Devotion In All Its Glory, As Demonstrated In Hozier’s Latest Single

Irish singer-songwriter Hozier is often known for his musical nods to both religion and literature interspersed within his work, a trope that continues through to the latest single ‘Hymn To A Virgil’. 

With his debut track in 2013 ‘Take Me To Church’ finding great success, it is no wonder that the artist continues on this nuanced path and does such a terrific job; he balances listeners’ expectations of him as an artist with an incredible uniqueness in every track.

‘Hymn To A Virgil’ begins with an almost spectral soundscape, one that continues throughout lots of the song to create an atmosphere of captivation instantly. The choral sounds allow for a sheltered, ethereal quality to be shared between the listener and Hozier as a creator; we feel enamoured by these group sounds of the choir and a willingness to remain entirely still as we listen and absorb. This introduces a complex yearning for spiritual or perhaps religious entanglement whilst simultaneously creating this narrative storyline finding its root in Dante Alighieri’s poem ‘Inferno’. As the song develops, Hozier's vocals show great richness and earnestness, an ability that he showcases in many of his creations, but here it is especially intense. He sings of such deep-rooted ideas from the very beginning, ones that instantly bring a melancholic peace to his listeners, and so the gravity of his vocal talents is essential and carried out with perfection. Although the lyrics themselves don’t explicitly speak of happiness or joy, the sense of exploration that he initiates lyrically invites fans to spectate as he wrestles with the idea of devotion. 

To open, he sings “If I held in my hands every single goodbye/ I’d still not have a thing worth giving you” and to close he sings “I would burn the world to bring some heat (to you)". This cyclical idea of giving part of yourself up for someone or something poses the question of how much of yourself you are willing to sacrifice for other people. A goodbye represents a meaningful connection that was once in play, and to give this up is to sacrifice all that that was to you; every laugh and shared tear is instantly wavered in the gifting of the goodbye. Initially, it seems as though the singer is prepared to undergo only this process of grief in favour of his subject, but as we move through the track we realise it is so much more. It is the world, and everything within an individual perception of such, that the singer is willing to sacrifice and “burn” for those that he loves. 

The vocals become deeper and the instrumental gains a collaborative sense of raw intensity developing with each note. The distortion effect at the end additionally allows for this sense of grief in normality, in what was expected, and an acceptance that the meaning of suffering is other people and that to live for oneself is to succumb to the ego. It is a lyrical tale of transformation that encompasses all that it means to be human, to be seeking love and devotion from anything that we can. 

In his true fashion, Hozier presents his listeners with a track that is more than what it appears on the surface. He dives into the eternal questions of sacrifice and devotion, of cherishing and acknowledging one’s love for those around them whilst constantly grieving parts of the self.

 

Abby Tapping 

@abs.tapp75

Image: ‘Unreal Unearth Unending’ Official Album Cover

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