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.
Nina Cried Power
Hozier Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It is the groundin' of a foot uncompromisin'
It's not forgoin' of the lie
It's not the openin' of eyes
It's not the wakin', it's the risin'
It's not the shade we should be cast in
It's the light and it's the obstacle that casts it
It's the fire it ignites
It's not the wakin', it's the risin'
It's not the song, it is the singin'
It's the heaven of the human spirit ringin'
It is the bringin' of the line
It is the bearin' of the lie
It's not the wakin', it's the risin'
And I could cry power (power)
Power (power)
Power, Lord
Nina cried power
Billie cried power
Mavis cried power
And I could cry power (power)
Power (power)
Power, Lord
Curtis cried power
Patti cried power
Nina cried power
It's not the war but what's behind it
Lord, the fear of foul men is mere assignment
And everythin' that we're denied by keepin' the divide
It's not the wakin', it's the risin'
And I could cry power (power)
Power (power)
Power, Lord
Nina cried power
Lennon cried power
James Brown cried power
And I could cry power
Power (power)
Power (power)
Power, Lord
B.B. cried power
Joni cried power
Nina cried power
And I could cry power
Power has been cried by those stronger than me
Straight into the face that tells you to rattle your chains
If you love bein' free
Ah, Lord, I could cry power (power)
'Cause power is my love and my righteous to me
James Brown cried power
Seeger cried power
Woman cried power
Yeah ah, power
James cried power
Millie cried power
Kenny cried power
Billie, power
Dylan, power
Woody, power
Nina cried power
Hozier's song "Nina Cried Power" is a tribute to the great musicians who used their voice to protest against injustice and to bring about social change. The song draws inspiration from the civil rights movement in the 1960s, and Hozier highlights the idea that it's not just about waking up to the truth; it's about rising up and taking action.
The opening verse talks about the importance of being grounded and resolute in the face of adversity. It's not enough to simply wake up and be aware of the issues; one must also take action, and this requires steadfastness and determination. Hozier uses vivid imagery to show that it's not the darkness that defines us but the light that we cast. The light is the heat, and it's what drives us forward. The chorus, in which Hozier repeats "Nina cried power," refers to the African American blues singer, Nina Simone, who was known for her activism and her use of music as a vehicle for protest.
The second verse focuses on the idea that behind every war is a fear of foul men. Hozier implies that the things that divide us are merely assignments, and everything that we're denied is a result of these artificial distinctions. The song ends with a list of artists who cried power throughout history, including James Brown, Bob Dylan, Woody Guthrie, and of course, Nina Simone. Hozier's message is clear: we are all capable of crying power, and it's up to us to rise up and take action.
Line by Line Meaning
It's not the wakin', it's the risin'
It's not just waking up, it's about rising up and taking a stand
It is the groundin' of a foot uncompromisin'
It's about being firm and standing your ground without compromise
It's not forgoin' of the lie
It's not about ignoring the truth and choosing to believe in a lie
It's not the openin' of eyes
It's not just about seeing things clearly, but also about taking action
It's not the shade we should be cast in
We should focus on the light rather than the shadows it casts
It's the light and it's the obstacle that casts it
The things that block the light are the real obstacles we need to overcome
It's the heat that drives the light
The energy and passion behind something is what makes it shine bright
It's the fire it ignites
It's the spark of inspiration and motivation that sets off a chain reaction
It's not the song, it is the singin'
It's not just about the lyrics and melody, but also about the passion and emotion behind the singing
It's the heaven of the human spirit ringin'
The song reaches deep within us and elevates our spirits to a heavenly place
It is the bringin' of the line
It's about delivering a powerful message or truth
It is the bearin' of the lie
It's about exposing the lies or falsehoods that hold us back
It's not the war but what's behind it
It's not about the conflict itself, but rather the motivations and fears that drive it
Lord, the fear of foul men is mere assignment
The fear that people have of their oppressors is not natural, but rather something that is forced upon them
And everythin' that we're denied by keepin' the divide
Our division as a society deprives us of everything we could achieve if we were united
Power has been cried by those stronger than me
Many powerful voices have come before me and I stand on their shoulders
Straight into the face that tells you to rattle your chains
Our oppressors want us to feel powerless and stay in our place, but we won't be silenced
If you love bein' free
If you value your freedom, then you must stand up and fight for it
'Cause power is my love and my righteous to me
Having power to make positive change is what drives me and is my righteous cause
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Andrew Hozier-Byrne
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@kiddDEVY
For anyone interested the in order of mention follows:
Nina Simone
Billie Holliday
Mavis Staples
Curtis Mayfield
Patti LaBelle
John Lennon
James Brown
B.B. King
Joni Mitchell
Pete Seeger
Marvin Gaye
Millie Jackson
Bob Dylan
Woody Guthrie
@latoya3872
LYRICS
It's not the wakin', it's the risin'
It is the groundin' of a foot uncompromisin'
It's not forgoin' of the lie
It's not the openin' of eyes
It's not the wakin', it's the risin'
It's not the shade we should be cast in
It's the light and it's the obstacle that casts it
It's the heat that drives the light
It's the fire it ignites
It's not the wakin', it's the risin'
It's not the song, it is the singin'
It's the heaven of the human spirit ringin'
It is the bringin' of the line
It is the bearin' of the lie
It's not the wakin', it's the risin'
And I could cry power (power)
Power (power)
Power, Lord
Nina cried power
Billie cried power
Mavis cried power
And I could cry power (power)
Power (power)
Power, Lord
Curtis cried power
Patti cried power
Nina cried power
It's not the war but what's behind it
Lord, the fear of foul men is mere assignment
And everythin' that we're denied by keepin' the divide
It's not the wakin', it's the risin'
And I could cry power (power)
Power (power)
Power, Lord
Nina cried power
Lennon cried power
James Brown cried power
And I could cry power
Power (power)
Power (power)
Power, Lord
B.B. cried power
Joni cried power
Nina cried power
And I could cry power
Power has been cried by those stronger than me
Straight into the face that tells you to rattle your chains
If you love bein' free
Ah, Lord, I could cry power (power)
'Cause power is my love and my righteous to me
James Brown cried power
Seeger cried power
Woman cried power
Yeah ah, power
James cried power
Millie cried power
Kenny cried power
Billie, power
Dylan, power
Woody, power
Nina cried power
@bobbycommon8872
@@billiey36 I well aware its about virtue signaling by people unable to think critically and assess reality.
They all talk of equality, I might aswell, as the male I am, give a talk on childbirth!
Im so sick of all these equality indoctrinated idiots
Every, single, one of them are empty heads, how can you say you're for equality then stare blankly at me when I ask your opinion on positional goods, conscientious effort or whether it was Descartes,Rawls, Plato or Marx who had the best view of genuine equality.
In short, im tired of you all being so confused while patting yourselves on the back for how good you all are. Lol
@RockeraMJJ
[Verse 1: Hozier]
It's not the waking, it's the rising
It is the grounding of a foot uncompromising
It's not forgoeing of the lie
It's not the opening of eyes
It's not the waking, it's the rising
[Verse 2: Hozier]
It's not the shade, we should be past it
It's the light, and it's the obstacle that casts it
It's the heat that drives the light
It's the fire it ignites
It's not the waking, it's the rising
[Verse 3: Hozier]
It's not the song, it is the singing
It's the hearing of a human spirit ringing
It is the bringing of the line
It is the baring of the rhyme
It's not the waking, it's the rising
[Chorus: Mavis Staples and Hozier]
And I could cry power (power)
Power (power)
Power
Nina cried power
Billie cried power
Mavis cried power
And I could cry power
Power (power)
Power (power)
Power
Curtis cried power
Patti cried power
Nina cried power
[Verse 2: Hozier]
It's not the wall but what's behind it
The fear of fellow men, his mere assignment
And everything that we're denied
By keeping the divide
It's not the waking, it's the rising
[Chorus: Hozier and Mavis Staples]
And I could cry power (power)
Power (power)
Oh, power
Nina cried power
Lennon cried power
James Brown cried power
And I could cry power
Power (power)
Power (power)
Power, lord
B.B. cried power
Joni cried power
Nina cried power
[Bridge: Mavis Staples]
And I could cry power
Power has been cried by those stronger than me
Straight into the face that tells you
To rattle your chains if you love being free
[Chorus: Hozier and Mavis Staples]
I could cry power (power)
And power is my love when my love reaches to me
James Brown cried power
Seeger cried power
Marvin cried power
Yeah ah, power
James cried power
Lennon cried power
Patti cried power
Billie, power
Dylan, power
Woody, power
Nina cried power
@eddynazane6404
It's not the wakin', it's the risin'
It is the groundin' of a foot uncompromisin'
It's not forgoin' of the lie
It's not the openin' of eyes
It's not the wakin', it's the risin'
It's not the shade we should be past it
It's the light and it's the obstacle that casts it
It's the heat that drives the light
It's the fire it ignites
It's not the wakin', it's the risin'
It's not the song, it is the singin'
It's the heaven of the human spirit ringin'
It is the bringin' of the light
It is the bearin' of the rhyme
It's not the wakin', it's the risin'
[Chorus: Mavis Staples and Hozier]
And I could cry power (power)
Power (power)
Power, lord
Nina cried power
Billie cried power
Mavis cried power
And I could cry power
Power (power)
Power (power)
Power, lord
Curtis cried power
Patti cried power
Nina cried power
[Verse 2: Hozier]
It's not the wall but what's behind it
Lord, the fear of fellow men is near assignment
And everythin' that we're denied by keepin' the divide
It's not the wakin', it's the risin'
[Chorus: Hozier and Mavis Staples]
And I could cry power (power)
Power (power)
Oh, power, lord
Nina cried power
Lennon cried power
James Brown cried power
And I could cry power
Power (power)
Power (power)
Power, lord
B.B. cried power
Joni cried power
Nina cried power
[Bridge: Mavis Staples]
And I could cry power
Power has been cried by those stronger than me
Straight into the face that tells you to rattle your chains
If you love bein' free
Ah, lord I could cry power (power)
'Cause power is my love when my love reaches to me
James Brown cried power
Seeger cried power
Marvin cried power
Yeah ah, power
James cried power
Millie cried power
Patti cried power
Billie, power
Dylan, power
Woody, power
Nina cried power
Credits : genius.com
@CarlaSophieMar
"It's not the song, it is the singing
It's the heaven of the human spirit ringing"
@martinskorulis8832
"It's not the shade we should be cast in
It's the light and it's the obstacle that casts it"
@roberteurich8322
Love that line but it's heaven of the human spirit.
@CarlaSophieMar
@@roberteurich8322 thank you for clarifying it :)
@illinoishasenteredthechat950
Ok boomer
@sonicafirst
Epic lyrics
@belle8689
I'm studying African American Musical Heritage right now, and this song is shaking me, It's, stylistically, as protest song, a fight song, whose genres date all the way back to the 1600s. He calls out characters throughout history who have fought for freedom while shackled, working closely with MAVIS STAPLES, a gospel singer who worked alongside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. during the Civil Rights era. This is more than just a soulful blues song. This is a massive thank you to those who fought endlessly and diligently for what they believed in.
@majestysol7100
That's cool to know!
@jaidenmerrill8945
That’s absolutely beautiful. ❤️
@LaloMacKenzie
ADORE THIS!! Love learning more about this rich, excellent music!