The Golden Compass | Hear Kate Bush’s ‘Lyra’ | His Dark Materials

Hear Kate Bush’s ‘Lyra’

Posted by Will on November 23, 2007 at 5:29 am

BBC Radio 6 played last night Kate Bush’s song Lyra, which is to be played over the end-credits of The Golden Compass. You can listen to the song at the BBC (44 mins 20 seconds in), or right here:

Kate Bush - Lyra (download)

Thanks to Kate Bush News. Here’s the lyrics for the song too:

Where are our lives
If there is no dream
Where is our home

We don’t know how
There will be a way
Out of this storm
We will find home

And her soul walks beside her
An army stands behind her
Lyra, Lyra

And her face full of grace
Two worlds collide around her
The truth lies deep inside her
Lyra, Lyra

And the stars look down upon her
This darkness settles on her
Lyra, Lyra

Who’s to know what’s in the future
We hope we will be with her
We have all our love to give her
O Lyra, Lyra

Bruce says:

bad song lol… desplats soundtrack is way better. lyrics are bad too. I don’t normally listen to lyrics, but because the music is so bad I’m forced to listen to the lyrics which I don’t like.

November 23, 2007 6:59 am | link

daemon_light says:

I personally liked it… it’s better than Avril Lavigne. It is a bit repetative, but at least it is still pretty. I liked it a lot! I think it will go along with the film very smoothly… probably the most smoothly since Lord of the Rings. I think Eragon and Narnia (especially Eragon) haven’t had very much luck with the songs smoothly incorporated into the film.

November 23, 2007 8:07 am | link

Megann says:

Yeah, it’s not working for me- I’m in Canada, not the UK. Is there any way somebody could post the song apart from this??

November 23, 2007 8:11 am | link

Chris Williams says:

Here’s a link to the real player, without all the DMCA “jump only 5 and 15 min and no rewind” nonsense. It allows you to scroll:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/aod/shows/rpms/6music/6m_roundtable.rpm

Someone has also put it up on YouTube with footage of the film:

http://nl.youtube.com/watch?v=6-jOEb0rN3Q

November 23, 2007 8:34 am | link

Brian says:

I was hoping for something more along the lines of Enya’s “May It Be” for LOTR, but it was pretty enough. Repetitive and a bit generic, but a nice sentiment that summed up the story. I especially love the lyric “two worlds collide around her”…

November 23, 2007 10:07 am | link

Jamie Sutherland says:

It wasn’t awful, but a bit weird, as per most of Kate Bush’s songs; but maybe, like them, this grows on you. Personally, I thought it seemed like lazy song writing. It was repetitive, with very child-like lyrics.

Daemon Light, it’s better than Avril Lavigne? Have I missed something? What has that got to do with anything, or were you just being purposefully random?

November 23, 2007 3:19 pm | link

Stuart says:

It’s a pretty enough filler to run under the credits, but hardly a classic Kate Bush track, and definitely not in the League of Cathy or Babushka. My guess is she probably ran it off in half an hour and got paid ridiculous amounts of money.

Fortunately it has no impact whatsoever on the movie itself (at least I hope not) so any further comment is really superfluous.

November 23, 2007 6:40 pm | link

bcroft919 says:

Not a huge Narnia fan (I’ve just seen the movie and know a bit about the books) but personally I loved Imogen Heap’s song that ran with the credits… Wish we would have gotten something along those lines… Kate’s song is wayyy to simple and a bit annoying after a while!

November 23, 2007 7:38 pm | link

Bettina says:

I’m a huge KB fan, and this is the 1st time she’s written a song specifically for a movie. I am disappointed, but will live.
Kate is just so much better when she feeds songs from her own imagination instead of somebody else’s. I read somewhere that she met with Pullman and (supposedly) has read his trilogy.

November 23, 2007 8:13 pm | link

Bettina says:

Ooops, got kicked out. I guess she could have done better, having met with the author - and probably having seen tons of footage or even a rough cut of the finished movie.

November 23, 2007 8:16 pm | link

Lyra&Pan says:

daemon_light: What has Avril Lavigne to do with it ?

God it’s awful !! I simply hate it !! I expected something better from Kate bush… I always thought Coldplay wouldn’t be good, but they can make better than [i]that[/i]..

November 23, 2007 8:21 pm | link

Gareth says:

I really like it! I think it suits really well, certainly captures the mood of the books for me anyway. I quite often like music that hardly anyone else likes…

November 23, 2007 9:27 pm | link

john [2] says:

yeah not too fond of this :s
hmmmmmm … a bit “im going to google rhyming words to do with lyra, and wahtever else i want in this song”
.. like rhyming for the sake of rhyming . a do not like .
they shuda got imogen heap to do it, like she did for narnia . shes the best . even funnier, they cuda done an other-world version of kate nash or lily allen [to sing]

wuda bin bare good

hmmmm bt i guess kate bushs reminds me a little of the lotr song .. bt its just a bit .. bland? doesnt hold any spirit within it . oh, i rhymed! perhaps i should write the song for it
xx

November 23, 2007 9:30 pm | link

katherine says:

i think a band like sigur ros, anathallo, maybe even like bjork or the secret machines or doves or something.. i think they could’ve done something at least a little more attention-grabbing. i’m usually drawn to different-sounding songs.. but this one’s just too dull. i’m not a huge fan of kate bush to begin with, but i dunno, i expected a little more than this. :\

oh well, i guess it’s not that big of a deal, truth be told, hahaha.

November 23, 2007 11:00 pm | link

pan_fan says:

this sucks…a lot. its making me feel depressed. imogen heap was so much better when she sang for the narnia film. and the lyrics suck. and its just dreadful. eew. why cant coldplay do it???? it would be soooooo much better.

November 23, 2007 11:56 pm | link

Kyrillion says:

Sucks rather. I was expecting something like ‘Northern! Northern! Northern Lights! Iorek, it’s me, it’s Lyra I’ve come hoooome now…’

November 24, 2007 12:01 am | link

Tara says:

Not a fan. The lyrics aren’t great and while Kate’s voice is pleasing enough, it has very little structure and an unusual. airy rhythm. It also doesn’t grow, in that it sounds exactly the same all the way through - the sound doesn’t build or become more layered, it’s pretty much just her voice. As a result, it’s not a song you can sing along with or tap your foot to, and the melody is nice but entirely forgettable. In a word, it’s boring. I’m a bit disappointed, given the rumours that we could have had a Coldplay tune.

November 24, 2007 12:08 am | link

Wiezel says:

Wake up everybody! Coldplay wouldn’t do a better song. It will sound a pop that much. You are all expecting something more, and more…
The music is good. The movie won’t be powerful than LOTR, but it hope from TGC something more than Narnia’ trash.
I read the three books in 2000. I am a big fan.

November 24, 2007 1:26 am | link

Amy G. says:

Music-wise, like “Into The West” from LOTR, I think it’s perfectly appropriate for the credits sequence. If taken in context, after all the action and intensity of the last few scenes, it would be nice to have something soothing like this to listen to so I could afford to think about what I saw. The lyrics are a little too on-the-nose, but it’s easily forgivable.

I’m kind of glad it wasn’t Coldplay, actually. It would pull me out of the movie experience to leave the theatre with a rock song/ballad…

November 24, 2007 1:30 am | link

holl says:

god bjork wouldve been fantastic katharine!

i dont think its that bad…bit lazy but beats enya anyday

November 24, 2007 2:09 am | link

Amy T. says:

Kyrillion said: “Sucks rather. I was expecting something like â€˜Northern! Northern! Northern Lights! Iorek, itâ€™s me, itâ€™s Lyra Iâ€™ve come hoooome nowâ€¦â€™”

Hahaha! Wuthering heights! This cracked me up, thanks.

November 24, 2007 3:53 am | link

daemon_light says:

Shout out to Jamie!!

I was refering to Avril Lavigne making a song for Eragon… haha, that probably seemed really random.

November 24, 2007 4:19 am | link

daemon_light says:

Oh that last post is for for Lyra&Pan too…

Again, about the song, I think that it is not terribly inventive (especially for Kate Bush.) But I think it will work nicely, and its not the end of the world.

November 24, 2007 4:23 am | link

Chris Williams says:

This is actually the third song Kate has written specifically for a film. The first was “This Woman’s Work” for the John Hughes film “She’s Having A Baby”, and the second was for Disney’s “Dinosaur” but it was not in the final cut.

November 24, 2007 4:36 am | link

Greg Duncan says:

Honestly, even though I havent seen the movie, I can say that this song doesnt fit. It doesnt do too much for me, and hearing it, I was a bit disappointed. Lets just hope they come up with a different song.

November 24, 2007 5:32 am | link

Phil says:

It’s okay. Tolerable, but it doesn’t do too much for me. Like someone else mentioned, I think it would have a better impact after watching the movie. I think it might also benefit from not mentioning “Lyra” in almost every verse. Her voice suits it, though. I generally like anything, but some stuff just has to take some time to grow on me.

November 24, 2007 5:33 am | link

Nick says:

I think it should sound quite a bit better and more atmospheric at a higher bitrate.

The beginning of the song is great, but of course it is initially disappointing that it doesn’t grow into anything. It is not quite as good as songs from Aerial were, but it will suit the end-titles well — I’m sure the main theme from the soundtrack will play there aswell, so a more tantric song like this provides an agreeable contrast.

November 24, 2007 10:02 am | link

Nick says:

If you get over the ‘boring and bland’- feeling, analyse a bit less, and just let the music flow, this is actually a genius song. I’m liking it already — it grows on you.

However, with these kinds of songs, a clear and clean background is important in creating the atmosphere, so the crappy bitrate wrecks it. The background does develop during the song… so it is actually not the same from start to finish.

November 24, 2007 10:07 am | link

Cvalda says:

The lyrics are rather weak, especially for someone as brilliant as Kate to have written them. It’s like she wrote them in two minutes because they paid her. Ditto for the song itself.
But her vocals are great, and it’s beautiful overall. Sounds like a lost cut from ‘Aerial’. And WTF is with people saying it doesn’t “fit the film”? It’s mysterious and has a choir - what did you expect it to be? A guitar rock power ballad?! It fits perfectly.

November 24, 2007 11:35 am | link

Nick says:

I always thought this song would be good for the third movie: http://youtube.com/watch?v=8Urz2NFjZpg

Relive the old sin of Adam and Eve
Of you and me
Forgive the adoring beast

November 24, 2007 12:48 pm | link

sava says:

I think its a bloody fantastic job if I say so myself!!!

Kate is a true artist through and through her work develops like a painters painting and I really believe this song captures a warm, relaxing mood along side conveying a story, after all it’s also for a childrens film!

Whats everybody want F*** this and that, bang bang bang music? Thats for artist who can not think of anything better to write or say.

Kate Bush is supreme of all singer song writers artist.

An amazing wonderful classic! Good on Kate B!!

November 24, 2007 7:05 pm | link

Matt says:

I can’t believe some of you people, Coldplay could do better?! Have you heard any Kate Bush before? She’s one of the most critically acclaimed british female artists ever!

Personally I think this is an amazing song in the context of the movie, some of you are forgetting this is an end credits song, not some catchy pop song. The generic comments just don’t cut it with me either, this is typical Kate Bush, doing her own thing, the song has a nice ambiance about it, i can imagine it fitting perfectly into place…

I can’t think of anything worse than a boring rock band like Coldplay doing a track to a mystical, deep fantasy movie! Well… maybe Avril Lavigne could be worse

November 24, 2007 8:42 pm | link

Gareth says:

This is written and produced to compliment the end credits after Lyra’s story. In that context it works very well. Kate Bush has written every type of song and has had dozens of chart hits - this really is deliberate subtle soundtrack material though. Excellent vocal.

November 24, 2007 11:48 pm | link

pro says:

Whilst I will admit to being a fan of kate’s work since the 70’s - this song hasn’t grabbed me - but as another poster suggested - these things do grow on one and I can remember when ’suspended in gaffa’ was my least favourite song - now it’s on the top of my kate playlist.

I will reserve judgement myself until I give it some listens in a more real world context.

Perhaps kate had certain parameters to work and perhaps she isn’t completely the owner of the work in the end as far as residuals etc - so maybe that is a factor too. Better to keep your good ideas for your own albums.

November 25, 2007 5:47 am | link

Barbra says:

Kate is a babe with the coolest retro sounds around but this sounds almost maternal to me. I think we all really need to see the film now and find out where her energy for this came from. Have you guys heard the scary spooky Kate songs? I love the stories she tells in some of her more commercial stuff. The voice is always magical though.

November 25, 2007 5:58 am | link

LizetM says:

Me don’t like it.

It doesn’t grab me as Annie Lennox’s “Into the West Did”, now that’s a song!

November 26, 2007 10:43 am | link

jamie blue says:

i can’t believe u r all bitchin about kate bush she is sooooooooooooooooooooooooooo amazin! i must admit the song isn’t her gr8est but it’s still good… well much better than something coldplay, enya or friggin avril bloody whateva cud hav thrown 2getha! yayyyyyyyyyyy i luv it!

November 27, 2007 9:22 pm | link

Livvy says:

I am very sorry to say but I really am not a big fan of this song…. it really sucks and is very boring….

nah, I mean it is sorta ok except for the ‘face is full of grace’ line, that just annoyed the hell out of me… and WAY to repetative…

And I agree coldplay was totally wrong!!! I have to admit that I like ‘Nobody’s Home’ by Avril Lavigne but I HATE girlfriend *does fake straggaling* Arrggg!!!! It ranks along with ‘Umbrella’ as one of the worst songs in history

November 27, 2007 9:24 pm | link

DougieG says:

I find it to be gorgeous. Kate delivers such an impact of emotion with how the song was written and sang. The 12 piece boys choir from Oxford only add to this haunting track. I can’t understand how and why so many expect a rocker of a track for a motion picture. I’ll be many of you on this board have never even heard her music before. Give the album “The Dreaming” a try, or “Never for Ever.” There are many copy cats out there as musicians, but there is only one Kate Bush. Beautiful.

December 1, 2007 9:36 am | link

Newk says:

I was lucky enough to get tickets to the sneak preview, and believe me, this song is a zillion times better on a theatre’s surround sound system than it is on a little MP3 coming out of your tinny computer speakers.

Bush has a rich and beautiful voice and several people who were on their way out of the theatre during the credits came back in to listen to the song. The song sounds like it’s about to build up to some great crescendo - but doesn’t quite release all that energy … a bit like Lyra who is only a child, but rather a fresh one who contains the potential to tip the balance of all worlds one way or the other. At this point in the story her time hasn’t come yet.

Those simple lyrics tell Lyra’s whole story, the Grace with which she is able to read the alethiometer, the people who accept her leadership… look at them again more closely.

I am quite happy to have a song that is this subtle and beautiful and directly related to the movie instead of just another predictable ho-hum rock anthem.

-Newk

December 5, 2007 7:54 am | link

Noelle says:

I think this song was soothing and somewhat captivating when I heard it in the cinema but the version they have on the ost is a little disappointing.

December 12, 2007 3:23 pm | link

Steve says:

This track is completely awful. The lyrics sounds as if they were written by a child, and the only thing that comes close to saving it is the choir in the background (Magdalene College Oxford i think). Sounds as if zero thought went into it, and it ruined the end of the film for me. The producers had a beautiful and exciting orchestral score at their disposal, how did this rubbish get past so many trial screenings without someone saying its awful??? complete rubbish

December 12, 2007 9:04 pm | link

Steve says:

oh and Newk, no need to go back and look at the lyrics for “meaning”, its like she took keywords from the film and forced them into lines that rhymed with lyra. If you think these are good then i suggest you actually listen to some music. Just awful…..

December 12, 2007 9:09 pm | link

Pop Candy - Episode 3 « Where She Stops, Nobody Knows says:

[…] and adjust it, but he inadvertently tuned to the Co-op station. He heard the unmistakable voice of Kate Bush and felt that at least he had been thrown a piece of driftwood tied to an old boat on a tumultuous […]

Trackback December 14, 2007 8:04 am | link

Kayne Archeron says:

the lyrics might be a bit simple, but if you ever read the books the tune would be hauntingly reminiscent of the end of Amber Spyglass

December 17, 2007 12:25 am | link

amordi says:

What are you all on about? Coldplay? Imogen Heap? That’s completely retarded, KB is perfect. Just like the song, it’s pretty and ambient and suits the movie so well.

Greg, are you being dim for the sake of it? How can you say it doesn’t fit when you haven’t even SEEN the movie? Don’t talk about things you have no idea about please. D:

Stop complaining. You’re a bunch of irritating whiners.

December 30, 2007 3:26 pm | link

dave says:

As rightly said someone,it is not the lead single of one of KB album. So for the credits of a fantasy movie it’s good enough.

Let’s not forget one thing this song doesn’t change the reputation (and a deserved one) of this attractive,talented and incredible woman. For those who would make the mistake to judge her through this sample, buy one of her albums (preferably an 1980-1985 one) and discover one of the most stunning voices and talent of rock’s history.

February 2, 2008 6:50 pm | link

B S says:

Why is everyone so serious. I was pleasantly to here the song at the end of the film and loved it. I new it was her from the fist note. Kate’s unique moving moody beautiful voice is great. The quality of her voice is superb and many artists are well influenced by her and consider her a rock goddess check out the cover versions.
The lyrics are simple but effective and again suit the film. I personally don’t like modern bands doing theme tunes to films set in the past or fantasy films. It just doesn’t go. Stick to James Bond.

February 4, 2008 3:54 am | link

Kat says:

At first, I didn’t really like it… But it DOES grow on you. Something about it is quite haunting, although I laughed in the theater when the credits first came up. Kate Bush’s voice is very distinctive, and personally - I love her sound. The Lyra over and over again…was what got me. But in another way, that makes it almost meditative.

February 4, 2008 7:48 am | link

Sven and Zoe says:

The song is beautiful and really reflects the feel of the movie. The song is bigger then the movie itself my dear critics. I am sorry to hear any bad feedback on this. This stuff is obviously to deep for some of you….! Nevermind. We love you Kate Bush. You are one of the brightest stars in this universe. xxx

February 12, 2008 5:21 am | link

Mikey says:

Seeing as Kate had only 10 days to write and record the song, I think she did bloody well. It is a lovely piece of music and perfect for the end credits.

March 6, 2008 9:46 pm | link

Angell says:

What can I say? I’ve been a Kate fan for - er, 30+ years, and didn’t happen upon this track until today when a friend emailed me about it.
The 30+ year thing doesn’t make me any kind of great authority and I certainly DON’T love everything she does - but I think this track is beautiful. I haven’t seen the film - yet - or read the books, but I do think it’s a beautifully produced piece of music. And of course her utterly unique voice would sound divine reading a telephone directory.
Not sure what I’m trying to say really but, for all of you critics, please do immediately buy The Kick Inside, Lionheart, Never for Ever, The Dreaming, The Sensual World (don’t bother with The Red Shoes), Hounds of Love & Aerial. She’s an awesome songwriter & performer. Anyone just discovering her through Lyra please buy and listen. And enjoy!!

March 30, 2008 3:21 am | link

Gery says:

Song & Kate are the perfect choice for this film! This said, WOW please try read between the lines of this production ! what a message for our children and yes we adults to! …mymindtwist.com…best regards, Gery

April 24, 2008 7:23 am | link

STRYKERMEYER says:

BEING A SOLID kATE DISCIPLE, I WOULD HAVE EXPECTED MORE DEPTH, i ADMIT I HAVEN’T SEEN THE MOVIE OR KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT IT, BEAUTIFUL? MAYBE, BUT BEIGE IT WAS! I CAN’T BELIEVE I SAID THAT, BUT, IT’S RAINING OUTSIDE AND THE SONG JUST DRIZZLED DOWN WITH IT! i LOVE YOU KATE!, DON’T GIVE UP YOUR PERSONAL STUFF,,,,OUR PERSONAL STUFF!

May 13, 2008 10:44 am | link

Hear Kate Bush’s ‘Lyra’

Posted by Will on November 23, 2007 at 5:29 am

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