Babooshka
Babooshka

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

All yours
Babooshka, Babooshka, Babooshka-ya-ya
All yours
Babooshka, Babooshka, Babooshka-ya-ya

Babooshka

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

I'm all yours
Babooshka, Babooshka, Babooshka-ya-ya
All yours
Babooshka, Babooshka, Babooshka-ya-ya
All yours
Babooshka, Babooshka, Babooshka-ya-ya

Babooshka, Babooshka, Babooshka-ya-ya
Babooshka, Babooshka, Babooshka-ya-ya
Babooshka, Babooshka, Babooshka-ya-ya

Babooshka-ya-ya

Babooshka
Babooshka
Babooshka


Lyrics submitted by Novartza

Babooshka Lyrics as written by Kate Bush

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

Babooshka song meanings
Add Your Thoughts

19 Comments

sort form View by:
  • +12
    General Comment

    ‘Babooshka’ is a song of love and hate. Her husband has, one suspects, lovingly stood by her for years, weathering her moodswing tears and frigid temperament (her neurotic depression?). If ‘Babooshka’ calmed down, she would know this! She knows him exactly! Just like she knows exactly the type of woman he would fall for (someone just like herself all those years ago!) Yes, if only she calmed down! … But she is self-destructing on jealous delusions, mid-life boredom, idle fantasy, etc. etc… She can’t be nice with him. Instead, she recklessly uses her ‘insight’ to test his fidelity, scheming the perfect trap! … “Exactly! A pseudonym to fool him!” … She wants him to fail the test. Why? I doubt she could answer that. Maybe she just ‘wants out’… But she is too reckless to consider impact… She wants drama… She couldn't have made a worse move…

    The husband is excited by the scented letters. But they only arouse in him feelings and longings for his wife all those years ago! He is bewitched by her charm all over!

    The wife is similarly seduced and aroused by ‘Babooshka’… So she wants to take her own trap further… The alter ego works on them both like a Circean drug… Indeed, the wife both is and is not ‘Babooshka’… So is the husband ever tempted to commit an infidelity? …

    The denouement? … He is left with confused longing for what she is not and only too aware of what she has become… And the hard-won lesson fills her with a shattering fury…

    The song reminds me of the myth of Jason and Medea … that is, before he went off with Creon's daughter! :o)

    It is a tragic reflection on the breakdown of communication and the foolish consequences of a distorted sense of reality.

    Theresa_Gionoffrioon April 12, 2007   Link
  • +4
    General Comment

    From Kate:

    "The games we play -- boredom breeds suspicion."

    trinity_tragedyon March 21, 2007   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    This song is how about people take things for granted and, as soon as the 'novelty' of the good things they have wears off, forget how valuable they really are. Be this a friend, a lover, family, or material possessions such as a car or a house perhaps, human nature is to inevitably get bored of what they have and go after something else. It may be identical to what they once had, but it looks better just because it`s 'painted new'.

    Based on this principle, the woman in the song 'paints herself new', to test her husband`s reaction.

    ilyon April 29, 2006   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    Am I overly optimistic, or is there a hint of a bittersweet happy ending here?

    When he shouts out "I'm all yours, Babooshka!", is it in a final betrayal of his wife, or in realization that it is, in fact, her?

    I prefer to think the latter. :)

    jasinon June 01, 2006   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    this song is just a dark version of Escape, Jimmy Ruffin's pina colada song.

    rikkuon June 28, 2006   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    Not Jimmy Ruffin, Rupert Holmes, and yes, I AM ashamed to know that. It is indeed a darker version, but after watching the video recently, there is a great reason to love the song besides the artistic merits. rrrrowr!

    Gromit Dogon September 11, 2006   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    Whilst most people would have little sympathy for the man as he is, or seems like he is, cheating on his wife - I believe Kate wrote it thinking that the wife was the manipulative one here. Her husband loves her but it was her who went cold on him. Yes - relationships can't keep the same passion/lust as the beginning but they can deepen over time into real love. It's a shame the woman here didn't put enough energy into her relationship in an open honest way as she did into tricking her husband. Their relationship has all but died and this stunt has only backfired and made them both seem like fools.

    GaffaUKon February 24, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    well it's fairly obvious that this song is about a wife that tests her hubby to see if he would fool around on her, and he falls in love with her pseudonym. So yeah bad move!

    KFurberon April 30, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    babooshka means old woman/grandmother in russian

    mateusz14on June 06, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    The happy ending? … She rediscovers the ‘Babooshka’ within herself!

    Theresa_Gionoffrioon April 12, 2007   Link

Add your thoughts

Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.

Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!

More Featured Meanings

Album art
Holiday
Bee Gees
@[Diderik:33655] "Your a holiday!" Was a popular term used in the 50s/60s to compliment someone on their all around. For example, not only are they beautiful, but they are fun and kind too ... just an all around "holiday". I think your first comment is closer to being accurate. The singer/song writers state "Millions of eyes can see, yet why am i so blind!? When the someone else is me, its unkind its unkind". I believe hes referring to the girl toying with him and using him. He wants something deeper with her, thats why he allows himself to be as a puppet (even though for her fun and games) as long as it makes her happy. But he knows deep down that she doesnt really want to be serious with him and thats what makes him.
Album art
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example: "'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
Album art
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
Album art
Head > Heels
Ed Sheeran
“Head > Heels” is a track that aims to capture what it feels like to experience romance that exceeds expectations. Ed Sheeran dedicates his album outro to a lover who has blessed him with a unique experience that he seeks to describe through the song’s nuanced lyrics.
Album art
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it. “I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.