Big Stripey Lie

This is one of those songs that will, ultimately, prove very difficult to cover by another artist as it is, in a way, the kind of song that only Kate Bush could create. Does that make sense? Anyhow...

As for the meaning, it appears that it might be about...hmm...I just don't know. It is certainly filled with thought provoking concepts, images, etc., but it seems to be more concerned with creating an overall mood, of despair, loss, wanting, fear, loathing, than anything else.

"Big Stripey Lie" is one of my favorite Kate Bush songs, but mostly because it challenges me so much. Actually, the entire song reminds me of an acid trip. On one hand, I feel that, by saying that, I'm diminishing the song to the level of, "Wow, man, that's a freaky song"; but, in another sense, I do feel that, with her references to the activities of preternatural agents, loose animals, and that "big, stripey lie" which, for some reason, becomes a big, stripey line similar to those that I "saw" in the acid trips of my realm of experience, I might not be too far off the mark.

Also, regardless of what the official lyric sheet says about this song, I know that I hear, "Evil can be good for you!"

IMHO...

why is love so difficult?....it is sacred...idealistic...but people don't acknowledge that....instead they subscribe to superficial aspects of relationships....cheating....deception....coming up behind....BIG STRIPEY LIES

I would guess this is the difficulties in a relationship which is being compared to a jungle and animals. The Lie is treated like an actual animal in itself. It's a big predator but it's camoflaged. Kind of like a tiger. If you don't look out, that thing that has been skulking in the undergrowth is going to jump out from behind and get you.

Presuming that the lie is coming from a man who has been cheating on his partner. He tells her that he only wants to be good to her and that he wouldn't hurt her. He might swear on such things like the Bible that he is honest and he might even proclaim in a pompous manner (who me?) - that he would never cheat. Nevertheless he is a lying hypocrite.

He uses other lies/animals out there to distract from the big stripey lie. Nevertheless the little lies/waves will soons scatter if she sees the truth and realise what he is doing.

It seems to me that she's trying to help and befriend and even defend a youngster, someone who's just had a huge disillusion and i now very frail and disbelieving and helpless. She's also trying to show that person his/her potential in leanring from that experience and trying to open his/her eyes to certain aspects of spirituality ("your name is being called...trumpets")

This song suggests crisis and betrayal. A big stripey lie is coming up like a Tsunami to blow one away... The lie is big, like it's social, political, conspiratorial... Maybe Life itself is the lie... It promises so much that is phoney... The betrayal unleashes a wild-animal confusion as the 'cage' (the stable personality structure) is blown away... The terror of a night-frightened child is met with gentle reassurance... And maybe the idea of a mute, unmoved Sacred Destiny can still the mind... HELLO EARTH saw the birth of the storm; and here, Kate-the-lifebuoy tries to bring a reassuring calm, to make all those waves run away... Mmm, run away...

I wonder if KB is referring to Sylvia Plath's 'Tulips' in Big Stripey Lie... ?

The tulips should be behind bars like dangerous animals; They are opening like the mouth of some great African cat... 'Tulips' by Sylvia Plath, 1965

Oh my God it's a jungle in here You've got wild animals loose in here...

The 'wild animals' could represent a jungle of flowers, their gaping petals stretched out, "opening like the mouth of some great African cat"... Indeed, maybe the song has a clinical setting, like visiting a patient in an acute psychiatric unit... A Black-eyed Susan and A Black-eyed dog of depression... The 'big stripey lie moving Like a wavy line' could even refer to an electrocardiogram... The 'Don't want to hurt you' could represent the concern of a friend, relative or psychiatric nurse. It sounds desperate and frightening in the song because it is being heard by a desperate and frightened patient... Psychotic, Paranoid and Sunburnt...

KB: "[Big Stripey Lie] took on the shape of wandering into someone's emotional world which is jungle-like and 'wild'."

One Flew East and One Flew West And One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest...

Does anyone else think the chorus is the Big Stripey Lie?

"Don't want to hurt you baby I only want to help you I could be good for you"

To me this song just reveals and opens up the reality of chaos, life itself consists of. Growing up we believe in harmony, peace, health, welfare and so on. Then at one point it becomes clear to us that our dreams and goals keep us on our path, while behind, beside and in front of us all kind of energies have their own impact. Our concept of life so far turns out to be a very naive concept. Accepting and addapting to this will help you further. But before you reach this point, well, it all comes down to your mental and emotional stabilty, I guess. This is what the song says to me. All matters of life that seem harmless and innocent can be harmful and dangerous at the same time? And love is one of the most powerful emotions. Be it positive or negative.