The Kiss

The fact that there are no comments on this beautiful song is absurd and really an indication of how unfairly forgotten Judee is.

Sill describes love like mist and light. Love can sometimes exist almost tangible between two people like the wet air softly hovering between sky and ground. Like mist there is the risk of love fading out or drifting away. Love can also feel like being gently wakened by sunlight, that warms and perhaps reveal something that has been hidden or forgotten.

As is often the case with Sill's songs this one has many associations to formulations and ideas in the Bible. The song begins with a reference to the beginning of the Bible and indeed the biblical version of the very beginning of the world. In Genesis 1:2 the “spirit” of God is moving over the face of a dark water, but as many may know the Hebrew word “ruach” actually means wind or breath. Later on (in 2:5) God breaths life into the first human being. In the New Testament Jesus breaths on his disciples saying “Receive the Holy Spirit" (John 20:21-22). The “crystal choir” Sill mentions from her dream is reminiscent of the passage of Revelations 4-5 in the Bible where a group of strange heavenly creatures worship the “Lamb who was slain”, lighting incense on “a sea of glass, clear as crystal” and singing “a new song”.

Sill's song is sad, describing the longing for something that cannot be. After mentioning the dream of “breathing like one” in perfect union beyond death Sill goes on asking the shimmering memory of a crying dying star to show her how to fly. Thus reminding me of T.S. Eliot's “This is the way the world ends, not with a bang but with a whimper” (The Waste Land). A kiss can be like a falling star, exploding in a moment of radiant splendour. While actually short as a sigh a kiss sometimes evokes spectacular feelings and anticipations of eternal bliss.

I think the song is summoned up in the passage “promise me this and only this”: while taking love for what it is Sill understands that much of the indispensable joy of love can be reached only by being somewhat unrealistic and childish.

Just watched this on tv (Old Grey Whistle test) last night. I was standing there at the ironing board with the iron in my hand and I was completely bowled over. Stunning. Why have I never heard of this artist before? She is amazing. She lived and died and I never heard of her...

A truly beautiful song, so wonderful I would consider this to be played at my funeral. Judee had such a sad and tragic life - and all I can say Judee you are a very talented star and may you rest in peace.

I agree with Spurs1952 and most of the above comments. I've just re-rediscovered her thanks to the BBC Radio 4 documentary of Sept 9th 2014. This is the track that haunts me. On the programme Andy Partridge of XTC, a huge Judee Sill fan, had to stop the playing of this track as it was "too beautiful" He was crying on air.

In her preface to this song on her BBC recording, Judee said that the song was about melding of opposites. I am still sorting this out in my head. So much mentioned here seems to ring true. Judee seemed to consistently have deep Christian references, particularly Catholic, mixed with cosmic references that hedged toward the esoteric occult. She often sang of being let down in the past, but still hopeful that she would be rescued.

Nice job with the other comments. Bringing up the word “ruach” pleasantly surprised me and it is the crux of the song- God’s Spirit moving into a believer’s body. The celestial references are not occultish- but a cool way of representing heavenly beings like angels. My guess is the dying nova is referring to Jesus giving himself up on the cross so we can “fly” or be alive. We are listening to a true spiritual song- not a peck on the cheek. I drop her name whenever I can to allow others the benefits of her music.