Babooshka

According to Kate Bush, in an interview with Austrailian TV series 'Countdown', this song chronicles a wife's desire to test her husband's loyalty. To do so, she takes on the nom de plume of Babooshka and sends notes to her husband in the guise of a younger woman – something which she fears is the opposite of how her husband currently sees her. The trap is set when, in her bitterness and paranoia, Babooshka arranges to meet her husband, who is attracted to the character that reminds him of his wife in earlier times. She thereby ruins the relationship due to her paranoia The word 'Babushka' itself means 'grandmother' in Russian, something Bush "didn't realise at the time". In context of the song however, Bush just "popped the name out, because it felt right", and that she apparently picked the name out of a fairy story when she was younger, before discovering its Russian meaning, and how 'Babushka' was a good name for the woman in the song.

[Intro] Babooshka Babooshka [Verse 1] She wanted to test her husband She knew exactly what to do: A pseudonym to fool him She couldn't have made a worse move She sent him scented letters And he received them with a strange delight Just like his wife But how she was before the tears And how she was before the years flew by And how she was when she was beautiful She signed the letter [Chorus] "All yours Babooshka, Babooshka, Babooshka-ya-ya All yours Babooshka, Babooshka, Babooshka-ya-ya" [Post-Chorus] Babooshka [Verse 2] She wanted to take it further So she arranged a place to go To see if he Would fall for her incognito And when he laid eyes on her He got the feeling they had met before Uncanny how she Reminds him of his little lady Capacity to give him all he needs Just like his wife before she freezed on him Just like his wife when she was beautiful He shouted out [Chorus] "I'm all yours Babooshka, Babooshka, Babooshka-ya-ya All yours Babooshka, Babooshka, Babooshka-ya-ya All yours Babooshka, Babooshka, Babooshka-ya-ya" [Outro] Babooshka, Babooshka, Babooshka-ya-ya Babooshka, Babooshka, Babooshka-ya-ya Babooshka, Babooshka, Babooshka-ya-ya Babooshka-ya-ya Babooshka Babooshka Babooshka Babooshka