“The Man with the Child in His Eyes“ is a song by Kate Bush….which is the fifth track on her debut album The Kick Inside….and was released as her second single, on the EMI label in 1978. Bush wrote the song when she was 13….then he recorded it at the age of 16 at AIR Studios, London, in June 1975….which was under the guidance of David Gilmour…..as she has commented that recording with a large orchestra at that age terrified her. The song was Bush’s second chart single in the United Kingdom….where it reached # 6 in the summer of 1978. In the United States the single was released in December of the same year. It became her first single to reach the Billboard pop singles chart….while peaking at # 85 early in 1979. Bush performed this song in her one appearance on Saturday Night Live, singing on a piano being played by Paul Shaffer….as seen in this video herewith.
The single version slightly differs from the album version. On the single, the song opens with the phrase “he’s here!” echoing….which was an effect added after the album was released.
In 2010, former radio and television presenter Steve Blacknell….who was Bush’s first boyfriend….offered the original hand-written lyrics for the song for sale through music memorabilia website 991.com. The lyrics were written “in hot pink felt tip”….while complete with Kate Bush’s own little pink circles in place of dots over the “I”‘s. The song received the Ivor Novello Award for “Outstanding British Lyric” in 1979.
