KATE BUSH - ARMY DREAMERS

Released: September 22, 1980

Charts:  UK: #16 

“Army Dreamers” was released in 1980 as the third and final single from Kate Bush’s album “Never for Ever”. Marking a stylistic shift for Bush, the song is arranged as a waltz—an unusual choice for a pop single at the time—and it reached the UK Top 20 in October 1980. During the Gulf War in 1991, “Army Dreamers” was among nearly 70 songs temporarily banned from BBC airplay due to its anti-war themes. 

The song is written from the perspective of a mother grieving her young adult son, who has died during military manoeuvres rather than in active combat. Through her voice, Bush explores the quiet tragedies of peacetime military deaths and the emotional weight carried by parents who question whether they could have prevented their child from enlisting. The narrative reflects on how young people with limited opportunities may end up in the military simply because they see no other path, only to become casualties in a system that offers little guidance or support.

Although Bush sings in an Irish accent, she clarified in a 1980 interview that the song isn’t specifically about the conflict in Northern Ireland. She chose the accent for its traditional storytelling quality, noting that Irish folk songs often convey vulnerability and emotional depth. She also referenced the BFPO (British Forces Post Office) in the lyrics to make it clear the topic extended beyond Ireland, touching on places like Germany, where young soldiers were sometimes killed in training exercises. Her aim was not to criticize the military itself, but to mourn the senselessness of these preventable deaths.

The music video opens with a striking image: Bush blinks in time with the sound of a gun being cocked. Dressed in camouflage, she cradles a young boy as chaos erupts around her. Throughout the video she reaches toward the child as symbolic combat scenes unfold.