I am going to reply to you, because it sounds to me as if you experienced a real, true love. I have, as well. I want the person that I love to understand where I was coming from, in order to achieve a better sense of unity, harmony and peace.

I read an interpretation of this song recently and it made me realize just how different men and women are. While it is his unique interpretation of this song, it made me sad. Anger, pessimism and negativity certainly do not come naturally to me, but I might have to venture into their foreign territory to explain my perspective. Forgive me if I do.

This song, "Running Up That Hill" reminds me of "Remember The Mountain Bed" as both are about love affairs. For me, I want to remember what it is I adored about the one and only man I have ever had a love "affair" with. (I have never had a sexual affair. I have never been "unfaithful" in that department.) I want to cling to what was so special and amazing about him and our love. When you fall in love with someone, another life is created in your head. Have you ever heard that 1+1=3? Well, that is what happened to me. So when it is ending you grieve that loss.

I tried my best to relay my feelings about what was clearly going on between us. It was undeniable what was happening. And for years! It was incredibly powerful and consuming for me. I tried to convey my true, honest feelings to him in words (not ONLY by the obvious force that was between us physically, mentally and emotionally). With words, he couldn't reciprocate. He seemed verbally passive when it came to expressing any emotions or feelings he was clearly experiencing regarding our situation. But, the love remained. It kept growing and morphing. I'd try to express my feelings and twice he (indirectly, which felt like holy hell) told me to stop feeling what I am feeling. How does a person respond to that? How does that help to create great trust between us? Even though he was passive and hurt me, I kept on loving him. There was always this connection and force between us even though he was trying to kill it. On and on it went for years. How could I establish any openness when I had tried and been beaten down? We were both going through a psychological trauma over it and we did it in our different ways.

To end it, he sent me an ultimate message, in order to find out my true feelings (as if he didn't know!). It was a cruel test, I guess. I answered as honestly as I could. (Even though, again, it was sent in an indirect way. Talk of TRUST! For me to have the faith to answer as clearly as I could, to such a message shows great trust- and foolishness.) I wonder if I "passed" his test. I wonder if he was floored by the fact that I would have pretty much done most anything for him. I would have made great sacrifices for our love. BUT, the message was a brutal joke. (Now I understand the "hate for the ones we love" lyrics from this song.) Still, I forgive him. It was far and away the cruelest thing anyone has done to me, but I choose to think he did it out of desperation and love. He is weary and he needed to hear the truth.

So, on we'll go with our lives. I'll do my best to put all of this baggage behind me. If it was a love void of trust, substance and openness, for my role I am sorry. I wish it would have been different. I wish there were no problems and we could have run up that hill.

I will always remember the beautiful feelings he gave me. It was love. Real love.

Interesting perspective, Tom Violence. I believe I understand what you are saying. I can relate to your personal experience. I hate the ending though. So, love gets shattered. End of love story. You sound like you are the "decider". It is so sad, but it is the way it has to be, you say. I think the two people involved will be okay, with time. I know I can take no more abuse. I also know that I will always love the man who broke my heart. I'll always wish we could have a future together in Paris (or anywhere). I think we were meant for each other, really. If he ever wants to discuss life face to face I would love to, but he might think there is no point. Even though he tore me to pieces, he has a special place in my heart forever. I miss him every day. I hope he has a completely wonderful life. To butcher Bob Dylan: From the day I met him he lives inside of me, we've never been apart. I know he and I would have had a really great actual life together.

You might not have any idea as to why I am saying all of this to you. But, maybe you know... I have shi* for brains!

No, I'm getting your point. Thanks, I guess...

You suggest the "Kate Bush partner"/me shouldn't be
too pessimistic and throw away things, when there's still
hope or possibilities to try. You're absolutely right, but
situations can get so messed up in the end you aren't able
to grasp them mentally and emotionally anymore and you just HAVE
to give up - just no more energy left to see things positively.
(See, it's been nine years ago.)

If you somehow could relate to my song interpretation and see your
own story in it - I wrote an overtly long text, but I could have
just reduced it to one term: TRUST. I think that's the hidden main
theme of this song. Sometimes people are really attracted to each other,
even feel they're meant for each other. But, perhaps because of this
man/woman - difference, or just because they're different types of characters
and tempers, have other ways of dealing with sex and love affairs,
they don't find a way to establish trust in each other. This leads to the
"hate for the ones we love", Kate Bush was referring to, I think. Maybe
you and your lover both made mistakes concerning this. The other point
of the song is that it remains just a beautiful dream we could just move into each
others heads and just feel and know that our partners really care for us.
That's something you have to actively communicate through actions and words.
Back then, it didn't work for me. My partner somehow thought she would be "losing ground" if she would just try to tell me what's really going on inside of her. She preferred to leave me "in the grey" and we both wasted time with attempting to
control each other with psychological games. Definitely wrong, but that's the way things went... (but I'm getting off-topic now)

Oooops. Shi* for brains strikes again and I hit comment instead of post reply. Oh well.

In hindsight, I'd like to ask Tom Violence, in your wildest dreams, what was your desired outcome? What is it that you wish could have been the solution? No cryptic answers, please.

I'm sorry. No need to reply, unless you feel so inclined. Just so you know where I'm coming from..... I guess I still get sad sometimes. Maybe someday that will go away........ Probably not..........

Well, I wish you best then to maybe eventually work things out; there seems to be
a lot of substance and openness to your relationship, which unfortunately
cannot be said of the real-life drama I personally relate to that specific song.

And of course, although the video has quite a pessimistic streak
to it (both get drawn apart by their masked duplicates - the social circumstances?, their multi-splintered egos?), I think there is still some hopeful optimism and desire in those lyrics (which, especially alongside the tender music, never quite appeared as some kind of a revenge anthem to me, as others here view it). So there's really much space in this song for a wide range of different life experiences - as yours and mine -to be connected with it, despite its seemingly simple lyrics. I'd say that's exactly what makes a song truly great...

If I could have a conversation with them man I have loved for so many years, I'd tell him this: Listen to The Scientist, by Coldplay. Let's go back to the start. You'll never understand how much you mean to me. Make me a CD someday and send it to me in the mail. (I always get the mail.) I am in your head and your heart and you are in mine. For now, it will remain a beautiful dream. You are a giant piece of my heaven. I love you.