Hozier was born in Bray, County Wicklow, Ireland. His mother is the visual artist Raine Hozier-Byrne (who also designed his latest album cover). He began a degree in music at Trinity College, Dublin, but dropped out midway through his first year in order to record demos for Universal Music. While at Trinity, he became involved with the Trinity Orchestra. He was a member of Anúna from 2008 to 2012, and appears as a soloist on their 2012 release "Illumination" singing "La Chanson de Mardi Gras". He toured and sang with the group internationally including performances in Norway and the Netherlands.
In 2013, Hozier released the EP "Take Me to Church EP" (also containing "Like Real People Do", "Angel of Small Death and The Codeine Scene" and a live version of "Cherry Wine"), with the title track becoming his breakthrough single after it went viral on YouTube. It reached number one on the Irish iTunes singles chart and number two in the official chart on 25 October 2013.
Hozier followed up Take Me to Church with the new EP "From Eden EP" (also containing "Work Song", "Arsonist's Lullabye" and a live version of "To Be Alone"), and a number of festival tour dates and television appearances in the United States. Hozier released his self-titled album, "Hozier" on 19 September 2014. It had five singles including "Take Me to Church", "Work Song", and "From Eden", which were hits on his earlier EPs. On December 2014, it was announced that "Take Me to Church" was nominated at the 57th Annual Grammy Awards for Song of the Year in 2015.
In September 2018, he released an EP titled Nina Cried Power and featured the title track as a single, reaching number one on the Billboard Adult Alternative Songs chart. He released his second album, Wasteland, Baby! in March 2019, which debuted atop the Irish Albums Chart and the Billboard 200, and has since been certified gold in the U.S.
Eat Your Young
Hozier Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Let me put my lips to something
Let me wrap my teeth around the world
Start carving, darling
I wanna smell the dinner cooking
I wanna feel the edges start to burn
Honey, I wanna race you to the table
I won't lie, if there's something to be gained
There's money to be made, whatever's still to come
Get some
Pull up the ladder when the flood comes
Throw enough rope until the legs have swung
Seven new ways that you can eat your young
Come and get some
Skinning the children for a war drum
Putting food on the table selling bombs and guns
It's quicker and easier to eat your young
You can't buy this fineness
Let me see the heat get to it
Let me watch the dressing start to peel
It's a kindness, Highness
Crumbs enough for everyone
Old and young are welcome to the meal
Honey, I'm making sure the table's made
We can celebrate the good that we've done
I won't lie, if there's something still to take
There is ground to break, whatever's still to come
Get some
Pull up the ladder when the flood comes
Throw enough rope until the legs have swung
Seven new ways that you can eat your young
Come and get some
Skinning the children for a war drum
Putting food on the table selling bombs and guns
It's quicker and easier to eat your young
The lyrics of Hozier’s “Eat Your Young” demonstrates the idea of power and greed that corrupts individuals, causing them to consume their own offspring or anything that can provide them profit or benefits. The opening lines of “I'm starving, darling//Let me put my lips to something//Let me wrap my teeth around the world//Start carving, darling//I wanna smell the dinner cooking//I wanna feel the edges start to burn” shows how the singer is eager to acquire anything substantial and consume it, as if they are starving, without any concern for others. The next line, “Honey, I wanna race you to the table//If you hesitate, the getting is gone” reiterates the singer’s sense of urgency and desire for dominance, with an allusion to a competition that they want to win.
The chorus of “Get some//Pull up the ladder when the flood comes//Throw enough rope until the legs have swung//Seven new ways that you can eat your young//Come and get some//Skinning the children for a war drum//Putting food on the table selling bombs and guns//It's quicker and easier to eat your young” clearly highlights the message of the song. The line “Pull up the ladder when the flood comes//Throw enough rope until the legs have swung” implies that those who have gained a position of power are quick to distance themselves from those who are not in a position of influence when the consequences of their actions manifest. The idea of eating one's young refers to a lack of empathy and a willingness to consume anything that can prove beneficial or profitable, even at the expense of one's own children. The last lines of “It's quicker and easier to eat your young” expresses disgust towards those who prioritize their own gain over the well-being of others.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm starving, darling
I have a hunger, my dear
Let me put my lips to something
Allow me to have something to drink
Let me wrap my teeth around the world
Let me grab anything and everything that I can get my hands on
Start carving, darling
Begin the process of obtaining what we need
I wanna smell the dinner cooking
I want to know that we are making progress
I wanna feel the edges start to burn
I want to feel the thrill of success
Honey, I wanna race you to the table
My love, I want to compete with you for what we need
If you hesitate, the getting is gone
If you wait too long, we will miss out
I won't lie, if there's something to be gained
I must admit, if there is a chance for profit
There's money to be made, whatever's still to come
We can earn a profit no matter what happens next
Get some
Obtain what we need
Pull up the ladder when the flood comes
Secure our position when disaster strikes
Throw enough rope until the legs have swung
Persist until our goal is achieved
Seven new ways that you can eat your young
There are many ways to exploit those who are vulnerable
Come and get some
Join us in our endeavor
Skinning the children for a war drum
Using the most vulnerable to further our cause
Putting food on the table selling bombs and guns
Making a profit while contributing to violence and conflict
It's quicker and easier to eat your young
Exploiting those who are weak is the easiest path to gain
You can't buy this fineness
This quality cannot be purchased
Let me see the heat get to it
Allow me to see our progress
Let me watch the dressing start to peel
Allow me to witness the success of our efforts
It's a kindness, Highness
It is a gesture of generosity, Your Majesty
Crumbs enough for everyone
There is enough for all to share
Old and young are welcome to the meal
All are welcome to partake in our success
Honey, I'm making sure the table's made
My love, I am working to ensure our progress
We can celebrate the good that we've done
We should acknowledge and enjoy our achievements
There is ground to break, whatever's still to come
There are still opportunities to be seized
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Andrew Hozier Byrne, Craig Balmoris, Daniel Krieger, Daniel Tannenbaum, Marius Feder, Peter Gonzalez, Sergiu Gherman, Stuart Johnson, Tyler Mehlenbacher
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@rouaaguesmi8333
I'm starving, darling
Let me put my lips to something
Let me wrap my teeth around the world
Start carving, darling
I wanna smell the dinner cooking
I wanna feel the edges start to burn
Honey, I wanna race you to the table
If you hesitate, the getting is gone
I won't lie, if there's something to be gained
There's money to be made, whatever's still to come
Get some
Pull up the ladder when the flood comes
Throw enough rope until the legs have swung
Seven new ways that you can eat your young
Come and get some
Skinning the children for a war drum
Putting food on the table selling bombs and guns
It's quicker and easier to eat your young
You can't buy this fineness
Let me see the heat get to it
Let me watch the dressing start to peel
It's a kindness, Highness
Crumbs enough for everyone
Old and young are welcome to the meal
Honey, I'm making sure the table's made
We can celebrate the good that we've done
I won't lie, if there's something still to take
There is ground to break, whatever's still to come
Get some
Pull up the ladder when the flood comes
Throw enough rope until the legs have swung
Seven new ways that you can eat your young
Come and get some
Skinning the children for a war drum
Putting food on the table selling bombs and guns
It's quicker and easier to eat your young
@zacharyperuch8322
Hozier releasing a song that sounds like the sexiest thing on the planet and it actually being about older generations exploiting the younger generation is so perfectly on brand. Fucking obsessed
@zelbernil3790
bad news in a pretty sexy mouth 😗👌
@campkoala
nailed it!
@icymoons
"I want to wrap my teeth around the world" agressively recontextualized by the rest of the song. the Imperial War Machine goes brrrr
@HitomiKitage
Oh even yesser!
@ayoolukoga9829
And thou shalt eat the fruit of thine own body, the flesh of thy sons and of thy daughters, which the Lord thy God hath given thee, in the siege, and in the straitness, wherewith thine enemies shall distress thee. Deuteronomy 28:53
@angelsmith7680
This man doesn't have one bad song. Every single song of his is absolutely amazing
@mmelioniscrying
YOURE SPEAKING FAX
@sayonichatterjee2721
Couldn't have said it any better
@meredithellis1859
I was PANICKED to see comments on this but only good things