Top 10 Hozier Lyrics That Hit Us Too Hard
#10: "Darling, there's a part of me / I'm afraid will always be / Trapped within an abstract from a moment of my life" “Abstract (Psychopomp)” (2023)
When you’ve been in a serious relationship, losing it suddenly can feel jarring or unreal. Hozier captured this feeling perfectly in “Abstract (Psychopomp),” where he opines about how he’s worried there’ll be a part of himself that will never be able to move on from their time together. It’s a raw confession as he comes to terms with the fact that she’ll be in his mind for a long time. As if that isn’t heart-wrenching enough, it also makes a point about how going through this painful experience can be rewarding. Even if the emotions hurt, you can still be grateful for having had them and growing. While he may always feel hurt by the connection ending, he’s still thankful for having been with her.
#9: “Honey, when you kill the lights and kiss my eyes / I feel like a person for a moment of my life” “To Be Alone” (2014)
Self-loathing can often make a person feel they aren’t worth any sort of love or affection. However, when they’re with the one they care about the most, they feel so much love that they forget about their own strife, even just for a few seconds. To feel so connected with someone that they can make you feel normal is truly freeing, which Hozier captured effortlessly in this lyric. The inclusion of the phrase “kiss my eyes” is referring to an extremely intimate, soft act that’s so loving he can’t help but feel like a normal person for even just a moment. It’s a hard-hitting line that is so deeply relatable it can’t help but leave a mark on whoever hears it.
#8: The First Verse “Talk” (2019)
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Hozier has a way of making any experience seem romantic – even something like being hit on by a new potential partner. In “Talk,” he references the tragedy of Orpheus and Eurydice, a myth about a man who attempts to save his wife from the underworld. The narrator in “Talk” is utilizing the story as a way of making grandiose promises to his new companion. Evocative and ardent, it’s hard not to feel drawn in while listening. The song in general harnesses the essence of meeting someone new, and how exciting it can be. We can’t help but wish that everyone was this poetic while flirting. With lyrics like this, it’s hard not to imagine being loved by him.
#7: "When my time comes around / Lay me gently in the cold dark earth / No grave can hold my body down / I'll crawl home to her” “Work Song” (2014)
When you’re in love so deeply, it can feel like nothing could get in the way – not even death. In “Work Song,” the singer croons about how he cares for his significant other so much that nothing would be able to keep him away from her, not even his future grave. It’s an intense and hard-hitting chorus that shows his devotion as a partner. He sings the lines so earnestly that you can’t help but believe he actually would claw his way out of the ground if it meant getting to be with her again. The rest of the track evokes these powerful emotions as well, and it hits home for anyone who has ever felt fondness for another person, whether it be romantic or not.
#6: "There's an art to life's distractions / To somehow escape the burning weight / The art of scraping through” “Someone New” (2014)
“Someone New” is a deceptively happy song. While it’s undoubtedly upbeat, the song is also much darker than it seems on the surface. It’s all about distracting yourself from the harsh realities of life by finding new people to be with each night. There’s one lyric in particular that captures the feeling of finding temporary solace in strangers. There really is an art to distracting yourself; to tuning out all of your problems while you experience a moment of bliss. Though it may not help things in the long run, it can help you get through another night. It’s a line that calls you out and can make you feel seen at the same time.
#5: "'Cause with my mid-youth crisis all said & done / I need to be youthfully felt / 'Cause God I never felt young” “Jackie and Wilson” (2014)
“Jackie and Wilson” is one of the most loving songs in Hozier’s discography, all about how much he’s devoted to his partner. Of course, it wouldn’t be a piece of his if there wasn’t at least one lyric that stings. Experiencing a mid-youth crisis is extremely relatable, especially as you transition from adolescence to adulthood. Him saying he never felt young hits differently. It’s a simple yet raw explanation of how it feels to lose your youth without ever having truly experienced it. However, when he’s with the one he loves, he feels young for the first time in his life. It’s a pure emotion that can’t be faked, and better yet, the line is so much fun to scream along to.
#4: "What you're given, what you live in / Darlin', it finds a way to live in you" “De Selby (Part Two)” (2023)
Taking a literary reference and making it into something even more beautiful and meaningful is a sign of expert songwriting. Hozier took a concept from the novel “The Third Policeman” and translated it into a romantic thought. The reference is about a supposed theory that presumes that since things are constantly in motion, everything you interact with becomes a part of you. He translated this in a gorgeous sense, essentially saying that his love has been in the darkness for so long that it has become a part of who they are, and in a way, has become part of him too. Between this and lines where he expresses wanting to lose himself, the whole song just hits on an extreme level.
#3: The Final Chorus “Shrike” (2018)
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While Hozier captures the feeling of being in love, he also perfectly describes losing it. “Shrike” is a stunning example, in which he regrets not having professed his adoration during their time together, ultimately leading to their break-up. He expresses his regret for not having loved her as loudly as she wanted him to. However, the final chorus takes it to a whole new level. While she changed him for the better, he still couldn’t find the words to appreciate her, leading her warmth to fade. He prays she’ll keep him in her memory after things have ended, even if the only thing she’ll remember is the pain. It’s beautiful and an emotional gut punch at the same time.
#2: "Do you know I could break beneath the weight / Of the goodness, Love, I still carry for you?" “Unknown/Nth” (2023)
For some, there is no greater pain than realizing that a relationship has met its emotional end. “Unknown/Nth” effortlessly describes those complicated feelings - from promises about how their distance never bothered him to lyrics about the pain that comes with realizing you don’t truly know the person you’re with. He struggles with loving her even though she’s proven to be toxic, as he only remembers the few good moments. This is best showcased when he asks her if she’s aware that his love is still so strong that it hurts for him to constantly feel it. He manages to capture the pain that comes with loving someone you know you shouldn’t – something that all too many can relate to. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions. “If I were born as a blackthorn tree / I’d wanna be felled by you / Held by you / Fuel the pyre of your enemies,” “NFWMB” (2019) He Manages to Even Describe Being a Tree in the Most Gorgeous Way Possible "I got some color back/ She thinks so, too / I laugh like me again / She laughs like you," “Almost (Sweet Music)” (2019) Describes the Feeling of Moving On & Finding Parts of His Previous Love in New People "We'll lay here for years or for hours / Your hand in my hand / So still and discreet," “In A Week” (2014) Hozier Has the Ability to Make Even Death & Decay Seem Romantic "If there was anyone to ever get through this life / With their heart still intact, they didn't do it right," “All Things End” (2023) A Retelling of “Tis Better to Have Loved and Lost, Then Never to Have Loved at All” "My lover's got humor / She's the giggle at a funeral / Knows everybody's disapproval / I should've worshiped her sooner," “Take Me to Church” (2014) One of the Most Iconic Opening Lines in Modern Music, & for Good Reason
#1: The Whole Chorus “From Eden” (2014)
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Hozier has several tracks that make us wish we could experience even a drop of the same passion he feels for his partners. “From Eden” is one of his most hard-hitting songs. The entire chorus hits from the moment it starts. From him saying his love reminds him of himself in his youth to describing the toil he went through to be with them, it conveys his pure passion for them brilliantly. The personification of concepts like idealism and chivalry is a genius way of making his true emotions known. The powerful lyrics are enshrined in an upbeat instrumentation, making them perfect to not only cry to, but to sing along to as well. Which Hozier lyrics hit you the hardest? Let us know in the comments below!
