Synopsis

Kate Bush performs in a stark studio space filled with surreal figures representing different approaches to knowledge. Wearing a ballerina-inspired costume, she moves from a rigid, puppet-like seated dance to frantic roller-skating and theatrical gestures. Jesters, clowns, dunce figures, and bull-masked characters appear around her as the performance grows increasingly chaotic. The imagery mirrors the song's restless questions about learning, ambition, and the desire to gain wisdom without fully understanding its cost.

Factoids & Trivia

• The video was filmed in Studio Two at Abbey Road Studios in June 1981.

• "Sat in Your Lap" was released on June 21, 1981, as the first single from the still-in-progress album *The Dreaming*. It reached No. 11 on the UK Singles Chart.

• Bush described the song as being about the search for knowledge. She explained that the video used characters such as fools, jesters, and bulls to represent different aspects of that idea.

• The main costume was based on a ballerina's tutu, but it was given a Spanish and bullring-inspired flavor to match the song's character.

• One of the bull masks began life as a pink cow mask with eyelashes. Costume designer Pammy altered it by cutting it down and adding horns.

• The song's initial demo was recorded in September 1980 after Bush attended a Stevie Wonder concert. She drew on the energy of his music while developing the rhythm and piano pattern.

• The video reflects Bush's increasing control over her work during the *The Dreaming* period. The album was produced entirely by Bush, with "Sat in Your Lap" serving as an early indication of its more experimental direction.

• Bush discussed the video and displayed several of its props on the British children's television program *Razzmatazz* on July 14, 1981.