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.
Wasteland Baby
Hozier Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Of the end of the world
Happens each time a boy falls in love with a girl
Happens great, happens sweet
Happily, I'm unfazed here, too
Wasteland, baby
I'm in love
All the things yet to come are the things that have passed
Like the holding of hands, like the breaking of glass
Like the bonfire that burns, that all words in the fight fell to
Wasteland, baby
I'm in love
I'm in love with you
And I love too
That love soon might end
Be known in it's aching
Shown in the shaking
Lately of my wasteland, baby
Be still, my indelible friend
You are unbreaking
Though quaking
Though crazy
That's just wasteland, baby
And the day that we'll watch the death of the sun
That the cloud and the cold and those jeans you have on
Then you'll gaze unafraid as they sob from the city roofs
Wasteland, baby
I'm in love
I'm in love with you
And I love too
That love soon might end
And be known in it's aching
But shown in the shaking
Lately of my wasteland, baby
Be still, my indelible friend
You are unbreaking
Though quaking
Though crazy
That's wasteland, baby
And when the stench of the sea and the absence of green
Are the death of all things that are seen and unseen
Not an end, but the start of all things that are left to do
Wasteland, baby
I'm in love
I'm in love with you
That's it
The song "Wasteland, Baby!" by Hozier is about the end of the world and how love can be seen as a way to cope with the inevitable. The first two lines, "All the fear and the fire, of the end of the world" set the stage for the rest of the song by creating a sense of dread and urgency. However, the following line, "Happens each time a boy falls in love with a girl" introduces a glimmer of hope into the equation. Despite the end of the world being a horrifying thought, love between two people can make it bearable.
The chorus, "Wasteland, baby. I'm in love. I'm in love with you," reinforces the idea that love can be a light in the darkness. The lyrics "Like the bonfire that burns, that all words in the fight fell to" further exemplify this notion by showing how love can overpower even the strongest emotions. The second verse, "And I love too, that love soon might end, and be known in its aching, but shown in the shaking, lately of my wasteland, baby" acknowledges that love can be fleeting, yet the memories of it can be powerful.
The bridge of the song, "And when the stench of the sea and the absence of green are the death of all things that are seen and unseen, not an end, but the start of all things that are left to do," suggests that even in the face of the ultimate apocalypse, love can inspire new beginnings and motivate people to keep going.
Overall, "Wasteland, Baby!" is an introspective love song that explores the complex emotions that come with the end of the world.
Line by Line Meaning
All the fear and the fire
Of the end of the world
Happens each time a boy falls in love with a girl
Happens great, happens sweet
Happily, I'm unfazed here, too
Each time a boy falls in love with a girl, it brings about the same intensity of emotions that one might feel at the end of the world. Despite this, the singer is unfazed and happy.
Wasteland, baby
I'm in love
I'm in love with you
The singer, despite acknowledging the desolate nature of the world around them, is in love with the person they are addressing.
All the things yet to come are the things that have passed
Like the holding of hands, like the breaking of glass
Like the bonfire that burns, that all words in the fight fell to
The things that are yet to happen are simply variations of things that have already occurred, such as romantic gestures or conflicts that have been resolved.
And I love too
That love soon might end
Be known in it's aching
Shown in the shaking
Lately of my wasteland, baby
Be still, my indelible friend
You are unbreaking
Though quaking
Though crazy
That's just wasteland, baby
The artist is aware that their love may come to an end, but they appreciate the emotional impact that it has had on them. They address their loved one as an unbreakable friend, even amidst the chaos of their environment.
And the day that we'll watch the death of the sun
That the cloud and the cold and those jeans you have on
Then you'll gaze unafraid as they sob from the city roofs
The artist imagines a future where they and their loved one witness the end of the world. However, their loved one remains unafraid and comforting amidst the cries of others.
And I love too
That love soon might end
And be known in it's aching
But shown in the shaking
Lately of my wasteland, baby
Be still, my indelible friend
You are unbreaking
Though quaking
Though crazy
That's wasteland, baby
Once again, the singer expresses their love for their partner despite the potential for an end. They reiterate their loved one's strength and resilience.
And when the stench of the sea and the absence of green
Are the death of all things that are seen and unseen
Not an end, but the start of all things that are left to do
The end of the natural world is simply a new beginning, as there are still things left to do and experience.
Wasteland, baby
I'm in love
I'm in love with you
The song ends with the affirmation of the artist's love for their partner, in spite of the potential for the world around them to collapse.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Andrew Hozier-Byrne
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@the_wisecrack9472
All the fear and the fire of the end of the world
Happens each time a boy falls in love with a girl
Happens great, happens sweet
Happily, I'm unfazed here, too
Wasteland, baby
I'm in love, I'm in love with you
All the things yet to come are the things that have passed
Like the old enough hands, like the breaking of glass
Like the bonfire that burns, at all worth in the fight fell too
Wasteland, baby
I'm in love, I'm in love with you
And I love too, that love soon might end
Be known in its aching
Shown in the shaking
Lately of my wasteland, baby
Be still, my indelible friend, you are unbreaking
Though quaking, though crazy
That's just wasteland, baby
And that day that we watch the death of the sun
That the cloud and the cold and those jeans you have on
And you gaze unafraid as they sob from the city ruins
Wasteland, baby
I'm in love, I'm in love with you
And I love too, that love soon might end
Be known in its aching
Shown in the shaking
Lately of my wasteland, baby
Be still, my indelible friend, you are unbreaking
Though quaking, though crazy
That's just wasteland, baby
And the stance of the sea and the absence of green
Are the death of all things that I've seen and unseen
Aren't end, but the start of all things that are left to do
Wasteland, baby
I'm in love, I'm in love with you
(That's it)
@ILiveForTheSummers
This, but playing in an abandoned church that you and your lover holed up in. It's been years since the apocalypse began and things look dire.
Food is running out and there is no more clean water to be found. Nuclear fallout has turned everything grey. It is cold; warmth is a dream from a faraway past.
In a few days, you will be too weak to move and find supplies and a better shelter. You both agree to just stay here, holding each other until the end.
This is what you hear on your final morning: you wake up to your lover serenading you, and the world that has fallen apart.
Edit: I cried at the thought of this too, I see y’all
@nathanielclarke5250
All the fear and the fire of the end of the world
Happens each time a boy falls in love with a girl
Happens great, happens sweet
Happily, I'm unfazed here, too
[Chorus]
Wasteland, baby
I'm in love, I'm in love with you
[Verse 2]
All the things yet to come are the things that have passed
Like the holding of hands, like the breaking of glass
Like the bonfire that burns, at all worth in the fight fell too
[Chorus]
Wasteland, baby
I'm in love, I'm in love with you
And I love too, that love soon might end
Be known in its aching
Shown in the shaking
Lately of my wasteland, baby
Be still, my indelible friend, you are unbreaking
Though quaking, though crazy
That's just wasteland, baby
[Verse 3]
And that day that we watch the death of the sun
That the cloud and the cold and those jeans you have on
And you gaze unafraid as they sob from the city ruins
[Chorus]
Wasteland, baby
I'm in love, I'm in love with you
And I love too, that love soon might end
Be known in its aching
Shown in the shaking
Lately of my wasteland, baby
Be still, my indelible friend, you are unbreaking
Though quaking, though crazy
That's just wasteland, baby
[Bridge]
And the stench of the sea and the absence of green
Are the death of all things that are seen and unseen
Not an end, but the start of all things that are left to do
[Chorus]
Wasteland, baby
I'm in love, I'm in love with you
[Outro]
That's it
@ulkotraqametfdaqqa
Yes Hozier, give us that post apocalyptic lullaby
@f-emme6133
seeing this comment while stuck in quarantine a year later, feels like a bad omen
@vanessaborbe1236
@@f-emme6133 it was a warning based on his prophetic visions. we just didn't take it seriously so here we are.
@dmo4657
Apocalypse has just begun
@f-emme6133
@@dmo4657 it has gone on for a long time now, we're just now realizing it. there's no going back from this .
@ccknight900
Oof, even people 1 month ago couldn't predict how bad it's get, here's to change and hopefully for 6 months of change and recovery
@ellory3959
All the comments on here are like a year old so I'm not sure if anyone will see this, but i think i just had a religious experience with this song?? I've not been feeling very mentally sound as of late, the world being what it is right now and a lot of stress in my personal life as well. Today in particular I was feeling especially bad. Well, there was a little thunderstorm going through my town, I could hear the rain and thunder raging on outside. I'm not sure what possessed me to do it but I decided to go out and see it. I grabbed my jacket, umbrella, and phone, and went outside. I thought I should listen to something while I stood there, so I picked this. It was so perfect it almost felt timed. The rain and the thunder raged loudly in the background while he sang throughout the song, and then, at the very end, as his voice trailed off and the guitar faded away, the rain dissipated to a drizzle and I could hear birds singing. I heard him say "That's it.", and chuckle as I took a deep breath and for the first time in a long time I felt ok. I felt hope that things in the future are going to be ok. I'm not sure if anyone will read this comment that's already way too long, but I hope that I remember that experience for the rest of my life. We're going to be ok, and I really believe that now.
@justinmontoya5174
I believe it too
@jesslucas4719
That is so beautiful. I also feel as like his music let´s me know everything will be fine. These times are so hard and with so many things going on we forget about the beauty of life. Just being alive. I loved your comment and your experience. All will be well. Hope you are doing fine now
@putulmehta1155
He is a magician and I am glad that you are feeling better. 💜💜💜💜💜