‘This Woman’s Work’: The Kate Bush song that became an anthem of social and political injustice
Many songs become used repeatedly in film and television, but when Kate Bush wrote ‘This Woman’s Work’ for John Hughes’ romantic comedy film She’s Having a Baby, it was a real game-changer. Originating from a somewhat tongue-in-cheek context, this song has evolved into a symbol of societal empowerment, reaffirming Bush’s standing once again as a trailblazer in the powerful movement for widespread justice.
The lyrics of ‘This Woman’s Work’ delve into the intense experience of confronting a sudden and alarming childbirth crisis, penned initially for Hughes during the film’s climactic scene. In this poignant moment, Jake (Kevin Bacon) discovers that the lives of his wife, Kristy (Elizabeth McGovern), and their unborn child are in danger. The song accompanies a gripping montage of happier memories, flashbacks, and dramatic moments.
“This is actually the moment in the film where [Jake] has to grow up. He has no choice,” Bush explained in a 1989 BBC interview. “There he is, he’s not a kid anymore; you can see he’s in a very grown-up situation. And he starts, in his head, going back to the times they were together. There are clips of film of them laughing together and doing up their flat and all this kind of thing. And it was such a powerful visual: it’s one of the quickest songs I’ve ever written. It was so easy to write. We had the piece of footage on video, so we plugged it up so that I could actually watch the monitor while I was sitting at the piano and I just wrote the song to these visuals.”
In truth, Bush’s lyrics are so exceptionally universal in this song that they become relevant to various significant pop culture moments, providing the perfect song for moments of complete intensity. While the song is entirely fitting with the scene in She’s Having a Baby, it’s since been used as a poignant way of enhancing the struggles within the narratives of different protagonists.
For instance, the song features in the second season of The Handmaid’s Tale during a chilling opening sequence where June (Elisabeth Moss) and several other Handmaids come to the grim realisation that they are facing execution. As each woman is forcibly led towards a noose, Bush’s hauntingly tender vocals echo in the scene, transforming it from deeply sad to completely devastating.
“This woman’s world /Oh, it’s hard on the man,” Bush sings, commenting on a society that has become upended, holding an inherent structure that is harder on the men, even though, in reality, it’s considerably harder by a country mile for the women. While this clever interplay of lyrics and juxtaposition was not a concept Bush had necessarily anticipated during the 1980s, her ability to step into another’s shoes speaks volumes about her empathy as an artist.
Aside from also appearing in It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, among other comedies and dramas, the usage of ‘This Woman’s Work’ in recent years has often been a technique for elevating the fight for justice. This may have been triggered by Maxwell’s version of the song, which evolved into a protest anthem and a symbol of social change, highlighted during his live shows with visuals depicting lives lost, often due to police violence.
The song’s significance was further emphasised when used in the series Shots Fired, addressing racism and police brutality, and in Spike Lee’s She’s Gotta Have It, reflecting themes of gentrification and racial tensions. In both contexts, the song conveyed the exhaustion and trauma of witnessing recurring tragedies and the ongoing struggle of a black woman.
It makes sense, therefore, as to why ‘This Woman’s Work’ hugely complements The Handmaid’s Tale, a series portraying an America with an unavoidably bleak future. The song’s use in this show, alongside many others, underscores the constant threat or fear of social injustice that looms over the oppressed while emphasising the enduring struggle for hope and the chance of liberation. In essence, ‘This Woman’s Work’ is an ode to all those who have struggled, each amid an ongoing societal effort that never truly concludes.
