- Song
“Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God)” by Kate Bush
Hounds of Love (1989)
For me, it’s all about those drums that kick off Kate Bush’s gender-swapping tale with a heady rush. And of course, there are Bush’s inimitable voice and lyrics — “Is there so much hate for the ones we love?” is a particularly devastating line — which find the song’s protagonist trying to make the titular deal to swap places with her lover so they can better understand each other and finally live in peace.
The opening track from 1989’s Hounds of Love is arguably Bush’s best-known song, and the fact that it — and Bush’s bank account — got a boost after appearing in an iconic scene in Stranger Things’ fourth season feels like a just reward given her long and storied career.