SONG OF THE WEEK!!!

“Running up that Hill” by Placebo. This is actually a song of British singer/songwriter Kate Bush originally titled this track “A Deal with God” from her album Hounds of Love released in 1985. The song has a more techno dance club sound including synthesized instrumentals and her vocal track running through a great deal of filterings and effects but what else can you except from the 80's. Kate Bush was quoted saying:

“I was trying to say that, really, a man and a woman can't understand each other because we are a man and a woman. And if we could actually swap each other's roles, if we could actually be in each other's place for a while, I think we'd both be very surprised! And I think it would lead to a greater understanding. And really the only way I could think it could be done was either... you know, I thought a deal with the devil, you know. And I thought, 'well, no, why not a deal with God!' You know, because in a way it's so much more powerful the whole idea of asking God to make a deal with you. You see, for me it is still called "Deal with God", that was its title. But we were told that if we kept this title that it would not be played in any of the religious countries, Italy wouldn't play it, France wouldn't play it, and Australia wouldn't play it! Ireland wouldn't play it, and that generally we might get it blacked purely because it had God in the title” 
Here is the original version:

Placebo debuted their cover of this song on their album Sleeping with Ghosts in 2003 and also on Meds in 2006.  Their cover of this song also made an appearance on The Vampire Diaries Soundtrack along with other TV shows and movies including From Paris with Love. “Q” magazine described their version as ‘sounding more like a deal with the Devil than the original ‘deal with God’.

Soothing and haunting. It really does sound like a deal with the Devil. It grooves, slides and gives you a sensation you won’t soon forget like someone is creeping up behind you lurking in the shadows. The lyrics are powerful, slamming and sleek while being somewhat philosophical and spiritual. This is the tune hummed by the monster under your bed. Awesomely devastating and eerie vocal line swim in your ears manipulating and maneuvering itself into your soul, a raucous and deliciously twisted groove that you can sink your teeth into. Rooted in the great human truth that “You’ll never know what it’s like to be me.”

~C