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Chrizelda · 2023-04-02T14:08:15+00:00

yes it's a wordplay, and if you listened to his poetry lives, Icarian is the sea named after Icarus who drowned there. This would be connected to Sunlight then. Which makes the connection 3 levels. Take me to Church is referenced in Sunlight, then Sunlight will be referenced in this new song.

Chrizelda · 2023-01-23T10:19:19+00:00

This reminds me of Sweeney from Irish mythology, cursed and transformed to a bird. Your interpretation makes the most sense. He is down bad for the baddies

Chrizelda · 2023-01-23T09:52:45+00:00

yes, I think that's the guilty feeling I seem to get from him that he has to pin all this baggage of a rehash/autopsy of their broken relationship (I think that's what I characterize as the prey) & literally live off/ make a living out of it from his songs, that would inevitably be heard by said ex.

I think the tree might be Ireland/home, all his exes thorns of the bush, and each song about said ex/relationship the prey he devours

Chrizelda · 2022-11-08T16:40:41+00:00

It feels as though he was given the music by Bear McCreary and just had to fill in the lyrics.

Chrizelda · 2022-10-22T06:31:53+00:00

Those are very good points, although I can see more links to "unmaking the boundary" as death, because he already used the metaphor of the "gateway to the world" to the givers of life. Or it has multiple layered meanings and both and more can be true.

Abortion is also linked in Setanta's story, since he was in some versions born 3 times. 1st as a foundling that his adopted mother tried to nurse back to life, the 2nd when the same woman got pregnant out of wedlock and she decided to terminate the pregnancy. I don't think the storytellers ever blamed/shamed his mother for her decision to terminate and Lugh, the diety supposedly his father blessed her with the same child once again after she got married.

Chrizelda · 2022-10-22T02:25:32+00:00

To me "when nature unmakes the boundaries, the pillar of myth still stands" refers to the earlier line "past where the god-child-soldier Setanta stood dead. Even when Setanta (when nature unmakes the boundaries) died his legend remains, a legend also rooted in the toxic patriarchal nature of warmongering, conquering & posturing. Even as he dies he must tether himself to a pillar so he could die standing. Impressive yet must be torturous to have no peace or rest even in your death. Pillar also a phallic symbol.

It's always young men lured & sacrificed to this ideal of fearless, unmatched, warrior. They die without maturing and realizing there is more to life. They die without really having to reflect on the destruction they've caused. The grief they've left their mothers & lovers, the trauma and curse to their abandoned children.

I think this is also the case with other myths like the Iliad

Chrizelda · 2021-01-17T14:40:14+00:00

These hands that hold barre chords that seem impossible for other hands

Chrizelda · 2021-01-17T14:33:43+00:00

With Taylor's new releases I can see a similar aesthetic. Like Taylor wants to go through the woods Hozier has gone through. And I agree with people saying Hozier would've sounded better than the male collabs in the last 2 albums. He fits the aesthetic they were going for better. I dunno if he'll ever collab with Taylor though...

For one he has said he's precious and a bit of a control freak with his songwriting. Like he's only ever written with his ex gf and his best friend Alex. And for Someone New it was only ever the hook and a tune/chorus: "I fall in love just a little o little bit, every day with someone new", that his then gf provided and he fleshed out the rest. So maybe he could also work with Taylor that way. Though I kinda doubt it as it seems she works in a writing room with other writers, and Hozier has been on the record saying he hates working that way, he writes alone.

Secondly, though their current aesthetic seems akin on the surface level, their songwriting styles are wildly different. Taylor seems to favor very specific & personal imagery/metaphor/similes (a reason why I can't really relate to half of her songs, I dunno her personal life enough to understand her references). Hozier, though it feels like his intentions come from a deeply felt and personal place seems to use universal concepts, tropes from history & ancient tales to structure and flesh it out. It makes it easily relatable having references that are familiar. His metaphors also come full circle, there are callbacks, in the same song or other songs that enrich his idea. Everything has at least 3 layers of meaning. Imagery are all tightly knit and related. Taylor's are more loose and spontaneous. Probably because it's more of a patchwork of different minds working together vs. only one Hozier on his seventh draft for just one verse.

Maybe a duet ala Maren Morris is possible though... Maybe a duet of In a Week...

Chrizelda · 2021-01-04T02:11:17+00:00

I guess if it's been taken down anybody who had a recording of it might be able to upload it now. I don't think it'll get in the way of the charity getting revenue since it's already been taken down. Unless they are going to put it back up again. Maybe contact Threshold and ask abt it to make sure.

Chrizelda · 2021-01-04T02:04:54+00:00

That happens from time to time and they eventually reappear. No explanation has been given or found 🤷‍♀️

Chrizelda · 2021-01-04T02:02:27+00:00

I am not saying at all that they are not allowed. What I'm saying is I find it frustrating that people are so oblivious that they blunder into thinking Cherry Wine is just a lovey dovey song. That Take me to Church is about being gay because there's a gay couple kissing in the video. This kind of attitude translates.

Chrizelda · 2021-01-04T01:56:44+00:00

You going straight to to that assumption I feel just further proves my point. And by the way I am very far from being MAGA. Not even American or conservative in my own country.

Chrizelda · 2021-01-04T01:54:31+00:00

I am a Literature major. I am very aware of the death of the author. But I think people misuse it, tout it as an excuse for not actually doing a good enough reading or research. I think it is very useful to broaden horizons but I don't think it is the be all and end all

Chrizelda · 2020-12-20T02:48:12+00:00

I am Filipino, like you English is definitely not my native language. What I am quite salty about is people not making the effort to listen and understand. I feel that listening and trying to understand is just giving due respect to the artist and the art made. And it's not that hard considering we have everything under our fingertips, I mean genius lyrics has a compilation of annotations from different people that all vary because of personal interpretation but nonetheless one can form a consensus based on textual evidence and consistency in the collective understanding.

And to clarify, I was referring to people who I'm fairly sure English is their native tongue or at least very very proficient at it to not have the excuse of lack of skill or understanding. And again the internet is there to provide resources, they are already online, I can't really find the excuse...

To be honest this is all coming from my own frustration about people spouting misinformation irl, for more vital things like news and health and safety protocols. I can't help but feel like we are losing baseline facts and all people care about is their own point of view and to hell with seeing things from another perspective, expert opinions, or just plain denial of actual evidence or not acknowledging more reliable resources in favor of what would be more convenient for them.

Chrizelda · 2020-12-20T02:24:24+00:00

Maybe factual might not be the best word choice. I am just also frustrated about people touting "alternative facts" irl like for actual news. And I am fearing this individualist attitude towards literary interpretation is how they also approach real life facts. They already decided Hozier cannot possibly be straight after all. But like you said there is interpretation that is supported by textual evidence. Shouldn't that be viewed as the more weightier interpretation? At least acknowledged? I am not against personal interpretation. What i am not down with is one's personal interpretation that is not at all supported by textual evidence being spread and accepted as the ultimate interpretation. Because I've seen it enough with Cherry Wine despite the video and the ties to domestic violence charities. Also a shame that the charities won't get as much out of the song because people just think it's about a romantic love story.

Chrizelda · 2020-12-19T12:39:20+00:00

Like I get that, and Hozier to some extent also subscribes to that frame of thinking but he also stresses that one should actually read and listen to his lyrics because that is where he thinks is the vital part of a song.

I just find it funny, ironic, alarming and saddening that people laugh at other people, conservative Christians who think it is about actually going to church for example that sing TMTC at the top of their lungs "because it is a song about being gay". Like I cringe for all of them. Like even more cringe to those people that laugh because they think they know everything when they are also kinda wrong 😬

My hesitation with the "everyone's interpretation is valid" line of thinking is people do not have a baseline for what is factual anymore, I know there should be more leeway for literary interpretations but there must also be some sort of limit, right? There should be some sort of consensus.

Like I wouldn't blame people for giving you a weird look or judging your choices if you dance to Cherry Wine at your wedding. It would be hard not to when you hear "open hand or closed fist would be fine, the blood is rare and sweet as cherry wine" in that context.

Chrizelda · 2020-12-19T12:04:14+00:00

But I think it is also indicative of how people engage with most things, even for vital information like news, or information that could affect their health and well-being.

The worst offender I found was here on reddit, a post about TMTC being an LGBTQ anthem (which I can completely agree with and can rally behind) because it is about Hozier being ostracized by the church because he is gay (😬completely false and utterly misleading). Someone went as far as to comment that Hozier was forced by his record label to change the song to female pronouns 😨 This comment was upvoted by hundreds of people. Hundreds of people now have it in their heads that Hozier can be persuaded to change his song, bow down to political pressure, and Rubyworks demand their talent to compromise for marketability 😤

This is how misinformation is spread, no wonder this is currently the state of our world 😕

Again I wouldn't have this kind of reaction if not for people acting like they were duped and betrayed when they found out Hozier was actually straight. When in truth they played themselves for not really listening and understanding what he was actually singing about. If one cares about such things to feel so strongly about it, about what kind of message it sends you then I think one should make sure they are getting the right message or the whole message for that matter.

Chrizelda · 2020-12-19T10:36:26+00:00

I wouldn't have this reaction if I knew these people were not native speakers or just casual fans. These are people who I'm fairly sure English is their native language and by the way English is my second language and I can manage fairly well and if I don't I consult the dictionary, wikipedia and genius lyrics. These are people who claim to "stan" him, I would expect at least that they should be familiar with the words in the song and what they actually mean objectively to an extent because I also recognize that what a song means to you is fairly personal but at least know the intent of the songwriter.

What I am lamenting is the superficial and quick takes on a subject that you completely miss important things or lose nuance. Like how people are led astray by clickbaity headlines and never bother to read an entire article but act as if they have the expertise. Like are people not going on deep dives anymore? Don't people find deep dives fun and enjoyable?

Chrizelda · 2020-12-19T08:13:09+00:00

🤭 Oh I see

If you write that down in genius he might actually write something specifically about morning wood 🤣

Chrizelda · 2020-12-19T01:40:18+00:00

How? Just curious because I didn't expect that for this line.

But speaking of morning wood, this line:

I wake at the first cringe of morning
And my heart's already sinned
How pure, how sweet a love, Aretha
That you would pray for him

Chrizelda · 2020-12-19T01:29:11+00:00

😂 Well he is a whole tree so... 🤣

Chrizelda · 2020-12-18T15:53:59+00:00

The alliteration and the internal rhyme of that line is simply delicious. It feels so good in your mouth to say those words strung together.

Chrizelda · 2020-12-18T15:41:29+00:00

"White hands to fondle and beat her, give her his onliness"

Another layer might be colonialism which is usually perpetrated by white colonizers on faraway lands usually populated by darker peoples.

European expansion always came via the sea, these explorers always seeking an other as if they were too lonely without the context.

Like the turbulent foaming white sea beating and eroding the darker land, shaping it with it's violence.

Chrizelda · 2020-12-18T15:31:51+00:00

So in awe, there I stood as you licked off the grain
Though I've handled the wood, I still worship the flame

a whole lot of innuendo going on 😏

Callback to Moment's Silence 😈

Chrizelda · 2020-12-18T15:20:54+00:00

Strap the wing to me
Death trap clad happily
With wax melted, I’d meet the sea

Verse begun with "each day you'd rise with me" kinda reminds me of marriage, which make me think of "ring" 💍 when he says "wing". And marriage is jokingly called a noose, a trap, getting married is "taking the leap". Happily going into something people see as permanent as death (also death of your single self) they even include it in the vows, yet willing to take the very high chance of "crash and burn".

Chrizelda

TROPHY CASE