual & unsettling reflections on dying & memory in any pop song. The lyrics are quirky, shadowy & redolent of early rock & the British music hall. The chord progression is extraordinary, too. I think the song is a pop masterpiece. If the entire staff of Rolling Stone circa 1976 had set out to create an entire issue devoted to the mad spirit of the old rockers, it wouldn't have been nearly so bizarre & compelling as this song.

"Blow Away" carries the dedication: "For Bill"; Bill is Bill Duffield, Kate's lighting director on her 1979 tour. Duffield was killed in a fall from the stage lights scaffold at the London Palladium before a show.

BLOW AWAY
By Kate Bush (1980)

Emaj7 F#/G#
C#m7 C#/D# B/G#
F#/G# G#

(Emaj7) One of the band (F#/G#)
(C#m7) Told me last (C#/D#) night
That (G#m) music is (A#m) all that (C#m) he's
Got (C#/D#) in his life

And (Emaj7) where will it go? (F#/G#)
Surely (C#m7) not with his (C#/D#) soul? (G#m/B)
Will (G#m) all of his (A#m) licks & his (C#m) R & B
(C#/D#) Blow away?

(Emaj7) Blow away (C#m9)
(G#m9) Blow away (C#m9)
(G#m9) Blow away (C#m9)
(G#m9) Blow away (C#m9)

C#m7 C#/D#

(Emaj7) Our engineer (F#/G#)
(C#m7) Had a different (C#/D#) idea
From (G#m) people who (A#m) who nearly (C#m) died
But (C#/D#) survived

(Emaj7) Feeling no fear (F#/G#)
Of (C#m7) Leaving their (C#/D#) bodies here (G#m/B)
And (G#m) went to (A#m) a room that was (C#m) soon full
(C#/D#) Of visitors

(Emaj7) Hello (C#m9)
(G#m9) Minnie (C#m9)
(G#m9) Moony (C#m9)
(G#m9) Vicious (C#m9)
(G#m9) Vicious (C#m9)
(G#m9) Buddy (C#m9)
(G#m9) Holly (C#m9)
(G#m9) Sandy (C#m9)
(G#m9) Denny (C#m9)

Aah (C#m7) (C#/D#)
(Emaj7) Please don't (E/F#) thump me
Don't (F#/G#) bump me
Don't (C#/D#) dump me (G#) back there
(Emaj) Please don't (E/F#) thump me
Don't (F#/G#) bump me
Don't (C#/D#) dump me (G#) back there
(Emaj7) Please don't (E/F#) thump me
Don't (F#/G#) bump me
I (C#/D#) want to (G#) stay here

(Emaj7) Put out the light (F#/G#)
(C#m7) Then put out (C#/D#) the light
(G#m) Vibes in the (A#m) sky invite (C#m)
You (C#/D#) to die

(Emaj7) Dust to dust (F#/G#)
(C#m7) Blow to (C#/D#) blow
(G#m) Bolan and (A#m) Moony (C#m) are
Heading (C#/D#) the show

Tonight
(Emaj7) Blow away (C#m9)
(G#m9) Blow away (C#m9)
(G#m9) Blow away (C#m9)
(G#m9) Blow away (C#m9)