Hozier - Butchered Tongue (Official Audio) 

this song broke into my house, slapped the shit out of me, and told me to brush up on my irish and i couldn't be more thankful

For him to speak of violence so softly, as if the rage of being wronged has passed, and all that remains is bitter heartbreak. As a native Hozier sings about things that I wish the world could scream about. Butchered Tongue isn't my favorite song because it hurts my heart to listen to, but it is an important song because it speaks, even if it's faint, for me.

for anyone wondering, “pitch-cap” was a torture method that the British used on the Irish during the 1798 Rebellion; typically paper caps would be dipped in tar (pitch) and would be placed on their heads and set on fire, very gruesome and devastating 😢 while the song can represent that forgotten languages of any colonized country, it definitely has a strong link to how the Irish language was forbidden and was stripped from us 😭

why is it so easy for you to communicate with our souls, sir😭🫶🏻

This song left me bawling. All the diaspora feelings I don’t think of most of my days came flooding back. I don’t know either side of my family’s original tongues. I’m afraid to try, because I know I’d butcher them, and I feel ashamed. But this song inspires me to try learning them regardless, and appreciate that I even still have this chance. Maybe I won’t be able to learn them well, or learn the dialects that my great grandparents actually spoke, but when all is said and done it’s still a piece of who they were and what they cared for closer, muttered instead of ignored in shame. With all my sincerity, thank you for the power of your songs. ❤

This song is my favourite of the album, if not of Hozier's entire discography. Being from a country where our native language suffered a fate similar to that of Gaelic, this song really resonates. Thinking that it was somewhat shameful to speak my language and express my culture when I was a child and seeing a shift now, where people my age slowly understand that it, in fact, isn't... "A butchered tongue still singin' here above the ground" line made me burst into tears.

i know that this is about irish gaelic, but it really encapsulates how i feel about scottish gaelic as a scottish person. my school didnt even mention that gaelic existed until i was 15, and i have to learn from duolingo. i live in edinburgh, and we werent taught our own fucking language.

I remember going to see the last old-growth white pine in Michigan as a little kid and having the crushing realization that the whole state used to be like that little grove; covered lake to far-stretched lake with a forest utterly strange to me and full of peoples who'd lived here for thousands of years and knew it like I never would. This song reminds me how that knowledge felt, sinking in for the first time and colouring over how I understood the place I'd only ever known as "home". Landback. and all power to all the people.

as an algerian amazigh woman, who’s ancestors had to fight against the french to preserve our lives, culture and language, and then had to fight against our own people and presidents who wanted to strips us of own separate identity and arabize us forcefully, this song is so personal to me. Tamazight, our native language, is almost a dead language and what’s left of it are the dialects that we, the different tribes, speak. most of the current algerian population isn’t able to speak it 💔

I'm an American with several ancestors who were forced to leave the west of Ireland during the famine. I have no idea if they personally spoke Irish when they left, but Irish was still widely spoken in their area at the time. I recently started learning Irish to reconnect with that heritage and this song suddenly hits so much harder. "You may never know your fortune until the distance has been shown between what is lost forever and what can still be known." I feel so grateful for the folks from Ireland who are specifically teaching classes for us Americans to help keep the language alive.

Looking through this comment section really shows the power of this song. It's about Ireland but it calls on the empathy of every culture that has suffered colonization and the descendants of those cultures. Our pain and our liberation is intertwined through shared experience across generations. Thank you to Hozier and to everyone here for making me feel less alone in the struggle to stay connected with the butchered tongue of my ancestors.

ok no so im irish but i grew up in the north so i didnt learn any irish in school and this is how it feels when youre familiar with some words/broken phrases and i cant

as a south african who's slowly losing their ability to speak and understand their mother tongue, this hit hard. beautifly as always, hozier is a brilliant writer and an astonishing singer, much love from South Africa

As an Irish-speaker, this touches me deeply. Go raibh maith agat, Aindrias. Labhair tú le m'anam.

andrew, i can't imagine the grief that drove you to write such unspeakably beautiful poetry. i unfortunately can't call myself a speaker or a listener of your tongue, but i hope you know that you and all you've lost are loved, and mourned, and there is no word i know that's strong enough to describe how grateful i am that you sing on.

I'm speechless. This is so stunning. It's so soft and meets the heart with such deepness you would not think to find such gentleness in this song. Like a lullaby that encaptures so much more than meets the eye, only the soul can sing and know the meaning because even though the mind can register and the heart, it breaks, the soul sings on forever, seeming like the winter's cold embrace.

As a child it was The place names singin' At me as the first thing How the mouth Must be employed In every corner of itself To say "Appalacicola " or "Hushpukena" Like "Gweebarra" A promise softly sang of somewhere else And as a young man Blessed to pass so many road signs And have my foreign ear Made fresh again On each unlikely sound But feel at home Hearin' a music That few still understand A butchered tongue still Singin' here above the ground The ears were chopped From young men If the pitch cap didn't kill them They are buried without scalp In the shattered bedrock of our home You may never know your fortune Until the distance has been shown Between what is lost forever And what can still be known So far from home To have a stranger call you "darling" And have your guarded heart Be lifted like a child up by the hand In some town that just means 'Home' to them With no translator left to sound A butchered tongue Still singin' here above the ground

Listening to this album, I have to force myself not to write down a dozen lines from each song in my collection of quotes. To have such mastery of language truly is a deeply admirable thing.

The 1798 Rebellion is part of the Irish history curriculum now [at least in some textbooks] but this song has really made it all the more devastating. So much has been done to stamp out the native languages and, by extension, the cultures and stories of people all over the world, including Irish, and having this woven into a beautifully heartwrenching song is something that I'm still recovering from. As Pádraig Pearse said: "tír gan teanga, tír gan anam" ["a land without a language is a land without a soul"]

I was born and raised in Belarus. Sometimes I think that belarusian and irish culture are simiral in a lot of ways, and right now the language of my country is dying due to the great history of repression and language bans. Thank you for this song. It actually means a lot, especially when right now I'm in Belarus trying to speak belarusian just not to forget it, when everyone else is speaking Russian except for my two friends

So far from home To have a stranger call you darling And have your guarded heart Be lifted like a child up by the hand In some town that just means 'Home' to them With no translator left to sound A butchered tongue Still singing here above the ground... I can, It is ridiculous I've been sobbing for an hour now, it is not an album this is a musical treasure, gem after gem each song speaks to me😢

I am absolutely inconsolable about this song. While there are a lot of elements/ central themes of Irish colonization and the preservation of Irish language and inherently history/ culture with it, as a Person of Color, I was so deeply moved. It is a song of beautiful mourning, of sorrow in the blood and scars that run through the dying of or absolute death of a language. However, it is also a celebration and expression of admiration and awe over the strength and perseverance of language and those who wield it. Every verb, noun, accent, rolling of the tongue. Every simple sound, letter, article. All of it is an act of defiance of the voice to the oppressor. It is a fibre of being healing the deep wounds inflicted by the colonizer. Every utterance screams “We are here and we are moving onward even while still bleeding.” Even then, Hozier still captivated the grief that comes with the fact that…not all cultures have that. Not every community has the ability to learn their languages. Some are gone entirely. Some stopped being passed down for the sake of survival and assimilation. The anguish that comes with a bloody tongue, one that cannot speak what it was born to utter, to scream to sing…it’s a feeling difficult to put into words. To have this song in the Circle of Violence not only brings to light the physical violence against the Irish in their colonization, but the invisible consequences of such brutality on the colonized. The murders and scarring didn’t stop at flesh. Even some languages that survived didn’t escape without scars and wounds, infused with the languages of their colonizer (ex- Tagalog having pieces of Spanish in it). This was a love letter and kiss of praise yet also a funeral dirge to those wounded by colonization, and I have never sobbed so hard over a song before. It stirred such deep grief in me that I cannot explain. (original post www.tumblr.com/mochishortstack/726007493239701504/not-a-transformers-post-but-hozier-released-his?source=share)

Irish really is one of the most beautiful languages. I hope we never let it die.

Powerful and melancholic. A sober, beautiful, historical tribute to Ireland’s truth. I did not see this coming Hozier! So Grateful for this track. Grateful to be Irish🍀

VIOLENCE (against people, first circle). Also a feeling of relief for hozier about the preservation of Irish which is a sentimental connection with Nation I deeply respect.

"You may never know your fortune Until the distance has been shown Between what is lost forever And what can still be known" These four lines bridged that distance for me. I had nothing but the loss and the grief and the anger, but worse than the absence of a thing. It was a living and a dead thing. But my eyes were so fixed on searching the past that I did not realize that the future holds the past and there was hope to be had. I can go a long way on that, even out past the breakers. Thank you. I cheated and read the lyrics early. This perception shift changed everything.

Being in frequent partnership with Indigenous peers and organizations, I'm telling you, this hits very close to home.

This is the first time I listen to this song. It made me cry. What a songwriter! What a poet 💘

There are not many songs that I can honestly say makes me cry on the first listen and continues giving me chills subsequently, but this is one of them. I'm from Indonesia: half Chinese-Indonesian and half another obscure ethnic minority from eastern Indonesia. While I consider "Indonesian" my current mother tongue, the truth is that both sides of my family lost our respective native languages due to systematic violence toward and subjugation of the people both sides of my ancestors were part of. Earlier this year I had the privilege of visiting the border island where my maternal grandparents were born near Timor. I cannot describe the feeling other than emotional overwhelm. I laid flowers on my great grandparents' grave and communed with people who welcomed me as a long lost relative-and in that sense I knew I was "home" in a sense of the word I had never experienced before. At the same time, there is also a fuller dimension of "home" in that place that I will never experience firsthand as a diasporic daughter who has built her life thousands of kilometres elsewhere and will probably never be able to learn enough of the language to carry a conversation. I get misty recalling what that visit meant to me and live every day longing to come back. I could never, and will not pretend to fathom what the Irish endured during a horriffic English colonisation whose damage includes a near annihilation of the Irish Gaelic language. But as someone living in perpetual grief of the languages and cultural identities my ancestors lost, I send my utmost solidarity to the people of Ireland, and other people around the world who have experienced a similar loss. From the bottom of my heart, thank you Hozier for this song.

As an Irish American who lived in Dinétah (the Navajo Nation), this song means more to me than I can say. Thank you Andrew ❤

I came here because of his speech about humanity. and i am in love with his voice, beautiful song. Keep it up!

This has to be one of my favorites of him, not only of the album. I saw a comment saying this feels like a lullaby, and it really does. I can completely picture myself singing this to quiet my children someday ❤

This is my favorite song in the whole album. I know it’s about Irish colonization, but I could relate to this a lot as a Jew descended from Holocaust survivors.

As a language lover with a special connection to the Irish language, this song actually murders me from the inside thanks

Pure beauty!

I will never recover from this, Hozier, do you hear me?? NEVER I know this song is about the English abusing, torturing, and trying to eliminate Irish culture as a whole, but as an American, it also made me think of what Americans did to the Native Americans - I feel many more than just the Irish will understand the impact of this song.

This is one of the best song I've ever heard ❤️ when I listened to it first time at the midnight I started crying 😭

Thank you for this. This hits so close to home here in Canada, too, and I'm sure means a lot to everyone who's people have suffered the loss of so much of their culture because of colonization.

I think id literally die if you made a song with lilting. Much love for Ireland and you, Andrew! ❤

is the soil flirting with me?

This has to be one of the most moving songs on the album, definitely my favorite of him I've heard so far, and I almost exclusively listen to his music. I never cry to music unless it reminds me of something that happened to me personally, but the lyrics alone moved me to tears on four separate occasions and I've almost sobbed a couple of times now. Lovely lyrics, lovely voice. This album is pure art ❤

It's only been 2 months but it feels like 15 years so far from home to have a stranger call you DARLING ✨💔🌹

I feel that those who like this song (and also "eat your young") would probably enjoy the book "Babel" by R F Kuang

Oh. I see. A song of who's message will seep between generations

I am ukrainian and our mother tongue was seen as the language for "grannies and villagers" once. It seemed as if it was dying. This was understandable since we were colonized by russian empire years ago and there were a bunch of laws on banning it. We totally understand the pain of the whole culture and language being destroyed and relate. The war has brought many changes, more people aren't ashamed of our language now but the price is terrifying. Irish language is beautiful and the story behind the song is heartbreaking. Love for Ireland and Irish language from Ukraine❤❤❤🇮🇪

Mar Gaeilgeoir ó 5 agus 10 mbliana ag caint ár teanga tá mé comh bródúil chun mo teanga a cloisteáil ó guth comh tábhachtach do daoine Éirinnach. Thanks Hozier for reminding me just how beautiful our native language is :)

This tune has grown on me. The album as a whole deserves every award known to mankind and then some.

This is hauntingly beautiful expression of the horror of losing the history of a people. Stunning.

this sounds almost like a prayer

Such a devastating song..somehow I always felt close to the irish culture and people, part of it is because of their complicated and tragic history. I come from people that have been repressed in my own country as well and can feel this pain with every cell of my body..

This song hit HARD😢😢😢

As a Brazilian who had my country colonized and been stripped of everything, I can relate.

This is such a sad song 😢 but one that needed to be written and heard so people can understand the loss -and the triumph in the revival

The moment i heard the first melody my heart sunk n i had to stop what i was doing. Hozier is eternal, forever immortal stuck in a mortals body. Loving so hard and deep that there is nothing like it. He is one of a kind and we are just baring whitness

this song just hits so painfully well. i often think about how i don't know any irish, and that the only irish my papa knows are catholic prayers- which feels bitterly ironic. i mourn our family losing our language a lot. all we have are our irish names, but even those are anglicised in spelling.

This is the first song I listen and I´m already speechless.

Brilliant song writing and music

The humming just 🔪❤️🩸 but in the most 🌺✨🎇 way I just ☠️

this was the first song i listened to, and every single one made me cry. this album is such a wonder, it's so beautifully done.

No music touched my soul so deeply... I have no words for this man but ❤❤❤.

this one brought tears to my eyes

i forever feel the pain of not being able to speak my family's native language due to colonization and fear of genocide. Due to it being an indigenous language its hard to try to learn it or connect to it since I don't know anyone near me who speaks it.

Hearing this song and understanding the pain behind it only makes me even more supportive of movements for the independence of nations/regions like N. Ireland, Wales, and Scotland from my own country, England 😢

Thanks for talking about an unknown language and culture (I am Gallic but we share a similar story) Hozier, this was beautiful!

Ooooof this song 😭😭😭 Reminds me of all the reasons why I'm not able to speak Irish now, my grandfather was fluent

I could hear my heart breaking. 😢

OMD! HOW?! This is sooo beautiful! In tears

This one hurts... some of these songs are forcing me to just go ahead and deal with those feelings I have been desperately ignoring feeling. Guess there's no choice... It's healing at warped speed...wow. This record is phenomenal as are you. Perfect. ❤

Wow, this song is so personal to me. Stunningly perfect 🥺🥺🥺

this so good i just discovered you a couple of months ago and i love your music so much❤❤

I am in the fortunate position to not have my parents mother tounge and culture be lost. They moved from mexico to the US along time ago, but they didnt really try to teach my siblings or I Spanish. Reading all these comments about having their languages be destroyed, it breaka my heart. I think I'm going to start practicing my Spanish, so one day, i can pass it on to my children (if the world hasn't ended, that is)

Beautiful song. Wish it was longer !

his voice is so soft but powerful

Be loving this rn

You've given us a masterpiece, another wonderful album. Thank you... 🤍

Honestly, out of the whole album - this is the one for me ❤ I adore it Thanks, Andrew 😊 It is so thoughtful, provoking, respectful and soothing, all in one ❤

Reads like a Kipling poem

Genuinely crying, happy tears 🖤

Awesome artist and voice, his work has changed my view and opinion.. powerful writing

This gave me goosebumps and my eyes welled. Damn.

😍 Joy is not superficial, life feels this music..

So beautiful your voice young Sir

Wow... just wow... its so heartbreaking and beautiful, as many songs in this album

this is gorgeous 💔

All I can ever say is thank you for this song. This is everything to me. Just finished the album and it is just... perfection from start to finish. Thank you thank you thank you.

Beautiful ❤

So far from home To have a stranger call you ‘darling’ And have your guarded heart Be lifted like a child up by the hand

this song is my favourite from his new album. It has me in a complete trance wow.

A profundidade das suas músicas faz a minha vida melhor ❤️🇧🇷

Thank you Hozier.

Your crystal clear magical voice and amazing talent makes me cry.It' s beautiful, Thank you❤👏👏👏👏

i love this💖

YESSSS

Soo beautiful ❤❤

Beautiful

Ahhh!!!

All of the songs in album is ready to tear my soul apart, but this takes it to a whole new level, touching the struggles of my ancestors. As ukrainian myself, who was raised to believe my culture and, especially, my language was a second sort things. And aside of events that occur past 9 years, not to mention the centuries of oppression, older I get, them more grows my understanding that some things is meant for you to cling closer for yourself until it's taken away. Before my mother language not just a faint sound from my ancestors

Don't cry for me Argentina, just cry for the land down under.

Sir. HOZIER. Again. You DID IT. AGAIN. Congrats. Marvelous.

beautiful 🤍