The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
You'll find me in a Berlin bar
In a corner brooding
You know that I go very quiet
When I'm listening to you
There's something special indeed
There's something special indeed
In all the places where I've seen you shine, boy
Something very real in how I feel, honey
It's in me
It's in me
And you know it's for real
Tuning in on your saxophone
Doo-bee-doo-bee-doo woo
The candle burning over your shoulder is throwing
Shadows from your saxophone, a surly lady in tremor
The stars that climb from her bowels
Those stars make towers on vowels
You'll never see that you had all of me
You'll never see the poetry you've stirred in me
Of all the stars I've seen that shine so brightly
I've never known or felt in myself so rightly
It's in me
It's in me
And you know it's for real
Tuning in on your saxophone
Doo-bee-doo-bee-doo woo
In a corner brooding
You know that I go very quiet
When I'm listening to you
There's something special indeed
There's something special indeed
In all the places where I've seen you shine, boy
Something very real in how I feel, honey
It's in me
It's in me
And you know it's for real
Tuning in on your saxophone
Doo-bee-doo-bee-doo woo
The candle burning over your shoulder is throwing
Shadows from your saxophone, a surly lady in tremor
The stars that climb from her bowels
Those stars make towers on vowels
You'll never see that you had all of me
You'll never see the poetry you've stirred in me
Of all the stars I've seen that shine so brightly
I've never known or felt in myself so rightly
It's in me
It's in me
And you know it's for real
Tuning in on your saxophone
Doo-bee-doo-bee-doo woo
Lyrics submitted by weezerific:cutlery
The Saxophone Song Lyrics as written by Kate Bush
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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As much as I like this song, no song should ever contain the word "bowels"
Ever.
This song is the young Kate Bush's homage to one of her idols - David Bowie. The song opens with "You'll find me in a Berlin bar......when I'm listening to you". This of course is a nod to Bowie who, at the time this song was written, was living in Berlin composing what would eventually be considered some of his finest work. "Tuning in on your saxophone" also alludes to Bowie in that he (Bowie) played the saxophone on all of his own songs. And in the final verse Kate expresses how much Bowie's music has meant to her and how it inspires her: "You'll never know that you had all of me/You'll never know the poetry you stirred in me/Of all the stars I've seen that shine so brightly/I've never known or felt in myself do rightly". Wonderfully subtle homage by Kate - she never states Bowie's name or makes it beyond obvious so it's like a coded message to the man recognized only by other Bowie-philes.
@Rickvee exactly what I thought having just heard this song for the first time and my partner telling me that the previous song on the album was written for Lindsay Kemp. That's how I came to be here reading your post in order to try and find out. David Bowie had the greatest influence on my life, a wonderful artist and human.
Incredible combination of Kate Bush's soothing, sensual voice, and a wild saxophone. The perfect mellow, lazy evening, lounging song.
"A surly lady in tremor / those stars that climb from her bowels / those stars make towers / of her vowels"
Some fans cringe here, saying these are facile and gauche lyrics.
I don't play saxophone myself, but I've played in a band next to a live sax. To me, this is a perfect description of the sexy tones of the instrument, which can sound like a deep female voice.
My only gripe with this song is that the sax part (played by Alan Skidmore) sounds rather canned. It should have been recorded to sound as sensual as the lyric suggests.
@bingoboy always felt it needed reverb