‘Kashka From Baghdad’ is a song written by Kate Bush, dating back to 1976. It was released on Kate’s second album Lionheart. The recording features Paddy Bush playing the strumento da porco.

Versions

The studio version is the only officially released version. However, a demo version of ‘Kashka From Baghdad’ has also surfaced. It appears on the bootleg 7″ single Cathy Demos Volume Two and various bootleg CD’s.

Performances

Kate performed ‘Kashka From Baghdad’ live on the piano on Ask Aspel, a TV show broadcast by the BBC in 1978. The song was also included in the setlist for the Tour of Life.

Cover versions

‘Kashka From Baghdad’ was covered by Yuri Kono and the Plunging Necklines.

Kate about ‘Kashka From Baghdad’

That actually came from a very strange American Detective series that I caught a couple of years ago, and there was a musical theme that they kept putting in. And they had an old house, in this particular thing, and it was just a very moody, pretty awful serious thing. And it just inspired the idea of this old house somewhere in Canada or America with two people in it that no-one knew anything about. And being a sorta small town, everybody wanted to know what everybody what else was up to. And these particular people in this house had a very private thing happening.

Personal Call, BBC Radio 1, 1979

Lyrics

Kashka from Baghdad
Lives in sin, they say,
With another man,
But no one knows who

Old friends never call there
Some wonder if life’s
Inside at all
If there’s life inside at all

But we know the lady who rents the room
She catches them calling a la lune

At night they’re seen
Laughing, loving
They know the way
To be happy

They never go for walks.
Maybe it’s because
The moon’s not bright enough
There’s light in love, you see

I watch their shadows,
Tall and slim,
In the window opposite.
I long to be with them

‘Cause when all the alley-cats come out,
You can hear music from Kashka’s house

At night
They’re seen
Laughing,
Loving
They know
The way
To be
Happy

“Watching every night
Don’t you know they’re seen?
Won’t you let me laugh?
Let me in your love

“Watching every night
Don’t you know they’re seen?
Won’t you let me laugh?
Let me in your love

“Watching every night
Don’t you know they’re seen?
Won’t you let me laugh?
Let me in your love

“Watching every night.
Don’t you know they’re seen?
Won’t you let me laugh?”

Credits

Drums: Charlie Morgan
Bass: Del Palmer
Piano: Kate Bush
Harmonies, strumento da porco, mandocello, panpipes: Paddy Bush
Joanna strumentum: Andrew Powell
Percussion: Stuart Elliott