Kate Bush - Babooshka vs Rupert Holmes - Escape (The Piña Colada Song)

One song has an overly repetitive, cloying chorus, and the other song is about pina coladas. Kate Bush's lyrics are obviously a more sophisticated take on the topic, but The Pina Colada song is, well, fun and is smart enough to save the big surprise for the end.

A clear win for Rupert Holmes.

not unless he had a badass sword in the video for escape it isn't

I’d pick almost any song over “Babooshka”, and of necessary I’d pick almost any weapon over a sword

escape is rancid seventies moonlight trapped in a knotted condom and simmering in a clear channel landfill

Kate Bush's lyrics are obviously a more sophisticated take on the topic

This isn't obvious to me at all!

Even if she hadn't used "freezed" as the past tense of "freeze".

Growing up, both of these songs sounded like the exact opposite of what music should be. Even now I can't bring myself to vote for either one.

“babooshka” rules nerds

Yeah wtf

Man, Bush has some towering skyscrapers, but her 9/11 is when she gets music theatre corny

I listened to both songs this morning and wow is Pina Colada ever bad. Babooshka has gulped asides and lousy lines and the hook is terrible, but it gets my vote for the tumble-down-the-hill verse melody which is... well, it’s classic, even if this song is not

I’m listening to The Kick Inside for the first time today in... a decade? What a slept-on album! It’s incredible! nteresting to hear the exact antecedent for J Newsom’s latter-day vocal style too

Yeah wtf

Oh just to draw the line in the sand, here is a complete list of Kate Bush’s actually bad singles: “Army Dreamers”, “There Goes A Tenner”, “The Dreaming”. “Babooshka” and “Wow” are not bad maybe but definitely fourth tier

The only goofy single of hers I adore is “Suspended In Gaffa”— I really like “Rubberband Girl” too, though I know it’s contentious— my favourite non-Hounds single probably “The Sensual World”, “Breathing” is a runner up

do you mean "chosen wrongly as singles" or "bad songs chosen as singles"? Both?

I agree "There Goes a Tenner" was a wtf choice.

There Goes a Tenner is an amazing song, but yes bizarre choice for a single

I love all of those but The Dreaming is far and away my favourite work of hers.

I do like "Babooshka" a lot, btw, just not convinced that its lyrics are more sophisticated.

Cosign Suspended in Gaffa that song is great

I can’t assert they were the “wrong” choice for singles— they were singles, the decision was made to release them, I reserve words like right/wrong for situations where I’m making the decisions. I don’t like when Bush does affected accents. Overall, I find that her most admirable quality as an artist (her indefatigable artistic ambition and willingness to push her pop writing into the experimental forays that other artists simply cannot or will not attempt) also means that she whiffs as often as she grand slams. It’s hard for me to state a truth like “I never want to hear half the songs off The Dreaming again, ever, in my life” because the same reason why, say, “Get Out Of My House” is an admirable but unlistenable mess is also why “Sat In Your Lap” is a hairy perfect song that I would listen to on repeat all day if I could.

I still think that her crowning achievement was "Ken", the theme for The Comic Strip's GLC. Trenchant political commentary, the most incredible 1980s production, great vocal performance. It's monotonous, but sometimes you have to be persistent.

This is a tough one for me. I'd give "Babooshka" an edge on melody but I think "Escape" tells a better story. Counterpoint: the video for the former does feature She-Ra doing a sword dance.

This being ILM Babooshka will own this

escape poll

i just watched the episode of GBBO where the bakers had to make a cake based on their favorite drink, and half of them chose the pina colada. good flavors for a cake, but do people still drink these? seems very 80s to me.

the mst3k sketch where joel defends the song as a product of cultural trends is one of my favorite on that show.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBeKaR-IOrA

anyway, i vote babooshka. certainly not the best of kate bush, but i still like it.

Ha. Well, I don't think "Escape" is necessarily as unambiguously rosy as they're suggesting. Even Holmes thought the couple would have some chagrin as they tried to rekindle their relationship:

When asked what happens to the couple, Rupert told us, "I like to think that they looked at each other with chagrin and realized that before either one of them runs off to find some fantasy that probably doesn't exist in reality, they might reinvestigate their own relationship because there's a lot there they haven't yet explored. I think it's a happy ending with a footnote. They both are a little shocked, but neither can point the finger too hard at the other because they both were willing to try a new relationship and happily, their possible indiscretion led them to each other again."

(from Songfacts)

And they didn't know these things about each other because they are fantasies; they're not making love in the dunes of the cape every weekend or even drinking piña coladas in front of the TV after work. (The implication of the piña colada is that they're fantasizing about a tropical vacation, something the couple probably hasn't done in decades.)

If anything, I find "Babooshka" harder to understand. Why did the guy think he was receiving scented letters from some exotic woman with a grandmother's name? The wife was somehow able to disguise herself so well (as a sexy younger woman, no less) that her husband didn't recognize her? That said, the surrealism of the narrative is part of what I like about it.

the fuck is this

sorry sund4r, you know i like and respect you. didn't realize this was your poll at first.

but come on, kate bush is kate bush.

Used to think “Escape” was crepey, but than I decided he was taking a sophisticated look at this sort of thing. Just listened to “Babooshka.” Will ponder a while.

ok, babooshka just came on at my coffee shop

sorry sund4r, you know i like and respect you. didn't realize this was your poll at first.

but come on, kate bush is kate bush.

And Rupert Holmes is Rupert Holmes.

and I am Spartacus

If you know Spanish there’s a 70’s song called “Ramito de Violetas” which has been covered in different genres (personal favorite being the electrocumbia version from the 90’s by “ Mi Banda el Mexicano, since its a fun staple to play in parties) and could easily fit with these two songs theme wise.

Songs is about a failing marriage where the wife begins to receive love letters from a stranger who turns out to be his husband. He never says anything because it makes her happy to have a secret admirer.

and I am Spartacus

"Escape" is a better lyric, maybe even a good lyric? I like that the characters in it have weirdly awful nouveau riche tastes

Right, the lyric is gently mocking the characters’s romantic pretensions, or so it would seem.

I sang Escape at my 30th wedding anniversary party so I've got to vote for it. I have to say though the more I listened to it, the more it's plodding beat irritated me. Still better than Babooshka though.

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

Went with "Escape" in the end.

any chance I get to vote against Kate Bush, I will take

that's more offensive than anything i remember gabbneb posting

any chance I get to vote against Kate Bush, I will take

your hate makes Kate Bush stronger

How does she stack up next to Paul Simon?

these two, alongside Bjork, make up the Troika of the Unduly Burdensome

God being 1000% rong is a helluva drug

skimread this thread and my god the challops

skimread this thread and my god the challops

...

There Goes a Tenner is an amazing song

agreed

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

Fair enough