There’s actually an interview where he talks about being a boy in ye olde Ireland and the first time he heard a fox mating sound (which sounds like a woman/child screaming) he was so scared he dropped his flashlight (thus the empty hands line) and ran into the woods to help whoever was screaming-only to find two foxes going at it...
He's lucky. In the American South we have black panthers. They sound like a woman screaming. If you're in the woods at night and hear it, run, run and don't look back.
After listening to the song I thought about Leshy, a forest guardian from the Slavic folklore. This was a pretty scary looking creature, with an animal skull for head and tree-like body. He was not dangerous himself, until someone did harm to his forest. I pictured the protagonist meeting Leshy in the woods and getting scared of him, while the guardian was trying to lead the person away from suicide
Good comparison, but in actual mythology Leshy don't always have skull head, if he does. To be honest, there there a great variety of its description, he can change his look, turn to tree, animal, human, etc
Theory time: The creature and the protagonist are one and the same, they're fleeing not from a corporeal threat but rather a manifestation of ones guilt and regret for taking a life.
New theory: he went into the woods to take his own life. Now in the process of this his past lover comes to him, telling him about what he can have still. After not accepting this, his lover's spirit becomes aggressive and chases him out of dangerous wood that has claimed the lives of many.
@@maddymcdonald4293 Alternate theory: He went into the woods to take his own life after his lover died and upon fearing for his life no longer wants to die but live the life his lover couldn't. How many years I'll bear=the years she could've lived, I found something in the woods somewhere=his new will to live.
Alternate theory: he goes to take his own life the screams were memories of his lover's death the fox was a representation of his soul and how hurt he was but the feelings and reasons for not killing himself came and he found new hope and left.
I always think the groove being so heavy on the third and first beats in this song reminds me of a heartbeat... really gives the song a primal, desperate feel, adrenaline mixed with fear kind of thing...
that must be it! as I listen to this song, I have this unsettling feeling, I don't know what it is. I love it but it makes me scared. too many emotions at once
Everyone is writing about the lyrics and the meaning of the song, which is awesome but let's just take a moment to appreciate the guitars. So haunting, powerful and beautiful.
I adore her. She sings like an Angel. That would be a match made in heaven. I also think he would sound wonderful with the haunting Tori Amos. She is a legend.
Me too. Foxes are my favorite animal. And they always have been. I'm obsessed with them. This song makes me so uneasy and I always believe it has to do with the injured fox and how clear the imagery is
@@kitkass1848 Well, I always comfort myself with this thought: The guy didn't get a chance to kill the fox and then he ran away and distracted the beast. So the fox had time to run and hide. And since foxes are so resilient, there's a good chance he survived 🌼🦊
Two days after my husband died I walked into a tea shop and this haunting song was playing. It was no coincidence. The sadness and pain in the music was exactly what I was feeling. When I looked up the lyrics I could so relate to parts of it.
*LYRICS* My head was warm My skin was soaked. I called your name 'til the fever broke When I awoke The moon still hung The night so black that the darkness hums I raised myself My legs were weak I prayed my mind be good to me An awful noise Filled the air I heard a scream in the woods somewhere A woman's voice I quickly ran Into the trees with empty hand’s A fox it was He shook afraid I spoke no words, no sound he made His bone exposed His hind was lame I raised a stone to end his pain What caused the wound how large the teeth I saw new eyes were watching me The creature lunged I turned and ran To save a life I didn't have Deer in the chase There as I flew Forgot all prayers of joining you I clutched my life And wished it kept My dearest love I'm not done yet How many years I know I'll bear I found something in the woods somewhere
I can't remember if it was confirmed or not but I remember reading that the song is inspired by Inferno from Dante's Divine Comedy, specifically one of the circles Dante has to traverse with Vigil - Woods of suicide where men who died by their own hand were chased endlessly by hound-like creatures in a dark forest. While Dante himself wasn't chased the song references the 'dearest love' that Dante was chasing, and also the line 'I turned and ran to save a life I didn't have' implies the man is already dead, and has been wandering the woods for 'many years'.
the suicides ARE the trees in that forest, that is their punishment for taking their own life. the ones being chased around by hounds among them in the same circle of Hell are a different sort of damned, those who squandered their wealth. also, Dante is not dead in the Comedy and is not chasing Beatrice (his love), he's traversing the realms of the afterlife while still living, as an allegory for spiritual purification after finding himself lost in life. He's going to meet her at the end of Purgatory and she'll be his guide throughout Paradise, but she was already there waiting for him, as she's the one who made his journey possible by interceding for him with God. source: my name is Beatrice. I know this stuff. :D
I lost my Dad 2 years ago. He was beat to death at his Pizza place. Lost my son's Dad to suicide in August. Lost. I lost my home to a fire. No insurance. I understand Dante's inferno. I'm living it. Screaming to be released from THIS hell. But I have my son I'm terrified to not help him become a Man
Everyone: The beast.. is an embodiment of his fear and guilt... he craves his lover to the point where he wants to die to join her.... Hozier himself: hehe foxes do the do do
Ok I know people hate when others write this, but Dark season 3 brought me here. This is one of the most beautiful and haunting songs I've ever heard I cant stop listening to it. I also reccomend the netflix series Dark its final season was just released today it's an awesome show.
"A person lives three lives. The first ends with the loss of naivete, the second with the loss of innocence, and the third with the loss of life itself." #DarkNetflix
I feel like the person feels guilty over the death of someone they loved. They could have done something but they were too scared too. After that, they fell into a dark place but a near brush with death reminded them how much they wanted to live. The thing they found in the woods was their will to live again.
This man beautifully talks about loneliness, our demons and our struggle to save others and ourselves. How this becomes a reality check when we finally realises the fact that this is only an egotistical illusion that we can save anyone or that we are NOT alone. We are alone even when we are together because of what we are, mere evolved animals. At best glorified predatory mammals. After this realization he talks about how painful of a reality it is and how those attempts create perpetual bleeding scars. Then after he grieves himself he realises that the only salvation is to be good to himself and to be happy for at least trying to help but now without the selfishness...While he is still mourning the horrors that take place. The causes he can not see, only theorize. The effects that he clearly can hopelessly witness... He is a true poet, take me to church also is written by him he reminds me of Paolo Nutini's Iron sky The depth of poetry I mean. The music of course helps the words to be etched on and into the mind...
This transports me to the night I lost my baby. I asked to die when I knew he wouldn't make it. They gave me morphine and it stopped his heart. I woke up drenched in fever sweat to the sound of a baby crying that night and saw pure blackness in the corner. And I believe it was death. He was there because I asked to die. He was standing next to the window I had considered jumping out of. the fox was my son. And I found death. And I will carry that for the rest or my life. This song, especially the chorus gives me chills. Even if it's based on foxes screwing. Art, once created, takes on something bigger than you that you can't control. And that's why it means so much.
@@elko9871 thank you. I'm doing a lot better. It does get better. But it will always be a part of me. Grief is just love with no place to go. This song, and singing Hozier helped me heal. Amazing artist.
@@athenabattaglia9255 Your healing words have the power to heal others along the way. Thanks for this: Grief is just love with no place to go. I needed that.
@@athenabattaglia9255 damn, my ma went through something similar. My brother died 17 years ago after being born just 2 days prior and she was so miserable that she wrote in her diary how she wanted to kill herself. It wasn't surprising, but still sucked reading that. She's doing well better thankfully, but always remember that there is always someone else going through a path identical to yours
Investigating the lyrics from a conservation perspective, and go: The wounded fox made no noise, therefore we can say with confidence that the fox did not omit the sound he heard that lured him to the woods. Therefore, the attacking creature would have been responsible for the sound. The sound was “a woman’s voice”. What animal is known to make a terrifying noise that is often mistaken for a woman in distress? Mountain Lion. To back this theory, consider what happens when he finds the fox. Nothing at first. He was alone with the fox until “new eyes” were watching him. Mountain Lions are ambush predators. Known for stalking and watching. The likely story: Mountain Lion attacks fox. Human runs into the woods. The ML heard the approaching human and hides in a tree or brush. Human shows up, ML watches and waits. Mountain lion lunges, which is how they attack. This song likely had a different meaning or origin, but going strictly by lyrics this is the most *logical* evaluation.
Yeah, but also, it could have been a forest cryptid. Also, Mountain lions rarely attack humans. If it wanted to get the human off it's prey it would have made noise to scare the human away, not lunging directly at it. Mountain lions are a bit more skittish and fearful than that.
Fever = Shock Scream = Old Memories Woods = Depression Fox = Misery Monster = Death Thank you for coming to my extremely brief TEDTalk about how it could be interpreted. Personally I like the Dante, fantasy, Dark Souls, and werewolf ideas, too :P (my hands are immobile theyre so cold rn, or i would type more, lol. ow.)
@@ΓιώργοςΑλμπακρής hahaha holy crap I never made that connection!! Why were so so endearing then after the breakdown...creepy! Loved the tangled webs❤️
This reminds me kind of the actor who played Jar Jar Binks. He did this interview where he talked about how the overwhelming hate he got over the role, a role he thought he did well on and was told by the crew that he did great but was hated so vehemently by fans, that he almost jumped off a bridge. However, while he was standing there a gust of wind nearly knocked him down but he caught himself at the last moment. Then he realized that if he wanted to die so badly, he wouldnt have caught himself and then he got off the bridge. That's what the song is about right? A man who lost someone and wanted to die, to put himself out of his misery like he was going to do to the fox, but realized while fleeing a terrible creature that his fear of death meant he still wanted to live.
I like this interpretation. The person in the song killed someone and is going to bury them in the woods but whilst they’re digging some kind of ethereal beast is stalking them.
I bought this album on a whim, having only heard a couple songs. I decided to listen to it going to bed, and this one came on when I was half asleep and totally creeped me out. I couldn’t sleep for like two hours afterwards. I love it though.
Could be one of the ireland fairies the woman in green luring men into the woods so they can take their lives. Tale goes that each one can rise up once a full moon each year and they feast on blood, they use their songs the way a siren would and sometimes woman are took to create new ones.
Okay everyone has theories. Mine is that the creature is suicide. The narrator lost someone, and in his despair he seeks to end his life. So many stories of people out there that attempt suicide, off a bridge or whatever else, but in that brief moment before death, they completely regret it and cling desperately to life. A lot of these people find God in the line between life and death. Maybe that’s what out in the woods.
@@stinkingyeti well its not all depressing because by the end of the song he finds the will to carry on and live hence the line "My dearest love I'm not done yet." So kinda bittersweet and a little inspiring even though its dark at first.
i heard this song for the first time when my grandmother died. We were connected so strongly to each other even if i'm adopted. We were born on the same month and same day! This song is so memorable to me, but in a good way. It helped me a lot! Thank you! And thanks to Hozier too!
Everyone can feel this song differently... To me it feels so much as a second Chance, glancing death and holding to life, and feeling the courage to say that even in the darkest nights " I'm not done yet", i love how it sends alot of contradicting feelings....making me feel that I'm my first and last supporter, i should forgive my mistakes, i should do more mistakes, i feel empty, i feel alive, i feel terrorized, but I'll choose this no matter what. "My dearest love, I'm not done yet"
I love the feeling of dread this song brings with it along with unease and fear it's an unimaginably scary situation to be in and the music tells it well
The way I interpret this song is kinda personal. I see the woods as a representative of life, easy to get turned around. The animals represent people that have partaked in a relationship. The wounded Fox is an ex of a boy/girl who had left him/her broken and defeated. The deer is the hope for the onlooker, bringing him/her further into the woods to find the beast (he/she). The beast itself is the boy/girl traveling life hurting other people. Once the onlooker had interacted with the beast and seen what it as he/she ran. Something I should've done.
Found this song when I got home from work. On the drive home I let go finally I took the bag cut it open poured it out on the ground stomped it out and began the process of saving my life a life I never had. A life I had been running from as long as I can remember. I let go and took control of me finally. This all happened yesterday. And already I feel free. I hope everyone that comes here finds what they are looking for. I found me finally and i didn't even know I was looking for me. Good luck travellers ❤
I was reading a particularly sad chapter in a fanfiction that pulled on too many heartstrings, and now the song, no matter how haunting, just makes me feel so heavy and sad as it reminds me of the two characters breaking up and suffering apart from each other because of frigging miscommunication 😭
Just did the Borderlands 2 reference to Dark Souls. You have to run across a lake of acid to a little tiny island. You see a warrior sitting on the rock, staring at a fire with other essence's popping in and out of existence around it.
A girl cursed to become a werewolf. "I called your name till the fever broke" - old legend states if you say a werewolf's name they return to human form. The process of becoming a werewolf is extremely painful, thus the scream he heard. "A women's voice, I quickly ran" He hears her screaming his name, and he goes to help her. She injures a fox, and that's who he finds, but the werewolf does not recognize her love in this form. "How large the teeth?" He runs. He knows the secret she hid. "New eyes were watching me" He recognizes that this creature is not his love. That she is gone in this form. "Forgot all prayers of joining you" He had known she was suffering, and had followed her before to help. He now realizes why he shouldnt have come. "My dearest love, I'm not done yet" He knows shes needs him. But hes not done trying to help her.
One of my closest friends walked home from school and saw a half dead dove. It was torn and ripped apart for most of the lower part of its body but the head was still twitching and the eyes moving, supposedly in the agony of a shattered body. This creature was in pain. So he lifted a in comparision to the remainders of the dove body big stone from the ground nearby and let it fall down on it to end its pain. Really felt him singing about doing the same to this fox. It sure had an impact
I used to have a recurring nightmare about being blind, and lost in the woods, with danger around me. I was raised in Polish countryside, deep in the woods. This incredible song helped me deal with what I witnessed
For me, Hozier's tale of hearing mating foxes in the dark woods as a boy doesn't detract one bit from the visceral earthiness of this song..why would it? The drums and the primal cry in his voice says it all.
I don't have any theories, but listening to this song makes me want to run in a cold forest Nothing poetic here, I often run around forests on cold days and I have a playlist for songs like this You guys have any songs for me to add to it? Tnks
i’ve got quite a few :0 Meet Me In The Woods - Lord Huron Milk - The 1975 Thus Always to Tyrants - The Oh Hellos I’ll Believe in Anything - Wolf Parade Whisper - Dear Hunter
What I got from the song was it was about someone who lost their loved one. They go into the woods to commit suicide, but the fear of death and ending ones life(the chase) makes them realize they still have a desire to live, despite the pain of not having their loved one with them anymore. It’s a beautiful song and could see it helping support those who’ve lost ones they’ve loved.
My interpretation of this song seems kinda generic but it's all i can say without getting too deep. Hozier tells a story about a man who has fell into an extremely deep depression and he finally decides to kill himself to end his misery. As he heads to the woods with a rope/or a gun, he hears a cry from the inside that he mistakes for a woman's voice. In a hurry to help, he drops the rope/weapon. When he finds the source of the scream he finds it to only be a severely injured fox, a huge wound on it's legs. He wonders what could've caused this kind of damage. He decides to put it out of its misery with a stone, but that's when he notices that he's not alone and he feels a pair of eerie eyes watching him. It reveals itself to be a beast (which I can only assume to be the threat of death) and it begins to chase him. He runs from it. As he's running, he wonders why he's trying to escape death when he craved it so badly. Looking back at the beast behind him, he completely abandons all suicidal thoughts and he escapes the woods. Having that traumatic experience, he realizes how much he wants to live and how he must figure out continue on or the beast will find him again. Thanks, I know it seems straight to the point and obvious but I don't really wanna go into it too much 😂😂
pєαchєsαndpєppєrs yes I had the same interpretation except for a few details. The guy lost the love of his life, and couldn’t bear to live without them, so he went to the woods to kill himself. I think from the first lyrics, it sounds as if he DID try to kill himself with some sort of poison or pills - something that caused a high fever and sweating. But it didn’t work and he woke up in the middle of the night and heard the scream. What you said followed. But yeah, I think he wanted to die because he lost his love. But his survival instincts and discovery of what lay in the woods made him change his mind. He says, “There as I flew Forgot all prayers of joining you. I clutched my life And wished it kept. My dearest love I'm not done yet”
Can I add that the last line of him apologizing to his dearest love that he found something in the woods somewhere can be interpreted as him finding the will to go on.
Hi I’m Irish and believe me the land I love and walk upon everyday has something special the feeling you get from the ground the threes the sounds the woods in Ireland gives you the presence of something great wonderful. Beautiful is here it’s everything it’s old very old it’s peace
Never heard of Hozier before until I watched the Netflix series "DarK". This song was great, I showed so many people, turns out everyone knew him and he's super famous.. haha :'D
These comments crack me up-I remember the first time I heard a fox screaming. 14, I grabbed a light and ran into the trees barefoot to see what it was. I honestly couldnt have done anything if I found someone, I didnt have a phone and I didnt wake up my parents. Came home hours later with cut up feet. I love this song bc it's so genuinely literal to me. I dont know that I've experienced everything packed in here in any one wandering thru the woods, but I've certainly done all of this at some point and just the mood of being depressed and suicidal beyond belief and climbing out my window at night to wander around hoping I died-just to end up running from a pack of coyotes all the way home and forgetting i wanted to be dead until i was back in bed? That's so real here, and I'm still shook on my hundredth listen. Wow. Hozier has a gift of putting private, sorta sacred feelings into words.
I believe him to be the fox, too badly hurt from the loss of someone he loved and believing that his only option was to put himself out of his own misery by ending his life. The creature is the manifestation of whatever or whomever it was that drove him away from following through with his plans, seemingly at the last minute, and out of the woods (his dark state of depression).
I imagine the guy losing his lover in a tragedy (by the hands of a monster or bandit perhaps). That the sorrow overwhelms him, especially at night when our thoughts become deeper and clearer. I imagine that the nights always felt incredibly long (the moon still hung) and when he awoke sweating and calling her name, it's coz he gets night terrors as a form of PTSD. When he heard the scream in the woods, he heard a women's voice when it was really a fox's cry. Sometimes with PTSD, people think of things when they see or hear certain sounds. Knights used to hear battle and fighting when pots knocked and made a noise, from their PTSD. He heard the scream and heard his lover scream when she was tragically taken. So he runs to help her. He suffers from PTSD. I also see him wanting to die and not carry on due to his sorrows (my prayers of joining you) but when the creature in the woods tries to kill him, he realises that he isn't ready to die. He doesn't want to, so he runs and realizes how close to death he actually was, the thing he's been longing for, yet realising how that is far from the path he wants to follow when it was actually staring him in the face, so he finds a new redemption where he decides that he will not kill himself or long for it anymore, because he's not done yet. He's going to be strong and carry on for her. I found something in the woods somewhere. I find that part to not only be the creature, but also his new found redemption. As for killing the fox, I just find that he killed it out of a merciful act because it was just the right thing to do, but I also like to imagine him wanting to find out more about this thing in the woods. It's more of a scene and story I imagine in my head, rather than the metaphorical meanings personally. I love how this song is open to whatever you make it
![[GMV] IN THE WOODS SOMEWHERE - DARK SOULS TRILOGY](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/b6GEW3zqLWo/mqdefault.jpg)
There’s actually an interview where he talks about being a boy in ye olde Ireland and the first time he heard a fox mating sound (which sounds like a woman/child screaming) he was so scared he dropped his flashlight (thus the empty hands line) and ran into the woods to help whoever was screaming-only to find two foxes going at it...
That's honestly really funny
I can't take this song seriously anymore
Shit I just discovered this sound and firstly I read a comment and now I'm only see those foxes and scared hozier XD
He's lucky. In the American South we have black panthers. They sound like a woman screaming. If you're in the woods at night and hear it, run, run and don't look back.
Eiva I agree, but it did make me laugh
the part where he said eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeEEEEEeeeeeeeeeeeeeEEEEEEEEeeeeee e e e really hit me hard, man
It really did though 😂
lmaoo😂
😂😂😂
@Amber Buckley i believe they're talking about 3:15
So deep lol
After listening to the song I thought about Leshy, a forest guardian from the Slavic folklore. This was a pretty scary looking creature, with an animal skull for head and tree-like body. He was not dangerous himself, until someone did harm to his forest. I pictured the protagonist meeting Leshy in the woods and getting scared of him, while the guardian was trying to lead the person away from suicide
so, the lorax?
@@sveto.resnje.telo6 the lorax but on horror-steroids
Reminds me of Elias from the magus bride
Good comparison, but in actual mythology Leshy don't always have skull head, if he does. To be honest, there there a great variety of its description, he can change his look, turn to tree, animal, human, etc
@@tatumadams2977 I think Elias is a vendigo. His body seems like it's been frozen , defintely not treelike.
Theory time: The creature and the protagonist are one and the same, they're fleeing not from a corporeal threat but rather a manifestation of ones guilt and regret for taking a life.
New theory: he went into the woods to take his own life. Now in the process of this his past lover comes to him, telling him about what he can have still. After not accepting this, his lover's spirit becomes aggressive and chases him out of dangerous wood that has claimed the lives of many.
@@maddymcdonald4293 Alternate theory: He went into the woods to take his own life after his lover died and upon fearing for his life no longer wants to die but live the life his lover couldn't. How many years I'll bear=the years she could've lived, I found something in the woods somewhere=his new will to live.
We're getting real crazy with these theories lol
@@maddymcdonald4293 Hozier is actually a monster in the Blair Witch Project. haha
Alternate theory: he goes to take his own life the screams were memories of his lover's death the fox was a representation of his soul and how hurt he was but the feelings and reasons for not killing himself came and he found new hope and left.
Everyone: *gives deep and insightful theory about the song*
Me: .....werewolves
LizzieDlove Werewolves aren’t real
I was actually thinking Shia Lebouf
@@demonwolf348 Aw damn. Such a shame. What ever will I theorize now? Woe is me!
@@stinkingyeti 🎶~Shia Labouf~🎶
LizzieDlove Lol well it could always be a neckbeard
I always think the groove being so heavy on the third and first beats in this song reminds me of a heartbeat... really gives the song a primal, desperate feel, adrenaline mixed with fear kind of thing...
Yes
that must be it! as I listen to this song, I have this unsettling feeling, I don't know what it is. I love it but it makes me scared. too many emotions at once
Everyone is writing about the lyrics and the meaning of the song, which is awesome but let's just take a moment to appreciate the guitars. So haunting, powerful and beautiful.
Fun fact, it has no alternate meaning. He truly just wrote it as the story it is. It’s just supposed to be Creepy 🤙
YESSSSS those guitars💚
@@l0g1cl22 Well, no story is "just" a story. All stories could be mined for meaning. Whether this meaning is intentional or not does vary.
Imagine... Hozier and AURORA working together
YES!
Yessss
My pan heart would die
I WOULD DIE
I adore her. She sings like an Angel. That would be a match made in heaven. I also think he would sound wonderful with the haunting Tori Amos. She is a legend.
Y’all are theorizing and I’m over here crying over a fox
Me too. Foxes are my favorite animal. And they always have been. I'm obsessed with them. This song makes me so uneasy and I always believe it has to do with the injured fox and how clear the imagery is
@@kitkass1848 Well, I always comfort myself with this thought: The guy didn't get a chance to kill the fox and then he ran away and distracted the beast. So the fox had time to run and hide. And since foxes are so resilient, there's a good chance he survived 🌼🦊
@@carlinkag2525 with exposed bone? blood loss? i think not.
@@mrsgamer9218 Who shat in your cereal?
@@carlinkag2525 you
Found this in the series "DARK" and I was standing with eyes and mouth wide open... Couldn't believe what my ears experiencing....! Amazing....!!
My thoughts EXACTLY!!
Hits my SOUL just right
Two days after my husband died I walked into a tea shop and this haunting song was playing. It was no coincidence. The sadness and pain in the music was exactly what I was feeling. When I looked up the lyrics I could so relate to parts of it.
*LYRICS*
My head was warm
My skin was soaked.
I called your name 'til the fever broke
When I awoke
The moon still hung
The night so black that the darkness hums
I raised myself
My legs were weak
I prayed my mind be good to me
An awful noise
Filled the air
I heard a scream in the woods somewhere
A woman's voice
I quickly ran
Into the trees with empty hand’s
A fox it was
He shook afraid
I spoke no words, no sound he made
His bone exposed
His hind was lame
I raised a stone to end his pain
What caused the wound
how large the teeth
I saw new eyes were watching me
The creature lunged
I turned and ran
To save a life I didn't have
Deer in the chase
There as I flew
Forgot all prayers of joining you
I clutched my life
And wished it kept
My dearest love I'm not done yet
How many years
I know I'll bear
I found something in the woods somewhere
Fri Day i actually needed this comment XD so thanks to them
its a uh... lyric video.
many people find it easier to sing along when the lyrics are right in front of you and don't appear a milisecond before the singer starts to sing, so
It bothers me that the last three stanzas aren't separated 😭 but I really appreciate that you posted the lyrics 😊 thank you
I've been listening to this for 33 years and I will listen 33 more.
The beginning is the end and the end is the beginning.
The never ending cycle of time travel❤️
This only came out six years ago. What realms have you travelled to? Did you meet hozier along the way?
@@gracewhitworthmather9379 he’s quoting from Dark. The cycle repeats itself lol. Poor Tannhaus 😔
Hahahahahhahahahaha
another classy Dark fan, i see :))
I'm LIVING for these ominous ethereal vibes
Hozier: I'm not a fae lol
Hoziet:*posts this song*
Hozier: yup. Haha. 😅
When did Hozier say he wasn't a fae
I think he said it on a interview or somthing sorry I dont know more
I know correlation doesn't equal causation buuutttt...
I need sources!
Y'all want SOURCES?! I only have one!! Avert your eyes to Hozier Tumble Q&A at 7:35
FINALLY, They put a Hozier song in dark. That episode is one of a kind🥺
Phenomenal episode... Superb show
Yesssss
This song calms my soul but fills my mind with energy. I almost fell 100 years older listening to this
OMG! SAME HERE!!
I can't remember if it was confirmed or not but I remember reading that the song is inspired by Inferno from Dante's Divine Comedy, specifically one of the circles Dante has to traverse with Vigil - Woods of suicide where men who died by their own hand were chased endlessly by hound-like creatures in a dark forest. While Dante himself wasn't chased the song references the 'dearest love' that Dante was chasing, and also the line 'I turned and ran to save a life I didn't have' implies the man is already dead, and has been wandering the woods for 'many years'.
pretty sure he caught two foxes fucking in the woods, but idk
Actually The people Who committed suicide in Dante’s inferno are turned into trees...
All the deep shit is based in Dante's divine comedy.
the suicides ARE the trees in that forest, that is their punishment for taking their own life. the ones being chased around by hounds among them in the same circle of Hell are a different sort of damned, those who squandered their wealth.
also, Dante is not dead in the Comedy and is not chasing Beatrice (his love), he's traversing the realms of the afterlife while still living, as an allegory for spiritual purification after finding himself lost in life. He's going to meet her at the end of Purgatory and she'll be his guide throughout Paradise, but she was already there waiting for him, as she's the one who made his journey possible by interceding for him with God.
source: my name is Beatrice. I know this stuff. :D
I lost my Dad 2 years ago. He was beat to death at his Pizza place. Lost my son's Dad to suicide in August. Lost. I lost my home to a fire. No insurance. I understand Dante's inferno. I'm living it. Screaming to be released from THIS hell. But I have my son
I'm terrified to not help him become a Man
I love how Hozier's songs allow people to have so many different interpretations. He is a poet indeed!
Everyone else: *has theories about what it's about, making then specific*
Me: *apocalypse noises*
The "My dearest love" in the end always gives me endless chills
Hes a werewolf y'all. Hozier is a werewolf
Or a fae/fairy, and attacked something/one for killin a fox and is telling this in their POV. Or, this is his POV after said thing above happened.
I hear werewolf trust me
This is the most haunting thing I have ever heard. I love it.
Everyone: The beast.. is an embodiment of his fear and guilt... he craves his lover to the point where he wants to die to join her....
Hozier himself: hehe foxes do the do do
"his bone exposed" 😏
Yup.
The meaning of this song is heart breaking but beautiful at same time..
Ok I know people hate when others write this, but Dark season 3 brought me here. This is one of the most beautiful and haunting songs I've ever heard I cant stop listening to it. I also reccomend the netflix series Dark its final season was just released today it's an awesome show.
@@moistbean3345 Found a real man.
Dark Souls 3 brought me here
Whatever opens the door...
What is it about? Also what is the rating?
Two years later, the Knot brought me here
Dark anyone?
Still can't get over it.
This is such a hypnotic song. I listen to it on repeat and let myself soak in the depth of this song
Elizabeth and Noah...
Ashen One and the Firekeeper...
We’re listening to this for one reason or another
"A person lives three lives. The first ends with the loss of naivete, the second with the loss of innocence, and the third with the loss of life itself." #DarkNetflix
🖤🖤🖤🖤 #Dark
I feel like the person feels guilty over the death of someone they loved. They could have done something but they were too scared too. After that, they fell into a dark place but a near brush with death reminded them how much they wanted to live. The thing they found in the woods was their will to live again.
Star Cooperman yup
Woe that's romantic
Everyone:
Me: ....Dark Souls.
that's exactly how i discovered this song
same i love the song goes well with that ds3 trailer
Tis dark for now and not a soul stirs...
@@leighgeyaharamanley6414 fires are known to fade in choir...
*All*
*Will be*
*Revealed*
This song is my ideal aesthetic
"to save a life I didn't have" damn. I can't get over these lyrics
This man beautifully talks about loneliness, our demons and our struggle to save others and ourselves. How this becomes a reality check when we finally realises the fact that this is only an egotistical illusion that we can save anyone or that we are NOT alone. We are alone even when we are together because of what we are, mere evolved animals. At best glorified predatory mammals.
After this realization he talks about how painful of a reality it is and how those attempts create perpetual bleeding scars.
Then after he grieves himself he realises that the only salvation is to be good to himself and to be happy for at least trying to help but now without the selfishness...While he is still mourning the horrors that take place. The causes he can not see, only theorize. The effects that he clearly can hopelessly witness...
He is a true poet, take me to church also is written by him he reminds me of Paolo Nutini's Iron sky The depth of poetry I mean.
The music of course helps the words to be etched on and into the mind...
He once said that he had a dream about having to fight a horse that was attacking some kids and it inspired this song
When he said "eeeeeeeEEEEEEeeeeeeeeEEEEEEeeeeeeeee", I felt that in my soul.
This transports me to the night I lost my baby. I asked to die when I knew he wouldn't make it. They gave me morphine and it stopped his heart. I woke up drenched in fever sweat to the sound of a baby crying that night and saw pure blackness in the corner. And I believe it was death. He was there because I asked to die. He was standing next to the window I had considered jumping out of.
the fox was my son. And I found death. And I will carry that for the rest or my life. This song, especially the chorus gives me chills. Even if it's based on foxes screwing. Art, once created, takes on something bigger than you that you can't control. And that's why it means so much.
I teared up reading your story. I hope you're doing better now. Stay strong. ❤
@@elko9871 thank you. I'm doing a lot better. It does get better. But it will always be a part of me. Grief is just love with no place to go. This song, and singing Hozier helped me heal. Amazing artist.
@@athenabattaglia9255 Your healing words have the power to heal others along the way. Thanks for this: Grief is just love with no place to go. I needed that.
Athena Battaglia WOW.
@@athenabattaglia9255 damn, my ma went through something similar. My brother died 17 years ago after being born just 2 days prior and she was so miserable that she wrote in her diary how she wanted to kill herself. It wasn't surprising, but still sucked reading that. She's doing well better thankfully, but always remember that there is always someone else going through a path identical to yours
Was looking for a band called In the Woods and stumbled upon this song. Good God. Such a powerful song. The lyrics really cut into me
Investigating the lyrics from a conservation perspective, and go:
The wounded fox made no noise, therefore we can say with confidence that the fox did not omit the sound he heard that lured him to the woods. Therefore, the attacking creature would have been responsible for the sound.
The sound was “a woman’s voice”. What animal is known to make a terrifying noise that is often mistaken for a woman in distress? Mountain Lion.
To back this theory, consider what happens when he finds the fox. Nothing at first. He was alone with the fox until “new eyes” were watching him. Mountain Lions are ambush predators. Known for stalking and watching.
The likely story: Mountain Lion attacks fox. Human runs into the woods. The ML heard the approaching human and hides in a tree or brush. Human shows up, ML watches and waits. Mountain lion lunges, which is how they attack.
This song likely had a different meaning or origin, but going strictly by lyrics this is the most *logical* evaluation.
Good deduction... no poetry. Don't fly that low, get higher. )
The fox made no noise after being found, not necessarily before that.
Yeah, but also, it could have been a forest cryptid.
Also, Mountain lions rarely attack humans. If it wanted to get the human off it's prey it would have made noise to scare the human away, not lunging directly at it.
Mountain lions are a bit more skittish and fearful than that.
Fever = Shock
Scream = Old Memories
Woods = Depression
Fox = Misery
Monster = Death
Thank you for coming to my extremely brief TEDTalk about how it could be interpreted. Personally I like the Dante, fantasy, Dark Souls, and werewolf ideas, too :P (my hands are immobile theyre so cold rn, or i would type more, lol. ow.)
Came here after watching DARK season 3 which features this awesome song. I'm glad I found it!
This is possibly one of the most artistically arresting songs I've ever heard.... I love it
My poor babies Elisabeth and Noah deserved better :(
I wanted to see them happy together in the end 😭
Ah yes, our favourite woman-granddad couple.
Spoilers guys! Wouldn't want to ruin the show for anyone
You know noah is her grandfather right?
@@ΓιώργοςΑλμπακρής hahaha holy crap I never made that connection!! Why were so so endearing then after the breakdown...creepy! Loved the tangled webs❤️
This reminds me kind of the actor who played Jar Jar Binks. He did this interview where he talked about how the overwhelming hate he got over the role, a role he thought he did well on and was told by the crew that he did great but was hated so vehemently by fans, that he almost jumped off a bridge. However, while he was standing there a gust of wind nearly knocked him down but he caught himself at the last moment. Then he realized that if he wanted to die so badly, he wouldnt have caught himself and then he got off the bridge.
That's what the song is about right? A man who lost someone and wanted to die, to put himself out of his misery like he was going to do to the fox, but realized while fleeing a terrible creature that his fear of death meant he still wanted to live.
This song makes me feel dangerous, like I killed someone and buried them in the woods. That’s it. That’s the interpretation.
Its ya boi _
...oddly specific...
Same
Ok but,,, I feel like the beast in the song,,, like, that's the character I vibe with
Funny, it makes me feel like I was killed by someone and buried in the woods
I like this interpretation. The person in the song killed someone and is going to bury them in the woods but whilst they’re digging some kind of ethereal beast is stalking them.
I bought this album on a whim, having only heard a couple songs. I decided to listen to it going to bed, and this one came on when I was half asleep and totally creeped me out. I couldn’t sleep for like two hours afterwards. I love it though.
Could be one of the ireland fairies the woman in green luring men into the woods so they can take their lives. Tale goes that each one can rise up once a full moon each year and they feast on blood, they use their songs the way a siren would and sometimes woman are took to create new ones.
oh to be a fairy in the woods of Ireland luring men to their bloody deaths with my singing.
Damn. Might weave that into my book. That's as haunting as anything I've ever read.
Okay everyone has theories. Mine is that the creature is suicide. The narrator lost someone, and in his despair he seeks to end his life. So many stories of people out there that attempt suicide, off a bridge or whatever else, but in that brief moment before death, they completely regret it and cling desperately to life. A lot of these people find God in the line between life and death. Maybe that’s what out in the woods.
Zalkar That's beautiful, I love it.
Sheet, i prefer werewolves, at least it doesn't depress me.
@@stinkingyeti well its not all depressing because by the end of the song he finds the will to carry on and live hence the line "My dearest love I'm not done yet." So kinda bittersweet and a little inspiring even though its dark at first.
@@mrfizz55 Yeah but if he's saying i'm not done yet after he's jumped from a bridge, still depressing.
Sick guy wakes up in the woods, kills a fox, and spooks himself. Sounds like my old hangover days.
i heard this song for the first time when my grandmother died. We were connected so strongly to each other even if i'm adopted. We were born on the same month and same day! This song is so memorable to me, but in a good way. It helped me a lot! Thank you! And thanks to Hozier too!
Everyone can feel this song differently... To me it feels so much as a second Chance, glancing death and holding to life, and feeling the courage to say that even in the darkest nights " I'm not done yet", i love how it sends alot of contradicting feelings....making me feel that I'm my first and last supporter, i should forgive my mistakes, i should do more mistakes, i feel empty, i feel alive, i feel terrorized, but I'll choose this no matter what.
"My dearest love, I'm not done yet"
Praise the sun ☀️
All I’m gonna say for those who remember lol
And so it is, *that Ash Seeketh Embers...*
Best trailer and game
lol
I love the feeling of dread this song brings with it along with unease and fear it's an unimaginably scary situation to be in and the music tells it well
I´VE BEEN A FAN OF HOZIER FOR A LONG TIME,WHEN THIS SONG WAS PLAYED ON DARK I WAS SO HAPPY
My favorite of all his songs I've heard so far....
It’s so amazing that everyone has a different monster in the woods that made those sounds
The way I interpret this song is kinda personal. I see the woods as a representative of life, easy to get turned around. The animals represent people that have partaked in a relationship. The wounded Fox is an ex of a boy/girl who had left him/her broken and defeated. The deer is the hope for the onlooker, bringing him/her further into the woods to find the beast (he/she). The beast itself is the boy/girl traveling life hurting other people. Once the onlooker had interacted with the beast and seen what it as he/she ran. Something I should've done.
that was deep!!
i just realized... the “something” he found at 4:44 is no longer the fox. it’s the will he found in the forest to stay alive.
Found this song when I got home from work. On the drive home I let go finally I took the bag cut it open poured it out on the ground stomped it out and began the process of saving my life a life I never had. A life I had been running from as long as I can remember. I let go and took control of me finally. This all happened yesterday. And already I feel free. I hope everyone that comes here finds what they are looking for. I found me finally and i didn't even know I was looking for me. Good luck travellers ❤
two years later, hope you're doin well man
I was reading a particularly sad chapter in a fanfiction that pulled on too many heartstrings, and now the song, no matter how haunting, just makes me feel so heavy and sad as it reminds me of the two characters breaking up and suffering apart from each other because of frigging miscommunication 😭
"You'll face death... Enough death to Leave you Broken..."
Just did the Borderlands 2 reference to Dark Souls. You have to run across a lake of acid to a little tiny island. You see a warrior sitting on the rock, staring at a fire with other essence's popping in and out of existence around it.
the way the song progresses is so incredibly beautiful
Such a hauntingly beautiful song. Thank you Dark for turning me onto this.
A girl cursed to become a werewolf.
"I called your name till the fever broke" - old legend states if you say a werewolf's name they return to human form.
The process of becoming a werewolf is extremely painful, thus the scream he heard.
"A women's voice, I quickly ran"
He hears her screaming his name, and he goes to help her.
She injures a fox, and that's who he finds, but the werewolf does not recognize her love in this form.
"How large the teeth?"
He runs. He knows the secret she hid.
"New eyes were watching me"
He recognizes that this creature is not his love. That she is gone in this form.
"Forgot all prayers of joining you"
He had known she was suffering, and had followed her before to help. He now realizes why he shouldnt have come.
"My dearest love, I'm not done yet"
He knows shes needs him. But hes not done trying to help her.
Love this one
The deepest and the most meaningful song I ever heard.
I am shooketh
Me tooth
😂😂
He saw the Wendigo, trust me.
Supernatural Fandom is everywhere
#Teamfreewill
Sammy get the fire!
Reaper LUKE 🦌
But a wendigo is a carnivore that was once a human. If it were to eat humans, why would it go after a tiny fox?
Who was here in 1953, 1986, 2019 and 2052 ??
One of my closest friends walked home from school and saw a half dead dove. It was torn and ripped apart for most of the lower part of its body but the head was still twitching and the eyes moving, supposedly in the agony of a shattered body. This creature was in pain. So he lifted a in comparision to the remainders of the dove body big stone from the ground nearby and let it fall down on it to end its pain.
Really felt him singing about doing the same to this fox. It sure had an impact
"You and I, are perfect for each other."
I used to have a recurring nightmare about being blind, and lost in the woods, with danger around me. I was raised in Polish countryside, deep in the woods. This incredible song helped me deal with what I witnessed
This is not just a simple song, it's a spiritual experience
Found this while looking for cover to Meet me in the woods song by Lord Huron, immediately fall in love
"...A night so black that the darkness hums..."
I actually think I've experienced this.
maybe you just hered the hum, gogle it
Thanks 'Dark' 👍
I have discovered this wonderful music because of you 💎
Best.....for Dark souls 3
For me, Hozier's tale of hearing mating foxes in the dark woods as a boy doesn't detract one bit from the visceral earthiness of this song..why would it? The drums and the primal cry in his voice says it all.
I came here from Dark series, Netflix . But this song..... is a masterpiece . So glad i found a song like that , i now hear it in a daily basis
What really makes this song eerie is the feeling of the unknown. Even the title "something" you or the singer don't know what in the woods.
I don't have any theories, but listening to this song makes me want to run in a cold forest
Nothing poetic here, I often run around forests on cold days and I have a playlist for songs like this
You guys have any songs for me to add to it? Tnks
The curse of the fold is a great one
i’ve got quite a few :0
Meet Me In The Woods - Lord Huron
Milk - The 1975
Thus Always to Tyrants - The Oh Hellos
I’ll Believe in Anything - Wolf Parade
Whisper - Dear Hunter
Just about anything from The Oh Hellos or the Crane Wives. Sleeping at Last is good too if you want a more chill approach
Sam Gfds anything by Heather Dale
Sam Gfds Full Moon-Avi Kaplan
What I got from the song was it was about someone who lost their loved one. They go into the woods to commit suicide, but the fear of death and ending ones life(the chase) makes them realize they still have a desire to live, despite the pain of not having their loved one with them anymore.
It’s a beautiful song and could see it helping support those who’ve lost ones they’ve loved.
this song saved my life
How?
@@HandMade715 mainly but making me realizing that i'm a p*ssy and i probably don't wanna die if something comes after me lol
this song terrifies me but i can't stop listening to it
My interpretation of this song seems kinda generic but it's all i can say without getting too deep.
Hozier tells a story about a man who has fell into an extremely deep depression and he finally decides to kill himself to end his misery. As he heads to the woods with a rope/or a gun, he hears a cry from the inside that he mistakes for a woman's voice. In a hurry to help, he drops the rope/weapon. When he finds the source of the scream he finds it to only be a severely injured fox, a huge wound on it's legs. He wonders what could've caused this kind of damage. He decides to put it out of its misery with a stone, but that's when he notices that he's not alone and he feels a pair of eerie eyes watching him. It reveals itself to be a beast (which I can only assume to be the threat of death) and it begins to chase him. He runs from it. As he's running, he wonders why he's trying to escape death when he craved it so badly. Looking back at the beast behind him, he completely abandons all suicidal thoughts and he escapes the woods. Having that traumatic experience, he realizes how much he wants to live and how he must figure out continue on or the beast will find him again.
Thanks, I know it seems straight to the point and obvious but I don't really wanna go into it too much 😂😂
pєαchєsαndpєppєrs yes I had the same interpretation except for a few details. The guy lost the love of his life, and couldn’t bear to live without them, so he went to the woods to kill himself. I think from the first lyrics, it sounds as if he DID try to kill himself with some sort of poison or pills - something that caused a high fever and sweating. But it didn’t work and he woke up in the middle of the night and heard the scream. What you said followed. But yeah, I think he wanted to die because he lost his love. But his survival instincts and discovery of what lay in the woods made him change his mind. He says,
“There as I flew
Forgot all prayers of joining you.
I clutched my life
And wished it kept.
My dearest love I'm not done yet”
This is exactly what is being expressed. Literally has nothing to do with wearwolves. The way you describe this was perfect 💯
Can I add that the last line of him apologizing to his dearest love that he found something in the woods somewhere can be interpreted as him finding the will to go on.
Good description!
I connected it to my experiences in the woods with Sasquatch.
P sure he said he got freaked out by the sounds of foxes mating and went to help because he thought it was someone screaming
so much admiration for this awesome irish "troubadour" - Andrew Hozier-Byrne - you are SO GREAT !!! 💖💖💖💖
Dark brought me here, and I'm glad that I searched for this song, it's so so amazing 🥺
Hi I’m Irish and believe me the land I love and walk upon everyday has something special the feeling you get from the ground the threes the sounds the woods in Ireland gives you the presence of something great wonderful. Beautiful is here it’s everything it’s old very old it’s peace
Who's here for Dark !!
...souls 3
Never heard of Hozier before until I watched the Netflix series "DarK". This song was great, I showed so many people, turns out everyone knew him and he's super famous.. haha :'D
These comments crack me up-I remember the first time I heard a fox screaming. 14, I grabbed a light and ran into the trees barefoot to see what it was. I honestly couldnt have done anything if I found someone, I didnt have a phone and I didnt wake up my parents. Came home hours later with cut up feet. I love this song bc it's so genuinely literal to me. I dont know that I've experienced everything packed in here in any one wandering thru the woods, but I've certainly done all of this at some point and just the mood of being depressed and suicidal beyond belief and climbing out my window at night to wander around hoping I died-just to end up running from a pack of coyotes all the way home and forgetting i wanted to be dead until i was back in bed? That's so real here, and I'm still shook on my hundredth listen. Wow. Hozier has a gift of putting private, sorta sacred feelings into words.
When this masterpiece came up on Dark S3E5...... i was like damn!!! IT IS SO PERFECT!
I believe him to be the fox, too badly hurt from the loss of someone he loved and believing that his only option was to put himself out of his own misery by ending his life. The creature is the manifestation of whatever or whomever it was that drove him away from following through with his plans, seemingly at the last minute, and out of the woods (his dark state of depression).
70% of the comments: suicide theorys
20%: memes
5%: Dark Souls 3
5%: other
here come the DARK fans... we're all on our way
Dark
Playing this at 1.25 kinda changes the vibe and I love it.
I imagine the guy losing his lover in a tragedy (by the hands of a monster or bandit perhaps). That the sorrow overwhelms him, especially at night when our thoughts become deeper and clearer. I imagine that the nights always felt incredibly long (the moon still hung) and when he awoke sweating and calling her name, it's coz he gets night terrors as a form of PTSD. When he heard the scream in the woods, he heard a women's voice when it was really a fox's cry. Sometimes with PTSD, people think of things when they see or hear certain sounds. Knights used to hear battle and fighting when pots knocked and made a noise, from their PTSD. He heard the scream and heard his lover scream when she was tragically taken. So he runs to help her. He suffers from PTSD. I also see him wanting to die and not carry on due to his sorrows (my prayers of joining you) but when the creature in the woods tries to kill him, he realises that he isn't ready to die. He doesn't want to, so he runs and realizes how close to death he actually was, the thing he's been longing for, yet realising how that is far from the path he wants to follow when it was actually staring him in the face, so he finds a new redemption where he decides that he will not kill himself or long for it anymore, because he's not done yet. He's going to be strong and carry on for her.
I found something in the woods somewhere. I find that part to not only be the creature, but also his new found redemption.
As for killing the fox, I just find that he killed it out of a merciful act because it was just the right thing to do, but I also like to imagine him wanting to find out more about this thing in the woods.
It's more of a scene and story I imagine in my head, rather than the metaphorical meanings personally. I love how this song is open to whatever you make it
yes fairy king sing your stories to us
This song makes my hair stand up and my mind paranoid.
As someone who spends a lot of time in the woods this song really resonates with me.
i can play this in guitar now i am so happy that i can reach a point like this in my useless life this is such a blessing