☝️ Key Points
- The song 'Babooshka' by Kate Bush tells the story of a woman who tests her relationship with her husband by using a pseudonym and writing him seductive letters.
- 'Babooshka' represents the once young and passionate woman and shows how their relationship has changed over time.
- The husband feels a 'strange joy' upon receiving the letters and remembers his wife in the early days of their relationship.
- The woman arranges a meeting with her husband under her pseudonym, and although he recognizes her, he is unaware that she is his real wife.
- The tragic irony of the song lies in confirming the woman's fears: her husband can still fall in love with a woman - but not with her, but with the young and passionate woman she once was.
Interpretation
The song 'Babooshka' by
Kate Bush tells the story of a woman who wants to test her husband. She feels that their relationship has lost passion over the years and wants to see if her husband is still capable of falling in love. Therefore, she invents a pseudonym, 'Babooshka', and starts writing seductive letters to her husband under this name.
'Babooshka' represents the young, passionate woman she once was, before the years and tears changed their relationship. Her husband receives the letters with 'strange joy' and remembers his wife as she 'was when she was beautiful', before time left its marks.
The woman goes even further and arranges a meeting with her husband, still under the pseudonym 'Babooshka'. When he sees her, he feels like he has met her before. She reminds him of his 'little lady', his wife before she 'freezes on him', before their relationship lost its passion.
The tragic irony of the song is that the woman, through this test, ultimately confirms her own fears. Her husband is still capable of falling in love - but not with her, only with the young, passionate woman she once was. She has tested their relationship and only uncovered her own insecurities.