The brilliant musical artist, Hozier, took the world by storm in Spring 2015 with his song "Take Me to Church," and is known mostly for this. Since then, some have gained interest in his other songs, but little do they know, Hozier uses each of his songs for much more than music to listen to; he uses his music to tackle socio-cultural issues in the most beautiful of ways.
1. "Take Me to Church"—This song was inspired by the persecution of homosexuals globally, but specifically in Ireland—his home. He notes the mistreatment and hatred aimed at homosexuals from the place that seemingly should offer nothing but love—the church. His music video also depicts the issue in that once the church knows what your sins are, they will hate you because of them, and use your admission to "sharpen [their] knife" that church-goers may turn around and use against you. His lyrics are poignant and bring a sting along with them.
2. "Cherry Wine" —This particular Hozier song captivates you as soon as you hear it. The peaceful tone and the acoustic sounds are used in a backhanded way to convey the pain of domestic violence. His music video stars a couple that seem to be in love. A woman sits at her vanity and stares at her reflection, then the video flashes back to their nights together. Flash-forward to the woman at her vanity and she is taking off her makeup to reveal a black-eye. Hozier's chorus lyrics are "open-hand or closed-fist would be fine, blood is red and sweet as cherry wine." The soft music in contrast with the sharp chorus mimic the cycle that victims of domestic violence face, of love and trust, but also pain and confusion. The proceeds from this song are being given to various domestic abuse charities.
3. "Like Real People Do"—In researching this beautiful song, I discovered that it was inspired by "bog bodies," which are ancient bodies that are preserved quite well due to their environment. Their skin is intact and they clearly resemble humans. I believe that his lyrics, "I could not ask you where you came from, I could not ask and neither could you" pay respect to the mystery of these bodies. We cannot ask them their story and they cannot ask ours. Some speculate that it is clearly about a difficult relationship-take from this song what you will.
Hozier's passion is incredible, and the grit and truth in his lyrics are compelling those who listen. Much of the music that society has deemed popular lacks meaning or depth, but Hozier uses his talent and fame to shed light on societal issues and even history. These are just a few reasons to love Hozier.
