‘Rubberband Girl’ is a song written by Kate Bush. It was originally released as a single by EMI Records in the UK on 6 September 1993. Also released on her seventh album The Red Shoes. The song was subsequently also released as a single in the USA, on 7 December 1993.
Formats
‘Rubberband Girl’ was released in the UK as a 7″ single, a 12″ single picture disc, a cassette single and a CD-single. In the USA, the single appeared on CD only. A cassette single was also released in Canada.
All formats feature the lead track and the B-side Big Stripey Lie. On the 12″ single and some CD-singles, an extended mix of Rubberband Girl appeared. in the USA, the B-side was Show A Little Devotion instead of Big Stripey Lie.
Versions
There are four different versions of ‘Rubberband Girl’: the album version (which was also the single version) and an extended version, both released in September. A year later, a ‘U.S. remix’, credited to American DJ Eric Kupper, appeared as an extra track on the single release of And So Is Love. And in 2011, a re-recording of Rubberband Girl appeared on Bush’s album Director’s Cut.
Music video
Kate Bush actually recorded two different music videos for ‘Rubberband Girl’. The original video was also used in the movie The Line, The Cross and The Curve and features Kate dancing in a studio. For the USA, a different video was shot with Kate wearing sunglasses and singing the track, with scenes from the movie intercut.
Cover versions
‘Rubberband Girl’ was covered by The Five Mod Four, Goodknight Productions, Göteborgs Symfoniker, The Hounds Of Love and Matches.
Critical reception
When Kate returned in 1993, reviews of the lead single of The Red Shoes were positive but not ecstatic.
This is Bush at her most direct… rhythmic, almost raunchy workout with the occasional outburst of rock guitar, strange lyrics – and a wired vocal impression of said office accessory being stretched. It is also a very commercial rejoinder.
Alan Jones, Music Week, 28 August 1993
Perhaps a little too up tempo for my tastes – I prefer my Bush all dreamy and mysterious. A minus the drums… but it still has enough kookiness to draw me under. And she’s still the only artist for whom the word “kooky” isn’t an insult.
Everett True, Melody Maker, 11 September 1993
Kate about ‘Rubberband Girl’
I thought the original ‘Rubberband’ was… Well, it’s a fun track. I was quite happy with the original, but I just wanted to do something really different. It is my least favourite track. I had considered taking it off to be honest. Because it didn’t feel quite as interesting as the other tracks. But I thought, at the same time, it was just a bit of fun and it felt like a good thing to go out with. It’s just a silly pop song really, I loved Danny Thompson’s bass on that, and of course Danny (McIntosh)’s guitar.
Mojo (UK), 2011
Highest chart positions
Australia: 39
Germany: 65
Ireland: 17
Netherlands: 37
New Zealand: 32
UK: 12
USA: 88
Lyrics
See those trees
Bend in the wind
I feel they’ve got a lot more sense than me
You see I try to resist
A rubberband bouncing back to life
A rubberband bend the beat
If I could learn to give like a rubberband
I’d be back on my feet
A rubberband hold me trousers up
A rubberband ponytails
If I could learn to twang like a rubberband
I’d be a rubberband girl
A rubberband girl me
A rubberband girl me
Oh I wanna be a rubberband girl
When I slip out
Of my catapult
I gotta land with my feet firm on the ground
And let my body catch up
A rubberband bouncing back to life
A rubberband bend the heat
If I could learn to give like a rubberband
I’d be back on my feet
A rubberband hold me trousers up
A rubberband ponytails
If I could learn to twang like a rubberband
I’d be a rubberband girl
A rubberband girl me
A rubberband girl me
Oh I wanna be a rubberband girl
Give like a rubberband
Twang like a rubberband
Snap like a rubberband
Rub-a-dub-a-dub-a-dub
Rub-a-dub-a-dub
Rub-a-dub
One rubberband won’t keep you up
Two rubberbands won’t keep you up
Three rubberbands won’t keep you up
Here I go……(aDLib)
…. Yeah!
One rubberband won’t keep you up
Two rubberbands won’t keep you up
Three rubberbands won’t keep you up
Credits
Drums, percussion: Stuart Elliott
Bass: John Giblin
Guitar: Danny McIntosh
Tenor & Baritone Saxophone: Nigel Hitchcock
Trombone: Neil Sidwell
Trumpet: Paul Spong, Steve Sidwell
References
- Rubberband Girl. Wikipedia, retrieved 24 December 2014.
