The Man with the Child in His Eyes

"The Man with the Child in His Eyes"
Single by Kate Bush
from the album The Kick Inside
B-side	"Moving"
Released	26 May 1978 (1978-05-26)
Format	7" vinyl
Recorded	June 1975 (1975-06), AIR Studios, London
Genre	Pop
Length	2:42 (Single mix) 2:40 (LP mix)
Label	EMI
Writer(s)	Kate Bush
Producer	Andrew Powell, David Gilmour
Kate Bush singles chronology
"Wuthering Heights" (1978) "The Man with the Child in His Eyes" (1978) "Them Heavy People" (1978)
Music sample "The Man with the Child in His Eyes"

"The Man with the Child in His Eyes" is a song by Kate Bush. It is the fifth track on her debut album The Kick Inside and was released as her second single in 1978.

Overview

Bush wrote the song when she was 13 and recorded it at the age of 16. It was recorded at AIR Studios, London in June 1975 under the guidance of David Gilmour. The song was Bush's second chart single in the United Kingdom where it reached number six in the summer of 1978. In the United States the single was released in December of the same year. It became her first single to reach the Billboard Pop Singles chart, peaking at number 85 early in 1979. Bush performed this song in her one appearance on Saturday Night Live, singing on a piano being played by Paul Shaffer.

The single version slightly differs from the album version. On the single, the song opens with the phrase "he’s here!" echoing, an effect added after the album was released..

According to the sheet music published in Musicnotes.com by EMI Music Publishing, the song is set in the time signature of common time, with a moderate tempo of 88 beats per minute. It is written in the key of E minor with Bush's vocal range spanning from B♯₃ to C₅.

In 2010, former radio and television presenter Steve Blacknell offered Kate Bush's original hand-written lyrics for the song for sale through music memorabilia website 991.com

Chart performance

Chart (1978)	Peak position
UK Singles Chart	6
Australian Singles Chart	22
Dutch Top 40	27
Dutch Single Top 100	23
Irish Singles Chart	3
New Zealand Singles Chart	36
US Billboard Pop Singles	85

Track listing

7" single (EMI 2806) (UK)

1. "The Man with the Child in His Eyes" (2:42)
2. "Moving" (3:06)

Cover versions

Scottish duo Hue & Cry released the song in their Violently EP in 1989. Dark Orange added "The Man with the Child in His Eyes" as a B-side to their "Sounds of Silence" single in 1992. It was also recorded by Natalie Cole for her 2006 album Leavin'. Australian singer and songwriter Tina Arena recorded the song in 2007 for her album Songs of Love & Loss. Lara Fabian covered this song on an acoustic album Every Woman In Me (2009) where she covers English-speaking women that inspired her during her musical career in many ways.