Synopsis

Kate Bush appears as a spiritual fetus suspended inside a womb-like space while the world outside is threatened by nuclear destruction. Surrounded by liquid, light, smoke, and abstract imagery, she reacts to the terror of radiation and the possibility of life being poisoned before birth. The video moves between intimate images of the unborn child and scenes suggesting catastrophe, then shifts toward release as the baby emerges from the womb. Its dreamlike visual language turns the song's anti-nuclear message into a haunting meditation on life, fear, and survival.

Factoids & Trivia

• Kate Bush described the central figure as both a baby in the womb and a spiritual being, rather than a literal fetus.

• The video was made as a visual interpretation of the song's nuclear-fallout narrative. Bush wanted the imagery to remain abstract instead of presenting a straightforward disaster story.

• For the womb sequences, Bush was placed inside three transparent inflatable structures. Oxygen was pumped into the enclosure, but the plastic steamed up during filming and had to be opened so that air could circulate.

• The production took two days: one day for the studio material and another for the underwater and closing sequences, which involved friends and other participants.

• Bush later singled out "Breathing" as one of the few videos from her early career with which she was genuinely satisfied, saying that the song's strong story made it easier to visualize.

• The song was released as the lead single from the 1980 album *Never for Ever*. Bush regarded it as one of her most important compositions and described the recording as her "little symphony."

• The song's atmosphere was partly influenced by Pink Floyd's *The Wall*, particularly its darker, war-related mood.

• The video was included on Bush's 1983 compilation *The Single File* and later appeared on home-video collections documenting her music videos.