‘π’ is a song written by Kate Bush. Originally released on her eighth studio album Aerial in 2005. The song described a man who has “a complete infatuation with the calculation of π”. She actually sings the number to its 78th decimal place, then from its 101st to its 137th decimal place. The difference between the two works out like this:

Real Pi: 3.
1415926535    8979323846    2643383279    5028841971   6939937510
5820974944    5923078164    0628620899    8628034825   3421170679
8214808651    3282306647    0938446095    5058223172   5359408128

Kate Bush Pi: 3.
1415926535    8979323846    2643383279    5028841971   6939937510
5820974944    5923078164    06286208
8214808651    3282306647    0938446095    5058223

The song was used in an episode of the American series The Simpsons.

Cover versions

‘Pi’ was covered by Anne Sofie Von Otter and Brooklyn Rider and Göteborgs Symfoniker.

Kate about ‘Pi’

I really like the challenge of singing numbers, as opposed to words because numbers are so unemotional as a lyric to sing and it was really fascinating singing that. Trying to sort of, put an emotional element into singing about…a seven…you know and you really care about that nine. I find numbers fascinating, the idea that nearly everything can be broken down into numbers, it is a fascinating thing; and i think also that we are completely surrounded by numbers now, in a way that we weren’t you know even 20, 30 years ago we’re all walking around with mobile phones and numbers on our foreheads almost; and it’s like you know computers…
I suppose, um, I find it fascinating that there are people who actually spend their lives trying to formulate pi; so the idea of this number, that, in a way is possibly something that will go on to infinity and yet people are trying to pin it down and put their mark on and make it theirs in a way I guess also i think you know you get a bit a lot of connection with mathematism and music because of patterns and shapes…

Ken Bruce show, BBC Radio 2, 31 October 2005

Lyrics

Sweet and gentle and sensitive man
With an obsessive nature and deep fascination
For numbers
And a complete infatuation with the calculation
Of π

Oh he love, he love, he love
He does love his numbers
And they run, they run, they run him
In a great big circle
In a circle of infinity

3.14159 26535897932
3846 264 338 3279

Oh he love, he love, he love
He does love his numbers
And they run, they run, they run him
In a great big circle
In a circle of infinity
But he must, he must, he must
Put a number to it

50288419 716939937510
582319749 44 59230781
6406286208 8214 80865132

Oh he love, he love, he love
He does love his numbers
And they run, they run, they run him
In a great big circle
In a circle of infinity

82306647 0938446095 505 8223…

Credits

Drums: Stuart Elliott
Bass: Eberhard Weber
Guitar: Dan McIntosh
Keyboards: Kate
Additional Vocals: Lol Creme

References