Kate Bush’s new single (called “King of the Mountain”) seems to be about Elvis, with a larger picture of dealing with fame and how fame affects you. Some references we understand fully (“Could you see the aisles of women? Could you see them screaming and weeping?” is pretty clear) but others are perplexing. I’m not posting all the lyrics, I know that’s a no-no, but if you could look here for the whole lyrics you’ll see why we know the song’s about Elvis.
Do these lines bring to mind specific Elvis-related events? They might be well-known to Elvis fans, that I haven’t heard about.
I’m not a HUGE Elvis fan, but I’m definitely an admirer; plus I live in Memphis, and you can’t help picking up some Elvis Lore if you live here for a while.
I followed your link and read the lyrics; I haven’t heard the song, but it doesn’t seem to me that it’s about him. It definitely refers to him (the repeated line about “Elvis are you out there somewhere” is a tip-off), but it also refers to Citizen Kane (“Why does a multi-millionaire/Fill up his home with priceless junk?” and “In the snow with Rosebud”) and Walt Disney (“And there’s a rumour that you’re on ice”).
I’ve never heard stories about a waitress claiming to have Elvis’s baby (which doesn’t mean they’re not out there). Just taking a guess, I’d suggest that maybe the song is about ultra-fame in general and uses Elvis as one example.
Oh, and the line about “aisles of women screaming and weeping” could refer to Jesus as well as Elvis.
That’s interesting. It’s nice to get a different take on it. I knew that Rosebud referred to Citizen Kane, and I suspected that the ice was a reference to Disney, but we’re not sure what fits where. It seems she’s talking to Elvis, but referring to other people.
I agree that the song is about ultra-fame, something she’s had much experience with. Not here in the US, where most people have never heard of her, but in England, she was the most photographed woman in the world until Princess Diana came along. She was hounded by fame, when all she really wanted to do was make music. So she left it all behind, stepped out of the spotlight and has been raising a family, living in the country. This will be her first album in 12 years. (I don’t mean to say she ever came near Elvis status fame-wise, but she had a taste of what it must have been like for him)
It’s a double album, with, we’ve heard rumors, one disc being devoted to a concept piece. We’re thinking that this might be part of a larger work, about the price of fame. Or it could be a one-off song. We don’t know yet.
So, I’m just asking around for other interpretations. Thank you!
When I think of aisles, I think of theater aisles, which made me think of Elvis concerts. Does aisle mean something specific in the bible?
