I feel as if he is trying to rationalize his situation in this song. He finds himself in love in the middle of the end of the world and he thus wonders why he is doing something that objectively is not the best option for survival, because at the end of the day love makes you do things you wouldn’t normally do and take risk you shouldn’t in this situation. So, to me, this song conveys the moment in which you confront yourself, like "Wake up it's not rational to be in love, not the moment!!" And he still finds he is unable to stop, the questions just feel really rhetoric to me, and if you know the answer why ask them kindda thing.
My oh my.... I've always loved Hozier's work, his sensitivity resonated with mine so to speak and this song waltzed me. Narrator, reliable or not, is hurting badly behind mask of cynicism. I can remember a moment of my life when my beloved grandma died - I was not only despaired but also FURIOUS because how a sun dared to come up and shine in the morning when she's gone. And the narrator is at the same stage I think, directs his anger towards people who talk so much about love and compassion while he feels abandonded, despaired, lost. Doesn't he need compassion too even though he's not starving? It's a cry for help really. And a desperate one.
Four words about this song: hozier, who hurt you? This song is so beautiful and power and I really love the idea behind it. A lot of our society is so focused on love and how great it is and even the pain behind heartbreak is addressed, but no one every asks why we keep falling into heartbreak. Like you said in the video, we all know that “love conquers all” is a lie, so I like how he portrayed a more cynical take on it all
I very much took this song to be pointing at selfish people who don't care about other people, don't trust other people, don't love them and asking "why would you be loved?" Like the verses wouldn't exactly be an unreliable narrator, but basically the narrator talking about how the person the chorus is addressing thinks. Very tongue in cheek, not unlike Eat Your Young. Then the chorus is asking "why would you be loving?" if you think that way and further more "why would you be loved?" if you're such an unkind, unloving person.
I totally understand this and it makes me think of my mother. But it's ironic that I first listened to this song while giving my dogs all the love they could ever need
Same! That was my immediate impression too, he has a lot of songs where he employs a tongue-in-cheek set of conflicting ideals/an unreliable narrator/a narrator he disagrees with to kind of point at his own feelings by enhancing the negative of them. I definitely took this song to be one that follows that pattern. Hozier himself is determined to be loving no matter what, even if the results aren't what he wants in the end, and he counts the effort as worth it regardless. Here in my opinion he's criticizing the selfish people who refuse to be compassionate out of fear that it will be a wasted effort or out of the bitter belief that their own struggles are more important than anyone else's.
@@setantastooddead Yes! You really put it well, especially about the "belief that their own struggles are more important than anyone else's." That's the kind of selfish, unkind kind people I think Hozier was talking about. The line about snowflakes makes me think of people with certain political bents too, who object to making their language more "PC" and stuff.
I think this song was the most shattering of Hozier’s for me for a long time. When I listen to the chorus, my heart literally aches, not only from the painful lyrics but also from the desperation in his voice. I love your videos and this is one of my favorites of yours as well. I loved your take on this song. In fact I always find myself checking your channel after Hozier releases new song. That’s how much I trust your review. Keep up the amazing work. I’ll always be here.
I remember seeing the video for it pop up and, just seeing the title? I took that personally. But I also immediately drew the line from gold to heavy and can definitely relate to feeling almost burdened by relationships, and that immense relief when it's over. (Swiftly followed by the usual dourness and hurt of it all)
I absolutely loved this one!! Dark, brooding, cynical yet beautiful. The price of love appears to be grief. So glad to see your reaction video. Can't wait to see the tiny or B stage when I see him singing I, carrion and Cherry wine on the 25th!!💚
When this song came out, I didn't see enough people talking about it. I thought I was going crazy and it has been out for years even though the times listened were much lower than the rest of the album. I'm glad to hear someone else decipher this.
yesss, love to see a new honor luca vid drop~ In the context of relationships, it's hard to find a love that's worth it unless you give it your all and you show your flaws. That is love's gamble - you show your worst parts to your lover and hope and trust that they will love you either in spite of them or accept them as part of you. Nothing feels better when you are loved as a full person, and nothing stings more than when someone rejects you for that. I agree that this may be an unreliable narrator or a naysayer to give some flavor.
I think he refrains from being too cynical with his stuff. Reminds me of something he posted before UU that are presumably lyrics to an unreleased song: Where we both stand now You'd wonder how The ground won't burst below us Darling, I thought once Justice was done Through poem and song But I was wrong, my love What good is word and melody? Trinkets hanging in the gift-shop At the slaughter house of history Here, in our recurring dream of living memory Turning ever to a nightmare Til' I wake and find You reach to me
Honestly, I tried so hard to wrap my head around what he was saying, so.... thank you once more for being such an intelligent person and breaking it down to us, mere mortals. You rock
8:12 work song IS very romantic... but hozier did say that the best song of his to play at weddings was monster mash so... if you're feeling down, go have a listen to monster mash :)
I interpreted the song as someone who’s gone cynical and given up on love. Tormented by “what if’s” and the narrator of the song asking themselves, why would they ever find love? Kinda like a crisis of sorts.
Wall of text incoming (sorry): The beginning of this song makes me think of romantic relationships, but I think the rest is about love for humanity in general, helping fellow man, giving to charity, etc. The unreliable narrator is blaming activists (bleeding hearts, artists, maybe "the arts" as in liberal arts schools and how students are often vocal activists) for the world falling apart as if the status quo being disrupted is worse than what those people are fighting against, especially if "the same motivations will melt away like snowflakes on the tongue" (maybe referring to activists losing steam and causes being dropped, or the same people who are passionate about one issue turning their back on other people who are hurting. Snowflakes might be a play on how far-right people call liberals snowflakes for being sensitive). Wasteland, Baby! opened with Nina Cried Power so Hozier obviously had these people on his mind, and maybe Why Would You Be Loved is a response to protest songs from a jaded narrator. "What if you gave it all to find that it wasn't enough / What, if under the gaze of all, you fall short when the going gets rough" could be someone's reasoning against donating money to a cause, advocating for it in public, etc. because they think it'd be wasted. "They look for something to be done for those that are most in pain" and the rest of that verse are, to me, less about institutions and more about those "bleeding hearts" again. The singer sees these people all up in arms to fight for equality, freedom, people who are hurting, etc. and I think they're upset that people aren't up in arms for *them.* (like we've seen from men's rights activists, "all lives matter" folks, thin blue line, etc.). Alternatively, they could be giving excuses for why they aren't also looking for something to be done for other people because they're more focused on their own problems right now. I'm not sure about what "if you ain't for all, how could you try it all" means. Maybe that you'd have to donate to every single cause otherwise there's no point, or maybe it's about relationships again and the narrator doesn't want to commit themself to one person. I'd be interested to hear what other people make of that line. I could be reading too much into this, but it's the way I hear it 🤷
I want to clarify that I think it's satire, like in Eat Your Young. A cynical exploration of how someone might respond to being spurned by a lover or seeing other people openly express their love for humanity. Hozier himself is very vocally ALL FOR love, civil rights, activism, etc.
"Go listen to work song and calm down" is my life motto 😂
I feel as if he is trying to rationalize his situation in this song. He finds himself in love in the middle of the end of the world and he thus wonders why he is doing something that objectively is not the best option for survival, because at the end of the day love makes you do things you wouldn’t normally do and take risk you shouldn’t in this situation. So, to me, this song conveys the moment in which you confront yourself, like "Wake up it's not rational to be in love, not the moment!!" And he still finds he is unable to stop, the questions just feel really rhetoric to me, and if you know the answer why ask them kindda thing.
"Humble member of the fae realm" would do great on a t-shirt
My oh my.... I've always loved Hozier's work, his sensitivity resonated with mine so to speak and this song waltzed me. Narrator, reliable or not, is hurting badly behind mask of cynicism.
I can remember a moment of my life when my beloved grandma died - I was not only despaired but also FURIOUS because how a sun dared to come up and shine in the morning when she's gone. And the narrator is at the same stage I think, directs his anger towards people who talk so much about love and compassion while he feels abandonded, despaired, lost. Doesn't he need compassion too even though he's not starving? It's a cry for help really. And a desperate one.
Me: This Hozier song is so relatable!
The title: *Hozier's saddest song yet*
Me: 💀
Four words about this song: hozier, who hurt you?
This song is so beautiful and power and I really love the idea behind it. A lot of our society is so focused on love and how great it is and even the pain behind heartbreak is addressed, but no one every asks why we keep falling into heartbreak. Like you said in the video, we all know that “love conquers all” is a lie, so I like how he portrayed a more cynical take on it all
You’re incredible. Thank you for having this Channel. I wish we analyzed songs in school, especially masterpieces like what Hozier makes
I very much took this song to be pointing at selfish people who don't care about other people, don't trust other people, don't love them and asking "why would you be loved?" Like the verses wouldn't exactly be an unreliable narrator, but basically the narrator talking about how the person the chorus is addressing thinks. Very tongue in cheek, not unlike Eat Your Young. Then the chorus is asking "why would you be loving?" if you think that way and further more "why would you be loved?" if you're such an unkind, unloving person.
I totally understand this and it makes me think of my mother. But it's ironic that I first listened to this song while giving my dogs all the love they could ever need
Same! That was my immediate impression too, he has a lot of songs where he employs a tongue-in-cheek set of conflicting ideals/an unreliable narrator/a narrator he disagrees with to kind of point at his own feelings by enhancing the negative of them. I definitely took this song to be one that follows that pattern. Hozier himself is determined to be loving no matter what, even if the results aren't what he wants in the end, and he counts the effort as worth it regardless. Here in my opinion he's criticizing the selfish people who refuse to be compassionate out of fear that it will be a wasted effort or out of the bitter belief that their own struggles are more important than anyone else's.
@@setantastooddead Yes! You really put it well, especially about the "belief that their own struggles are more important than anyone else's." That's the kind of selfish, unkind kind people I think Hozier was talking about. The line about snowflakes makes me think of people with certain political bents too, who object to making their language more "PC" and stuff.
I think this song was the most shattering of Hozier’s for me for a long time. When I listen to the chorus, my heart literally aches, not only from the painful lyrics but also from the desperation in his voice. I love your videos and this is one of my favorites of yours as well. I loved your take on this song. In fact I always find myself checking your channel after Hozier releases new song. That’s how much I trust your review. Keep up the amazing work. I’ll always be here.
Although trust is very hollow thing as Hozier said 😄
I remember seeing the video for it pop up and, just seeing the title? I took that personally.
But I also immediately drew the line from gold to heavy and can definitely relate to feeling almost burdened by relationships, and that immense relief when it's over. (Swiftly followed by the usual dourness and hurt of it all)
I absolutely loved this one!! Dark, brooding, cynical yet beautiful. The price of love appears to be grief. So glad to see your reaction video. Can't wait to see the tiny or B stage when I see him singing I, carrion and Cherry wine on the 25th!!💚
Having a bad breakup and this is a good song for that right now 😭
When this song came out, I didn't see enough people talking about it. I thought I was going crazy and it has been out for years even though the times listened were much lower than the rest of the album. I'm glad to hear someone else decipher this.
yesss, love to see a new honor luca vid drop~ In the context of relationships, it's hard to find a love that's worth it unless you give it your all and you show your flaws. That is love's gamble - you show your worst parts to your lover and hope and trust that they will love you either in spite of them or accept them as part of you. Nothing feels better when you are loved as a full person, and nothing stings more than when someone rejects you for that. I agree that this may be an unreliable narrator or a naysayer to give some flavor.
finally a song that validates my feelings towards love. I feel so seen 🙌
I think he refrains from being too cynical with his stuff. Reminds me of something he posted before UU that are presumably lyrics to an unreleased song:
Where we both stand now
You'd wonder how
The ground won't burst below us
Darling, I thought once
Justice was done
Through poem and song
But I was wrong, my love
What good is word and melody?
Trinkets hanging in the gift-shop
At the slaughter house of history
Here, in our recurring dream of living memory
Turning ever to a nightmare
Til' I wake and find
You reach to me
I just loved this song, it's right up my alley with those moody, cynical post-apocalyptic vibes. That whole album ❤
ahh i've been waiting for this ever since the song came out! i can't wait to hear your thoughts on this one! 🫶
This is a fear avoidant anthem. Describes the disorganised attachment spiral perfectly.
because "all things end, all that we intend... we should not change our plan when we begin again"
Honestly, I tried so hard to wrap my head around what he was saying, so.... thank you once more for being such an intelligent person and breaking it down to us, mere mortals. You rock
8:12 work song IS very romantic... but hozier did say that the best song of his to play at weddings was monster mash so...
if you're feeling down, go have a listen to monster mash :)
I interpreted the song as someone who’s gone cynical and given up on love. Tormented by “what if’s” and the narrator of the song asking themselves, why would they ever find love? Kinda like a crisis of sorts.
Your video is how I know this song even came out. I don’t keep good track of new releases
Wall of text incoming (sorry):
The beginning of this song makes me think of romantic relationships, but I think the rest is about love for humanity in general, helping fellow man, giving to charity, etc. The unreliable narrator is blaming activists (bleeding hearts, artists, maybe "the arts" as in liberal arts schools and how students are often vocal activists) for the world falling apart as if the status quo being disrupted is worse than what those people are fighting against, especially if "the same motivations will melt away like snowflakes on the tongue" (maybe referring to activists losing steam and causes being dropped, or the same people who are passionate about one issue turning their back on other people who are hurting. Snowflakes might be a play on how far-right people call liberals snowflakes for being sensitive). Wasteland, Baby! opened with Nina Cried Power so Hozier obviously had these people on his mind, and maybe Why Would You Be Loved is a response to protest songs from a jaded narrator.
"What if you gave it all to find that it wasn't enough / What, if under the gaze of all, you fall short when the going gets rough" could be someone's reasoning against donating money to a cause, advocating for it in public, etc. because they think it'd be wasted.
"They look for something to be done for those that are most in pain" and the rest of that verse are, to me, less about institutions and more about those "bleeding hearts" again. The singer sees these people all up in arms to fight for equality, freedom, people who are hurting, etc. and I think they're upset that people aren't up in arms for *them.* (like we've seen from men's rights activists, "all lives matter" folks, thin blue line, etc.). Alternatively, they could be giving excuses for why they aren't also looking for something to be done for other people because they're more focused on their own problems right now.
I'm not sure about what "if you ain't for all, how could you try it all" means. Maybe that you'd have to donate to every single cause otherwise there's no point, or maybe it's about relationships again and the narrator doesn't want to commit themself to one person. I'd be interested to hear what other people make of that line.
I could be reading too much into this, but it's the way I hear it 🤷
I want to clarify that I think it's satire, like in Eat Your Young. A cynical exploration of how someone might respond to being spurned by a lover or seeing other people openly express their love for humanity. Hozier himself is very vocally ALL FOR love, civil rights, activism, etc.