Running Up That Hill

*Spoiler alert if you haven’t watched Stranger Things*

Hello everyone! Welcome to my blog, “What Zelle Thinks”! For our first post I will be talking about Chapter Four: Dear Billy, the fourth episode of Season 4 Stranger Things and the importance of the song of choice “Running Up That Hill” by Kate Bush. If a couple of you may not know Stranger Things is a netflix series with four seasons out currently, this show is based in the 80’s and Hawkins, Indiana. The show revolves around a group of teens who’s friends with a girl with powers basically, and throughout the series we see these groups of kids fight off creatures from the Upside Down. In the recent season the show focuses on the creation of the Upside Down and the mastermind behind it all, Vecna, who captures teens in a trance, holds them captive in the Upside Down and eventually kills them. The episode we are talking about today will focus on one of the main characters, Max Mayfield. 

Max Mayfield was introduced to the show in the second season alongside her older brother, Billy Hargrove, who we see as the “bad boy”, and in fact he is. Max did not have a healthy relationship with her sibling as we see that Billy usually bullies her and is not fond (racist towards) her black boyfriend, Lucas, who is also one of the main characters. As the season progresses Billy’s character does die which causes Max to see a therapist at school and begins to withdraw herself from her friends. We learn in the recent season that although Max feels guilt as she stood and watched her brother basically sacrifice himself leading to his death, she feels a sense of relief that he is no longer there as well. 

We learn that in order to escape one of Vecna's traps, the victim must be able to focus on a happy memory to release themselves from him, although he had already claimed two kids prior, Max and her friends have found out how she can avoid him. Max’s song of choice to protect herself was “Running Up That Hill” by Kate Bush. This song was released in 1985 off her album, Hounds of Love, and the episode we hear this song featured in took place in 1987 in the show. The meaning of the song is explained by Kate Bush in 1985 and she states that the song is about a man and woman who would make a deal with God to switch places to fully understand what one goes through. After realizing the meaning of the song and how Max listens to it to protect herself we can see the importance of it to her, as we learn the guilt she feels after Billy’s death we can also see and feel how like the song, she would trade places with him. 

Throughout the series we hear this song played multiple times in scenes pertaining to Max, it is a very catchy song with a great meaning behind it. 

What does Zelle think of the song of choice to the episode? 

I think it was a well thought out decision from the directors to choose this song and tie it to Max especially with what she had recently gone through, it fits within the timeline in the show, the meaning of the song connects really well with her life and like I said it’s a very catchy song. So I think it’s great, 10/10 for the song of choice for the episode.