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.
Through Me
Hozier Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Seen like a speck out from the shore
Swimming out beyond the breakers like he's done his life before
He feels the coming of a squall will drag him out a greater length
But knows his strength
Tries to gather it
And he swims on
Turning back to shore again
And looking down to his new home, he feels the rising of a wave
And knows at once he will not weather it
Like that man
I looked down into the depths when I met you
I couldn't measure it
Any time I've struggled on
Against the course
Out on my own
Every time I'd burn through the world, I'd see
That the world, it burns through me
But when I'd let go (when I'd, I'd let go)
My struggling form (my struggling form)
My willing soul (I'd see)
Every time I'd flow through the world, I'd see (each time I'd flow through the)
That the world, it flows through me (the world, it flows through me)
That the world, it flows through me
Picture a grave
Picture six feet freshly dug
The sharp temporary walls at the long-term cliff edge of the world
Light and air find some new deepness there and usher down the sky
Where one stands by and tries make sense of it
But try measure loss
Measure the silence of a house
The unheard footsteps at the doorway
The unemployment of the mouth
The waking up, having forgotten
And remembering again the full extent of what forever is
With each grave
I think of loss and I can only think of you
And I couldn't measure it
Any time I've struggled on (any time I struggled on)
Against the course (against the)
Out on my own (I'd see)
Every time I'd burn through the world, I'd see (each time I'd burn through the)
That the world, it burns through me (the world, it burns through me)
But when I'd let go (when I'd, I'd let go)
My struggling form (my struggling form)
My willing soul (I'd see)
Every time I'd flow through the world, I'd see (each time I'd flow through the)
That the world, it flows through me (the world, it flows through me)
That the world, it flows through me
In the song "Through Me" by Hozier, the lyrics paint a captivating imagery of a man swimming out to sea, facing the unknown and uncertain elements of life. The first verse describes this man as he ventures further away from the shore, beyond the crashing waves. He anticipates the storm that lies ahead, aware that it could overpower him, but he gathers his strength and continues to swim on. However, he realizes that he won't be able to weather the impending wave that looms over him.
Hozier then relates this experience to his own life. He metaphorically looks down into the depths of his emotions when he met someone, unable to measure the impact they had on him. The following verses explore the theme of struggle, where Hozier reflects on times when he has pushed through difficulties, feeling as though the world burns through him. However, there are moments where he lets go and surrenders to the flow of life, realizing that the world also flows through him.
The second part of the song introduces the image of a grave, symbolizing loss. Hozier envisions a freshly dug grave, emphasizing the stark reality of death and the deep impact it has on those left behind. The silence of a house, the absence of footsteps and words, the process of forgetting and remembering the extent of forever – all these portray the overwhelming sense of loss and the inability to fully measure it. Once again, Hozier connects this experience to the person he couldn't measure earlier in the song, implying a deep emotional bond and the profound impact they had on him.
Line by Line Meaning
Picture a man
Imagine a man
Seen like a speck out from the shore
Observed as a tiny dot from the shore
Swimming out beyond the breakers like he's done his life before
Moving past the crashing waves as if he's experienced it many times
He feels the coming of a squall will drag him out a greater length
He senses that a storm will pull him further away
But knows his strength
However, he recognizes his own capabilities
Tries to gather it
Attempts to gather his strength
And he swims on
And he continues swimming
Turning back to shore again
Eventually turning back towards the land
Above the outer atmosphere of a world he's never seen
High above a world he's unfamiliar with
And looking down to his new home, he feels the rising of a wave
As he gazes down at his new dwelling, he senses the approach of a wave
And knows at once he will not weather it
And immediately realizes he won't survive it
Like that man
Similar to that man
I looked down into the depths when I met you
I stared into the depths when I encountered you
I couldn't measure it
I couldn't quantify it
Any time I've struggled on
Each time I've persistently fought
Against the course
Against the natural path
Out on my own
Alone
Every time I'd burn through the world, I'd see
Whenever I'd intensely experience the world, I'd realize
That the world, it burns through me
That the world consumes me
But when I'd let go (when I'd, I'd let go)
But when I'd release myself (when I'd, I'd release myself)
My struggling form (my struggling form)
My striving self (my striving self)
My willing soul (I'd see)
My eager spirit (I'd understand)
Every time I'd flow through the world, I'd see (each time I'd flow through the)
Every time I'd move with the world, I'd realize (each time I'd move with the)
That the world, it flows through me (the world, it flows through me)
That the world moves within me (the world moves within me)
Picture a grave
Imagine a burial site
Picture six feet freshly dug
Visualize a recently dug six-foot-deep hole
The sharp temporary walls at the long-term cliff edge of the world
The steep, impermanent walls at the eternal edge of existence
Light and air find some new deepness there and usher down the sky
Illumination and air discover a deeper place and descend from the heavens
Where one stands by and tries make sense of it
Where someone remains and attempts to comprehend it
But try measure loss
But attempt to gauge the magnitude of loss
Measure the silence of a house
Quantify the quietness within a home
The unheard footsteps at the doorway
The footsteps that go unnoticed by the entrance
The unemployment of the mouth
The inability to speak
The waking up, having forgotten
The act of waking up, having forgotten
And remembering again the full extent of what forever is
And once more recalling the true nature of eternity
With each grave
For every burial site
I think of loss and I can only think of you
I contemplate loss and can only think of you
And I couldn't measure it
And I couldn't quantify it
Any time I've struggled on (any time I struggled on)
Every time I've persisted (every time I persisted)
Against the course (against the)
Against the natural path (against the natural path)
Out on my own (I'd see)
Alone (I'd understand)
Every time I'd burn through the world, I'd see (each time I'd burn through the)
Whenever I'd intensely experience the world, I'd realize (each time I'd intensely experience the)
That the world, it burns through me (the world, it burns through me)
That the world consumes me (the world consumes me)
But when I'd let go (when I'd, I'd let go)
But when I'd release myself (when I'd, I'd release myself)
My struggling form (my struggling form)
My striving self (my striving self)
My willing soul (I'd see)
My eager spirit (I'd understand)
Every time I'd flow through the world, I'd see (each time I'd flow through the)
Every time I'd move with the world, I'd realize (each time I'd move with the)
That the world, it flows through me (the world, it flows through me)
That the world moves within me (the world moves within me)
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Andrew Hozier Byrne, Jeffrey Gitelman
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@wolphesbaine9852
Man, I really love what the song is speaking of.
From what I understand, the song is about your power to change the world is based on your ability to surrender to what you can't control, because the more you try, the more you "burn" the world around you.
It's about resistance and trying to "measure" things most people think they understand (love in the first verse and grief in the second), but once truly faced with it, one can either go mad trying to make sense of it, or let it be, let it "flow" and let it change you.
But as you let these feelings change you, you understand that you are part of the world you want to change and through your own evolution, you have changed the world.
It is not you versus the world, but who you are and who you become 𝘪𝘴 the world you bring forth.
Underneath the pretty words, there's so much humanity under them. Hozier gets it. He really does.
@betryl3669
How does Hozier write things like "But try measure loss, measure the silence of a house, the unheard footsteps at the doorway, the unemployment of the mouth, the waking up having forgotten and remembering again the full extent of what forever is" and just expect me to go on like nothing happened afterwards
@MrKevmor
Because he can.....he may not be able to measure it..... simply and beautifully asks who can
@leiliafshar4747
This line painfully describes the house after you lose your loved one. God I cried :(((
@imtired2983
He’s true poet 😮❤
And his voice / ohmygawd 😢😮😢❤
@druggeddragon420
i think he found god
@bigpoppazeus8048
Exactly. I get choked up every time.
@octavia5906
I never get tired of Hozier’s ability to write meaningful lyrics
@Chris-py5nd
A lot of todays artists write such shallow and self important lyrics. Hozier really is a respite from the constant status quo.
@begaydocrime288
Love seeing people with The Owl House pfps. Such a good show
@Raeflower360me
As someone bereaved because their partner took his life, this one cuts like a knife. It's so good but I cry every time I listen to it.