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.
Would That I
Hozier Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Willow dancing on air before covering me
Under cotton and calicos
Over canopy dappled long ago
True that love in withdrawal was the weeping of me
That the sound of the saw must be known by the tree
Must be felled for to fight the cold
And it's not tonight (ooh-oh-oh-oh)
Where I'm set alight (ooh-oh-oh-oh)
And I blink in sight (ooh-oh-oh-oh)
Your blinding light (ooh-ooh-oh)
Oh, it's not tonight (ooh-oh-oh-oh)
Where you hold me tight (ooh-oh-oh-oh)
Light it fire bright (ooh-ooh-oh)
Oh, let it blaze alright (ooh-ooh-oh)
Oh, but you're good to me
Oh, you're good to me
Oh, but you're good to me, baby
With the roar of the fire my heart rose to its feet
Like the ashes of ash I saw rise in the heat
Settle soft and as pure as snow
I fell in love with the fire long ago
With each love I cut loose
I was never the same
Watching still living roots be consumed by the flame
I was fixed on your hand of gold
Laying waste to my lovin' long ago
And it's not tonight (ooh-oh-oh-oh)
Where I'm set alight (ooh-oh-oh-oh)
And I blink in sight (ooh-ooh-oh)
Your blinding light (ooh-ooh-oh)
Oh, it's not tonight (ooh-oh-oh-oh)
You hold me tight (ooh-oh-oh-oh)
And the fire bright (ooh-ooh-oh)
Oh, let it blaze alright, honey (ooh-ooh-oh)
Oh, but you're good to me
Oh, you're good to me
Oh, but you're good to me, baby
So in awe there I stood
As you licked off the grain
Though I've handled the wood, I still worship the flame
As long as amber of ember glows
All the wood that I'd loved is long ago
And it's not tonight (ooh-oh-oh-oh)
Where I'm set alight (ooh-oh-oh-oh)
And I blink in sight (ooh-ooh-oh)
Of your blinding light (ooh-ooh-oh)
Oh, and it's not tonight (ooh-oh-oh-oh)
When you hold me tight (ooh-oh-oh-oh)
And the fire bright (ooh-ooh-oh)
Oh, let it blaze, alright (ooh-oh-oh-oh)
Oh, but you're good to me
Oh, you're good to me
Oh, but you're good to me
Oh, you're good to me
You're good to me
Oh, but you're good to me, baby
The lyrics to Hozier's "Would That I" are beautifully poetic and evocative. The first verse describes a woman's hair as being like the branches of a willow tree, dancing on air and then covering the singer. This could symbolize the way that love can engulf and cover us. The verse then goes on to mention cotton and calicos, which could represent innocence and simplicity, and a canopy dappled long ago, suggesting that these memories are from a distant past. The singer then reflects on the pain of love in withdrawal, which was like weeping for him. The metaphor of the saw being known by the tree suggests that the pain of separation is also felt by the one who has left, and must be felled like a tree in order to move on.
The chorus repeats twice, with the singer reflecting that it's not tonight where he is set alight and blinks in sight of the woman's blinding light. This could be interpreted as him not being able to handle the intensity of their love or not feeling worthy of it. He then acknowledges that she is good to him, even though he struggles to fully accept her love. The second verse describes the singer's heart rising to its feet with the roar of the fire, connecting the passion of their love to a blazing fire. The ashes of ash rising in the heat could represent the pain of past relationships being burned away. The verse then goes on to describe how the singer was never the same after each love he cut loose, watching still living roots of the previous relationship be consumed by the flame. He acknowledges being fixed on her hand of gold, which could represent her generosity and support. The final verse describes the singer in awe as he watches the object of his affection "lick off the grain," which is a reference to using a tongue to seal a joint in carpentry. He reflects on how he still worships the flame, even though he has handled the wood, connecting his love to the destructive power of fire. The final chorus repeats the refrain that the woman is good to him, even though he struggles to fully embrace her love.
Line by Line Meaning
True that I saw her hair like the branch of a tree
I viewed her beautiful hair as though it was a tree branch
Willow dancing on air before covering me
Her hair was flowing and dancing in the air before eventually covering me
Under cotton and calicos
We were under cotton and calicos (a type of fabric)
Over canopy dappled long ago
Above us was a canopy that had become dappled a long time ago
True that love in withdrawal was the weeping of me
I cried while experiencing love withdrawal
That the sound of the saw must be known by the tree
The tree must be aware of the sound of the saw that will cut it down
Must be felled for to fight the cold
The tree must be cut down to be used as fuel to fight the cold
Fretted fire but that was long ago
The firewood has been prepared and fretted a long time ago
And it's not tonight (ooh-oh-oh-oh)
Tonight is not the night for a particular event, with ooh-oh-oh-oh being a musical interjection
Where I'm set alight (ooh-oh-oh-oh)
Where I ignite and come to life, with ooh-oh-oh-oh being a musical interjection
And I blink in sight (ooh-oh-oh-oh)
I am dazzled by the sight, with ooh-oh-oh-oh being a musical interjection
Your blinding light (ooh-ooh-oh)
Your dazzling light, with ooh-ooh-oh being a musical interjection
Oh, it's not tonight (ooh-oh-oh-oh)
Tonight is not the night for a particular event, with ooh-oh-oh-oh being a musical interjection
Where you hold me tight (ooh-oh-oh-oh)
Where you hug me tightly, with ooh-oh-oh-oh being a musical interjection
Light it fire bright (ooh-ooh-oh)
Light the fire brightly, with ooh-ooh-oh being a musical interjection
Oh, let it blaze alright (ooh-ooh-oh)
Allow the fire to burn brightly and intensely, with ooh-ooh-oh being a musical interjection
Oh, but you're good to me
You are good to me
With the roar of the fire my heart rose to its feet
My heart was filled with joy as the fire roared higher
Like the ashes of ash I saw rise in the heat
I saw the ashes of the ash tree rise in the heat
Settle soft and as pure as snow
The ashes settled gently and resembled fresh snow
I fell in love with the fire long ago
I fell in love with the fire a long time ago
With each love I cut loose
With every love I let go of
I was never the same
I was never the same after each love
Watching still living roots be consumed by the flame
I watched the flames consume the still-living roots
I was fixed on your hand of gold
I was focused on your hand of gold (referring to a wedding ring)
Laying waste to my lovin' long ago
Destroying my past love and moving forward
So in awe there I stood
I stood there in awe
As you licked off the grain
As you licked off the grain of a wooden spoon
Though I've handled the wood, I still worship the flame
Even though I have worked with wood, I still admire the fire
As long as amber of ember glows
As long as the fire is still burning
All the wood that I'd loved is long ago
The wood that I had loved is now gone
Oh, and it's not tonight (ooh-oh-oh-oh)
Tonight is not the night for a particular event, with ooh-oh-oh-oh being a musical interjection
When you hold me tight (ooh-oh-oh-oh)
When you hug me tightly, with ooh-oh-oh-oh being a musical interjection
And the fire bright (ooh-ooh-oh)
And the fire burns brightly, with ooh-ooh-oh being a musical interjection
Oh, let it blaze, alright (ooh-oh-oh-oh)
Allow the fire to burn brightly and intensely, with ooh-oh-oh-oh being a musical interjection
Oh, but you're good to me
You are good to me
You're good to me
You are good to me
Oh, but you're good to me, baby
You are good to me, baby
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Andrew Hozier Byrne
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@pinmint
[Verse 1]
True that I saw her hair like the branch of a tree
A willow dancing on air before covering me
Under cotton and calicoes
Over canopy dappled long ago
True that love in withdrawal was the weepin' of me
That the sound of the saw must be known by the tree
Must be felled for to fight the cold
Fretted fire but that was long ago
[Chorus]
It's not tonight (Oh, oh)
Where I'm set alight (Oh, oh)
And I blink in sight (Oh, oh)
Of your blinding light (Oh, oh)
Oh, it's not tonight (Oh, oh)
Where you hold me tight (Oh, oh)
And the fire bright (Oh, oh)
Oh, let it blaze alright (Oh, oh)
Oh, but you're good to me, oh, you're good to me (Oh, oh)
Oh, but that you're good to me, baby (Oh, oh)
[Verse 2]
With the roar of the fire, my heart rose to its feet
Like the ashes of ash, I saw rise in the heat
Settled soft and as pure as snow
I fell in love with the fire long ago
With each love I cut loose, I was never the same
Watching still-living roots be consumed by the flame
I was fixed on your hand of gold
Layin' waste to my lovin' long ago
[Chorus]
But that's not tonight (Oh, oh)
Where I'm set alight (Oh, oh)
And I blink in sight (Oh, oh)
Of your blinding light (Oh, oh)
And it's not tonight (Oh, oh)
Where you hold me tight (Oh, oh)
And the fire bright (Oh, oh)
Oh, let it blaze alright, honey (Oh, oh)
Oh, but you're good to me, oh, you're good to me (Oh, oh)
Oh, but you're good to me, baby (Oh, oh)
[Verse 3]
So in awe, there I stood as you licked off the grain
Though I've handled the wood, I still worship the flame
As long as amber of ember glows
All the "would" that I'd loved is long ago
[Chorus]
And it's not tonight (Oh, oh)
Where I'm set alight (Oh, oh)
And I blink in sight (Oh, oh)
Of your blinding light (Oh, oh)
Oh, it's not tonight (Oh, oh)
Where you hold me tight (Oh, oh)
And the fire bright (Oh, oh)
Oh, let it blaze alright (Oh, oh)
Oh, you're good to me, oh, you're good to me (Oh, oh)
Oh, but you're good to me (Oh, oh)
Oh, oh, you're good to me, you're good to me (Oh, oh)
Oh, but you're good to me, baby (Oh, oh)
@hawkwood9257
True that I saw her hair like the branch of a tree
Willow dancing on air before covering me
Under cotton and calicoes
Over canopy dead but long ago
True that love in withdrawal was the weeping of me
That the sound of the saw must be known by the tree
Must be felt 'fore the fire get cold
Befriended fire but that was long ago
But that's not tonight (Oooh, oooh)
I'm set alight (Oooh, oooh)
My blinking sun (Oooh, oooh)
Your blinding light (Oooh)
Oh but that's not tonight (Oooh, oooh)
Will you hold me tight? (Oooh, oooh)
Light that fire bright (Oooh, oooh)
Oh, let it blaze all night (Oooh)
Oh, but you're good to me
Oh, you're good to me
Oh, but you're good to me, baby
With the war of the fire my heart moves to its feet
Like the ashes of ash I saw eyes in the heat
Feel it soft and as pure as snow
I fell in love with the fire long ago
With each love I could lose I was never the same
Watching still living roots be consumed by the flame
I was fixed on your hand of gold
Lay in waste of my loving long ago
But that's not tonight (Oooh, oooh)
Well I'm set alight (Oooh, oooh)
My blinking soul (Oooh, oooh)
Your blinding light (Oooh)
Oh that's not tonight (Oooh, oooh)
Will you hold me tight? (Oooh, oooh)
Let that fire burn (Oooh, oooh)
Oh, let it blaze all night honey (Oooh)
Oh, but you're good to me
Oh, you're good to me
Oh, but you're good to me, baby
So in awe there I stood as you licked off the grain
Though I've handled the wood, I still worship the flame
Long as amber of ember glows
All the wood that I'd loved this long ago
But that's not tonight (Oooh, oooh)
I'm set alight (Oooh, oooh)
My blinking soul (Oooh, oooh)
Your blinding light (Oooh)
Oh that's not tonight (Oooh, oooh)
Will you hold me tight? (Oooh, oooh)
Let that fire burn (Oooh, oooh)
Oh, let it blaze all night (Oooh)
Oh, but you're good to me
Oh, you're good to me
Oh, but you're good to
Oh, you're good to me
You're good to me
Oh, you're good to me, baby
@justbreathe7816
Hozier could sing my chemistry assignment and it would sound divine.
@sanaearthfire3833
i was literaly studying chemistry now lololo
@pinnipedwithhumanqualities5276
He could sing my dreadful 8 page report about tonoplast permeability of sugar beets measured from spectrophotometric analysis of betacyanin and I would cry from the sheer beauty.
@anasmouada9538
he could sing my notes and ill get an A
@anti_fragile
@@pinnipedwithhumanqualities5276 i understood some of those words
@mercedesroberts4680
he could sing my economy revision for French history and sound amazing
@smithjohnson3144
This song reminds me of those moments where you’re alone. Not necessary sad or happy, but just existing in the world and contemplating life.
@carriedl1988
It's drinking coffee, in your chair, dim lights, no TV or phone. Just existing. ♥️
@jamilcharles9159
That's me almost all the time when I'm alone omg
@McVet3
Exactly!