“Babe
There’s something tragic about you
Something so magic about you
Don’t you agree?”
In this verse, we see Hozier, or the person he is singing as, ask the recipient if they see themselves the same as he does, with the same amount of adoration and care. He also implies that he finds it sad how the other doesn’t love themself. Then, he asks if they agree that they are special, assuring them that they should be happy with who they are.
“Babe
There’s something lonesome about you
Something so wholesome about you
Get closer to me”
This verse mainly focuses on his desire to comfort and console this person, saying that they seem lonely and he is there to provide care and company.
“No tired sighs, no rolling eyes, no irony
No ‘who cares’, no vacant stares, no time for me”
The pre-chorus talks about how serious he is, no longer playing it off. When he confesses his love he means it, and the world isn’t stopping to wait for him to share how he feels.
“Honey, you’re familiar like my mirror years ago
Idealism sits in prison, chivalry fell on its sword
Innocence died screaming, honey, ask me I should know
I slithered here from Eden just to sit outside your door”
The first line in the chorus is likely talking about how they remind him of himself when he was younger. Then the next two lines show things that many people cherish. Idealism, innocence, and chivalry. However, he describes them in a way that makes them sound like faults; when Hozier says, “Ask me I should know,” it becomes clear that these things have potentially harmed him at some point, and he doesn’t wish the same on them.
In the final line, he says he would travel all the way from Eden only to be sitting outside the door. Not even being allowed in, he still makes the effort to see his love, appreciating every chance he gets to just be in their presence.
The last line of the chorus also intrigues the audience because of the reference to the biblical serpent of the Garden of Eden. In comparing himself to the snake (the devil), we see later in the song that he chose this figure to show how love can blind you from knowing what is right or wrong.
“Babe
There’s something wretched about this
Something so precious about this
Where to begin?”
The two adjectives being used within this verse contradict each other and show the complexity of the relationship. It also shows that as a relationship becomes more intricate, it becomes harder to explain and put into words exactly how one feels.
“Babe
There’s something broken about this
But I might be hoping about this
Oh, what a sin”
In this verse, it could be interpreted that he is talking about how relationships aren’t always good and there are rough patches. However, he also adds that it might be wrong, but he still hopes they will get over this hill in the relationship.
“To the strand a picnic plan for you and me
A rope in hand for your other man to hang from a tree”
In this last verse, before the chorus comes in one more time, it sounds as if he is acting selfish. Asking them to give up who and what they love to be with him.
Again the comparison to the tree, in this case being the tree of knowledge from the Bible, is being used as a way to show how Hozier (the serpent/devil) is trying to tempt the innocent Eve into evil. The evil in the song is the love that he’s offering; though it may seem nice and sweet, it is a double-edged sword. As much as he may love, he also runs the risk of being blinded by love.
“Honey, you’re familiar like my mirror years ago
Idealism sits in prison, chivalry fell on its sword
Innocence died screaming, honey, ask me I should know
I slithered here from Eden just to sit outside your door
Honey, you’re familiar like my mirror years ago
Idealism sits in prison, chivalry fell on its sword
Innocence died screaming, honey, ask me I should know
I slithered here from Eden just to sit outside your door”
Nearly the same as we heard it before, but now it seems to be sung almost as a reflection of all that has happened in the song up until this point. He recognizes the negative influences he has had and seems to be warning them not to follow what he does, even though he still wants and craves to be near them.
General Information
This song was featured on Hozier’s self-titled debut album and was also released prior as a single before the album itself was released in 2014. This song is beautifully written and accompanied by an acoustic guitar. Additionally, the metaphors littered throughout the song make it feel less like a piece of music and more like a poem.
Disclaimer: This is the author’s personal interpretation.
