I don’t pay as much attention as I should to Kate Bush lyrics, despite Paul Cornell’s eager evangelizing of her SFnal credentials. My thanks, therefore, to Ian McDonald, for pointing out to me that my favorite song off 50 Words for Snow is in fact a time travel story.

Music has always been eligible for the Hugos. In 1971 Paul Kantner was nominated in Best Dramatic Presentation for the concept album, Blows Against the Empire, which he made with Grace Slick and other musicians who would eventually form Jefferson Starship. A Firesign Theater recording also made the ballot, and that’s one of the years in which No Award won that category. I suspect a certain amount of fannish grumpiness.

Anyway, these days, most music would appear to belong in DBP: Short. That’s more the case for “Snowed in at Wheeler Street” because it is a duet performed by Kate and Elton John. They are, I suspect, both people who would love to get a nomination, though I doubt that either would be able to turn up in Chicago. I note that Kate named her record company Fish People, which suggests that she too has been reading books full of dead names.

There’s no official video for the song as yet, but several people have uploaded their own efforts to YouTube. This one is the best. As befits something that travels through time, it has mainly railway stations rather than airports, but I think you’ll be able to see why this song means a lot to me. And trains are rather appropriate, of course.

Anyway, here it is, enjoy, and if you like it please consider nominating it. “Snowed in at Wheeler Street”, Kate Bush & Elton John (Fish People).

I don’t want to lose you…

…again.