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.
Who We Are
Hozier Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Getting through still has a cost
Quietly, it slips through your fingers, love
Falling from you drop by drop
What I had left here
I just held it tight
So someone with your eyes
To hold me like water
Or Christ, hold me like a knife
We're born at night
So much of our lives
Is just carving through the dark
To get so far
And the hardest part
Is who we are
It's who we are
You and I burned out our steam
Chasing someone else's dream
How can something be so much heavier
But so much less than what it seems?
Darling, we sacrificed
We gave our time to something undefined
This phantom life
Sharpens like an image
But it sharpens like a knife
We're born at night
So much of our lives
Is just carving through the dark
To get so far
And the hardest part
Is who we are
It's who we are
You only feel it when it's lost
Getting through still has its cost
Quietly, it slips through your fingers, love
Falling from you drop by drop
In Hozier's song "Who We Are," the lyrics speak to the idea of losing something or someone and only truly feeling its value once it's gone. The opening lines suggest that the significance of something or someone is often realized in their absence. It is a reflection of the bittersweet nature of love and the deep emotional impact it can have on our lives.
The second verse delves into the singer's longing for someone who could fill the void left by their lost love. They hold onto what remains, hoping that someone with similar qualities or attributes will come into their life and provide the same level of support and understanding. The reference to water and Christ symbolizes the desire for this person to be a source of comfort, healing, or even salvation. At the same time, they acknowledge that such a connection can also be as sharp and cutting as a knife, with the potential to both heal and hurt.
The chorus highlights the inherent struggles of life and the journey we all undertake to find ourselves. Darkness symbolizes the unknown, the challenges, and uncertainties we face in life. Carving through the dark represents the constant effort and perseverance needed to overcome obstacles and reach our goals. Ultimately, the singer reflects on the difficulty of accepting and embracing their true selves, acknowledging that it is the hardest part of who they are.
Overall, "Who We Are" explores themes of loss, longing, sacrifice, and self-discovery. It recognizes the complexities of love and the challenging journey of finding one's true identity. The lyrics convey a sense of vulnerability and a deep understanding of the emotional depths of human experience.
Line by Line Meaning
You only feel it when it's lost
The true value of something is only realized when it is no longer present
Getting through still has a cost
Overcoming obstacles and challenges in life always comes with a price
Quietly, it slips through your fingers, love
Love can subtly escape and fade away without notice
Falling from you drop by drop
Love gradually diminishing and disappearing, bit by bit
What I had left here
The remnants of what I possessed
I just held it tight
I clung onto it firmly
So someone with your eyes
In the hope that someone who resembles you
Might come in time
May arrive eventually
To hold me like water
To embrace me tenderly, like the fluidity of water
Or Christ
Or with the compassion and kindness of Christ
Hold me like a knife
To grip me with the intensity and sharpness of a knife
We're born at night
We enter this world in darkness
So much of our lives
A significant portion of our existence
Is just carving through the dark
Involves persistently navigating through uncertain and challenging circumstances
To get so far
In order to achieve considerable progress
And the hardest part
The most challenging aspect
Is who we are
Is understanding and accepting our true selves
It's who we are
This defines our identity
You and I burned out our steam
We exhausted our energy and enthusiasm
Chasing someone else's dream
Pursuing aspirations that do not align with our own desires
How can something be so much heavier
Why does something bear such a significant emotional burden
But so much less than what it seems?
Yet, it holds lesser importance and value compared to its apparent significance
Darling, we sacrificed
My dear, we willingly gave up
We gave our time to something undefined
We invested our precious time into something uncertain and indeterminate
This phantom life
This illusory existence
Sharpens like an image
Becomes clearer and more distinct, like a sharpened image
But it sharpens like a knife
Yet, it also becomes sharper and more piercing, like a sharpened knife
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Andrew Hozier Byrne
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
zahraa zamir
You only feel it when it's lost
Getting through still has a cost
Quietly, it slips through your fingers love
Falling from you drop by drop
What I had left here
I just held it tight
So someone with your eyes
Might come in time
To hold me like water
Or Christ
Hold me like a knife
We're born at night
So much of our lives
Is just carving through the dark
To get so far
And the hardest part
Is who we are
It's who we are
You and I burned out our steam
Chasing someone else's dream
How can something be so much heavier
But so much less than what it seems
Darling we sacrificed
We gave our time to something undefined
This phantom life
It sharpens like an image
But it sharpens like a knife
We're born at night
So much of our lives
Is just carving through the dark
To get so far
And the hardest part
Is who we are
It's who we are
You only feel it when it's lost
Getting through still has its cost
Quietly, it slips through your fingers love
Falling from you drop by drop
Dean Moore
You only feel it when it's lost
Gettin' through still has a cost
Quietly, it slips through your fingers love
Falling from you drop by drop
What I had left here I just held it tight
So someone with your eyes might come in time
To hold me like water
Or Christ, hold me like a knife
We're born at night
So much of our lives
Is just carvin' through the dark
To get so far
And the hardest part
Is who we are
It's who we are
You and I burned out our steam
Chasing someone else's dream
How can somethin' be so much heavier
But so much less than what it seems
Darling, we sacrificed
We gave our time to somethin' undefined
This phantom life, it sharpens like an image
But it sharpens like a knife
We're born at night
So much of our life
Is just carvin' through the dark
To get so far
And the hardest part
Is who we are
That's who we are
Yeah
Yeah, yeah
Yeah
Yeah, yeah
Yeah
Yeah, yeah
Yeah
Yeah, yeah
You only feel it when it's lost
Gettin' through still has its cost
Quietly, it slips through your fingers love
Fallin' from you drop by drop
Bookish Brookeish
“You only feel it when it's lost
Gettin' through still has a cost
Quietly, it slips through your fingers love
Falling from you drop by drop
What I had left here I just held it tight
So someone with your eyes might come in time
To hold me like water
Or Christ, hold me like a knife”
Yeah… this one I’m absolutely FERAL for
Viddy Damaludika
After listening to all these masterpieces, here are my top 10 song of this album:
1. First Light
2. Who We Are
3. Francesca
4. Butchered Tongue
5. Abstract
6. Eat Your Young
7. De Selby 1
8. All Things End
9. De Selby 2
10. Damage Gets Done
Janelle Etsitty
You only feel it when it's lost
Gettin' through still has a cost
Quietly, it slips through your fingers, love
Falling from you drop by drop
What I had left here I just held it tight
So someone with your eyes might come in time
To hold me like water
Or Christ, hold me like a knife
We're born at night
So much of our lives
Is just carvin' through the dark
To get so far
And the hardest part
Is who we are
It's who we are
You and I burned out our steam
Chasing someone else's dream
How can somethin' be so much heavier
But so much less than what it seems
Darling, we sacrificed
We gave our time to somethin' undefined
This phantom life, it sharpens like an image
But it sharpens like a knife
We're born at night
So much of our life
Is just carvin' through the dark
To get so far
And the hardest part
Is who we are
That's who we are
Yeah
Yeah, yeah
Yeah
Yeah, yeah
Yeah
Yeah, yeah
Yeah
Yeah, yeah
You only feel it when it's lost
Gettin' through still has its cost
Quietly, it slips through your fingers, love
Fallin' from you drop by drop
Dean Moore
You only feel it when it's lost
Gettin' through still has a cost
Quietly, it slips through your fingers love
Falling from you drop by drop
What I had left here I just held it tight
So someone with your eyes might come in time
To hold me like water
Or Christ, hold me like a knife
We're born at night
So much of our lives
Is just carvin' through the dark
To get so far
And the hardest part
Is who we are
It's who we are
You and I burned out our steam
Chasing someone else's dream
How can somethin' be so much heavier
But so much less than what it seems
Darling, we sacrificed
We gave our time to somethin' undefined
This phantom life, it sharpens like an image
But it sharpens like a knife
We're born at night
So much of our life
Is just carvin' through the dark
To get so far
And the hardest part
Is who we are
That's who we are
Yeah
Yeah, yeah
Yeah
Yeah, yeah
Yeah
Yeah, yeah
Yeah
Yeah, yeah
You only feel it when it's lost
Gettin' through still has its cost
Quietly, it slips through your fingers love
Fallin' from you drop by drop
R
“So much of our life is just carving through the dark.” This is beauty and truth.
SmashAdams
cuts like a knife
iDanzick
This one hit like a ton of bricks for me. I love Hozier, and it's both horrifying and beautiful that his own heartbreak is expressed so elegantly in his music
Glenda Kurkimaki
I saw part of an interview yesterday and he looked so sad. I realize that I don't know him on a personal level, but I am sad for him.
music lover
Me, too. I felt so sad to see his eyes well up.
mimmonen
@Glenda KurkimakiCan I ask which interview? He’s an amazing artist and I love watching interviews with him to catch a glimpse of how he is as a person. He seems to be a really lovely human being.
Lucifer Alpha
@glendakurkimaki5834 I've seen this interview on TikTok too. My tears just rolled down my face. I know that kind of pain.
Rodrigo Paiva
Perfeita definição
zahraa zamir
You only feel it when it's lost
Getting through still has a cost
Quietly, it slips through your fingers love
Falling from you drop by drop
What I had left here
I just held it tight
So someone with your eyes
Might come in time
To hold me like water
Or Christ
Hold me like a knife
We're born at night
So much of our lives
Is just carving through the dark
To get so far
And the hardest part
Is who we are
It's who we are
You and I burned out our steam
Chasing someone else's dream
How can something be so much heavier
But so much less than what it seems
Darling we sacrificed
We gave our time to something undefined
This phantom life
It sharpens like an image
But it sharpens like a knife
We're born at night
So much of our lives
Is just carving through the dark
To get so far
And the hardest part
Is who we are
It's who we are
You only feel it when it's lost
Getting through still has its cost
Quietly, it slips through your fingers love
Falling from you drop by drop
Leburu Leburu
Welcome .Once you go the Hozier way , there's no way out.The only way out is going in deeper.