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I'm reading everyone's interpretation of the meaning behind this song, but I watched an interview w/ the artist once and it's not really about sex, it's about sexuality.... and the hypocrisy of making people feel ashamed about their sexuality. The video portrays 2 men... but it can easily apply to anyone.... the Church shaming unwed Christians who cohabitate... Society shaming women who are openly sexual etc etc... Sadly, it seems in the world today.... no one can make it though life without being judged by others for something or another :/ At the end of the day, we only have to answer to ourselves and the higher power who put us here....don't know if he loves the song, but I do lol :))
That was my interpretation, as well. The "innocent sin" to me was about people loving each other out of the "confines" of what the church finds acceptable, with the church being so powerful that it can make people's lives miserable with public condemnation, even to the point of having their own family reject them.
I agree with everything you said except for maybe the higher power part to me the chorus seems very anti religion anti-God. And the phrase good God is just an expression. Because even atheist scream out O God when they're having sex. Lol
clarissa julian I didn’t feel there was any shaming happening here. The church has made some horrible mistakes. But this is not a video advocating identity politics. It’s music, and the message it communicates is in dissonance with the way some view the Bible. Bottom line? Peace all. And if you like it, cool. If you don’t. Amen. Amen. Amen. :)
"Take Me to Church" is a metaphor, with the protagonist comparing his lover to religion"...Hozier said that he wrote the song after a bad breakup, but it also grew out of Hozier's frustration with the Catholic Church's teachings in Ireland. Two quote's from the artist regarding the song: "I found the experience of falling in love or being in love was a death, a death of everything. You kind of watch yourself die in a wonderful way, and you experience for the briefest moment-if you see yourself for a moment through their eyes-everything you believed about yourself gone. In a death-and-rebirth sense" "Sexuality, and sexual orientation - regardless of orientation - is just natural. An act of sex is one of the most human things. But an organization like the church, say, through its doctrine, would undermine humanity by successfully teaching shame about sexual orientation - that it is sinful, or that it offends God. The song is about asserting yourself and reclaiming your humanity through an act of love"
This is about sexuality (not sex), as someone else said. It's about the hypocrisy of the church shaming people for loving who they love. Also, deathless death probably refers to orgasm. Orgasm in French translates to "the small death." The music video is very powerful. Hozier's lyrics are so good they can be read as poems and the voice is amazing. His voice does something to me!
Or could deathless death mean what is offered by the church? Couldn't that also mean afterlife? Because you are dying but not really. Hence, 'deathless' death. Interesting regardless.
Your right some Christians are terrible. I am a Christian and I don’t care what you do it’s your decision. It’s not my place to judge you I’m going to love you even though my bible may not agree with your life style. That’s why I say love the person but hate the sin. I won’t preach to you, you have free will to make your own choices just like I have free will to believe what I believe. What you do is none of my business
Celeste Cosimini I agree one hundred percent I have people in my family who call themselves Christian but can’t see the hypocrisy of their actions and words. “Judge not lest ye be judged” comes to mind for me. I don’t get it. If I’m this imperfect human who am I to tell someone else how to think act or do? My family members have no problem doing that and when you call them out on it oh boy that’s a whole different battle. I’m agreeing with you about some Christians I’m not sure why you said tat about some things not being what I want to hear.
The songwriter Andrew Hozier-Byrne is singing against church-fueled "shaming." Specifically, this song is against homophobia; the music video shows a gay couple being hunted and tortured by mask-wearing men.
It's not really specifically about homophobia though it covers that in the general theme of the church making oppressive rules on human sexuality. If you listen closely he is man singing about his goddess and how "SHE's a giggle at a funeral" that he "should've worshiped HER sooner"
@@chrizeldabernil8323 actually us pagans also believe in a goddess and if you read the lyrics.. it says: If I'm a pagan of the good times My lover's the sunlight To keep the Goddess on my side paganism throughout the ages have been known to not be homophobe, the first weddings that existed, Handfastings, were done both for hetero and homo couples.. homophobia came with patriarchal teachings brought by christians and other monotheistic religions. It's rare today to find a homophobe throughout pagans.
@@Thecanadianwitch Oh I don't doubt that pagans are against homophobia and also worship a goddess. I am more clarifying that Hozier in the song itself does not specifically hone on homophobia as a topic. The goddess he references in the song I think is more of a description of his lover, a tangible person that he finds more worthy of his worship than nebulous concepts of God that the church and other religions offer. So the song isn't specifically about homophobia like the OP says but the song brings to mind the topic because it is one of the key issues the church is being criticized for when it comes to it's very conservative stance on sexuality. And of course the video tackles it directly. But still, the song is more than about homophobia.
@@Thecanadianwitch My Pagan interpretation of this is that it's simultaneously commenting on the hypocrisy and sex-shaming of the church and describing orgasm (the deathless death, possibly from the French 'petit morte', meaning little death) as a Pagan religious experience that honors the Goddess, perhaps through the Great Rite. Plus, it's the perfect song for Beltane. There's a lot of meaning in that one little song, so it could mean all of these things and more.
@@sadfaery they could also be referring to a social death, your alive but you can no longer act freely in society as your constantly shamed for what you confessed.
kami243n I dont think any good song NEEDS the video to work. The video may develop a theme but it doesnt literally interpret the lyrics of the song which stand on their own
I'm a stone cold atheist who has zero use for faith or religion, but I do enjoy the music you seem to enjoy so I guess we have that in common. I like your videos.
hugs, so sorry you had it hard, i'm pansexual and luckily for me, my parents didnt baptize us so we could choose our own path ourselves, so from the age i started school i didnt go to church anymore except if i slept at a family member who goes to a church, so i went to baptist and mormon church once in a blue moon. I did study the bible and some religions as a kid as i was looking for the name of my path i already had as a kid. Only as a teenager i discovered Wicca and paganism, and suddenly its like a lightbulb went on... I was already so bullied in school, if i had to have been bullied in church too, i might not still be alive today.
Kiwi Jello so sorry you went through that! I grew up wanting nothing more than to become a nun. When I realized I couldn’t because I wasn’t a virgin due to long term sexual abuse starting at age 2 1/2, it devastated me. I thought I couldn’t be a part of a church for so long. Then, I went to an episcopal church. Guess what- I fit in. The priests can be married, gay, and or women. And the nuns can be married. They accept everyone. I’ve recently come out as bi, and I have many family members on both sides of my family. And finally with the older generation gone, everyone is loved and fully accepted. Be proud of who you are! You’re a beautiful person inside and out. Cheers
I’m so sorry that happened to you. The same thing happened to my 18 year old daughter. I left the church because of the way they treated her after she told the pastor. Made me sick to my stomach! I will NEVER go to church again!!! My daughter ALMOST DIED because of the way they judged her. She cried for days and thought she was bad and cried to god, asking him why she was born bi- sexual. She didn’t want to be. ( A church in Idaho).
If you get lost in trying to figure out the meanings in this song you lose sight of how great this song is, the vocal skills are impeccable the lyrics are poetic and the song is just an instant classic. Don’t lose sight of this. I feel you did. The drums are driven and powerful. Great song.
It's really interesting reading and listening to other people's interpretation of this song. It's been a favourite of mine for a long time now, nearly 5 years before it blew up all over the place. I remember when I first heard this song, it felt like somebody had finally articulate a sentiment that needed articulating. There's a bit more to it than just the commentary on the Catholic's Church's attitudes to homosexuality and heterosexuality, in my opinion. I am from the same country as Hozier, and by the time he released this the country had and is still radically changing from the Ireland that existed 30 years ago. The country was still reeling from the publicising of the level of clerical sex abuse that existed in the Irish Catholic Church. This sub section of the Catholic Church, in addition to clerical sex abuse, also to all extent and purposes locked unwed mothers in laundries to perform menial labour and sold their babies to American couples who were adopting children. Watch the Judi Dench movie, Philomena and the Ken Loach movie The Magadalene Sisters. Irish sexuality since the inception of the republic was controlled by the Catholic church. The lyric "Pagan of the good times", is referring to the emergence of secularism in Ireland during the "Celtic Tiger", economic growth and a time when Irish emigrants were returning to the country because for once, it had better opportunities. And the church was beginning to lose is control over society at large. So for me, this song is an anthem for generation of Irish people who have said no to a church interfering so wholly in their lives, especially since the priests and nuns are no more above the lay person as they pretended to be in Irish society.
I so enjoy your interpretations and your views on religion/Christianity. You're now my favorite channel to watch. And.....I watch ALL of your videos, not just your music reactions. You're very admirable!!!
Love this song. Loved when he teamed up with Annie Lennox to sing this together about a year or two ago. So many interpretations of this. If wanna know find the interview that Hozier did. It'll explain what the meaning is behind this song.
His voice is so moving that I feel pain I've buried years and years ago come up to the surface when I listen to him. Some artists just convey emotion so well that you feel their pain through their voice.
I think the difference(coming from having grown up in catholic church type settings and later joining a baptist chirch.) is that when you talk to a catholic priest it feels much worse than talking to my pastor, I felt shame talking to the priest while talking to the pastor is getting advice or asking him to pray for me to find what I need to to fix the issue and you leave knowing you talked about the elephant in the room. on the song it's heavily metaphorical, the allusion to the catholic church may be cause Hozier is Irish.
I grew up a Jehovah's Witness and confessing your sins meant you were NOT going to be forgiven, you were judged and you were outcast. All your family would not be allowed to associate with you anymore. It destroys families. Thall shall not judge and yet they do to the extreme. A religion that is so so strict and yet they judge, always judging constantly. And the gossip in the congregations was enough to drive any sane person away.
My cousin who was raised Jehovah's witnesse, was basically shunned when she left the church. Her family didn't talk to her for years. I was raised Catholic, it wasn't any better. I don't follow any organized religion, I've always had a bad taste in my mouth for any of it. My mom always told me I was the devil's child, she said my Dad was evil.
Jehovah's Witnesses are bible students, just because you grew up with something does not mean you have a better understanding. And instead of asking questions to even get a better understanding by your own comment it seems that you have done exactly what you said you didn't like about Witnesses and that is judging.
i have a gay friend who used to be jehovah growing up, when he finally came out, his church and almost all his family rejected him and became an outcast teenager, thankfully one of his aunt quit the church with him in support. He said he's only sad that people he thought was close friends outcasted him simply for being gay.
@@alisambrano honestly there was no need to say whether you agree or disagree. I am not going to argue any points either. I had said what I said because not everyone had a bad experience growing up as one of Jehovah's Witnesses. But I said my piece, you have good day.
Wow - I like your analysis even more now. You make some observations on lyrics that strike you, mention some good things about the music, and can leave it up in the air, saying "I'm going to have to listen to this again" - you make our faith look good being thoughtful and slow to jump into judging. I shouldn't be surprised to see this from you, but I was - thank you!
Many people misinterpret this song. Research the Catholic Church from his hometown and then watch the actual video for this song. The two together will clarify the message he was really trying to deliver.
In my opinion, nobody can really misinterpret this..Thats the great thing about music..Everybody can get something different from it and nobody is wrong.
@@jonwbrock well... I mean, I like the sentiment but in this case, this song can and has been misinterpreted by many people who weren't paying attention to the lyrics and thought it was a pro church worship song. You should check out Hozier talking about the song, he did have some clear ideas and values that he put in the song. I think within that, you can have your own interpretations of the song though. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-8udW2pkPFIU.html
I'm a former preachers daughter. I saw the good and bad of being so deeply involved in what happens inside the church. I was so twisted up for years and wrestled with God due to those experiences. I'd be more than happy to discuss that with you sometime and how in my mid 30's I found my way back to God. How that happened in itself was kinda messed . I'd be more than happy to discuss it and/or help someone struggling with this.
I listened to this song over and over when it came out! Such amazing lyrics. So when I finally saw the video, my perception on what it meant totally changed. So I actually have a few different ways of viewing it and I don’t know what the writer meant when he/she wrote it and honestly I wouldn’t want to. It’s like some pieces of artwork for me....once you know the true inspiration behind it, it loses some of the magic sometimes and I’d rather not know. Maybe someday I’ll look it up but for now, I’m still in love with this song!
He is Irish born and bred! What I hear from Irish speakers is that the Catholic church for a very long time was one step higher than the government regarding power, and anyone not in line with the doctrine was heavily oppressed, so it was best to stay beneath notice. Nowadays, from what I understand, many people in Ireland have left the Catholic church or organized religion altogether, but still the Church tries to maintain relevance. Bit of a revolution. If this is accurate, the lyrics become more clear. Enter sexuality. "There is no sweeter innocence then out gentle sin". Imagine growing up in a strict religious/political environment where you are taught sex is dirty or sinful. This too is part of that revolution. Then Hozier chose the theme of his video around the deadly oppression of the homosexual community happening in Russia, and it gained even more momentum in global relevance. My take! You should check out Movement by Hozier. It is sexy in such a pure sense. He is very much a poetic lyricist and passionate musician.
You’re absolutely right about Jesus Christ being the direct connection to God. I’m so thankful that I have that relationship with Christ. I don’t confess my sins to people. I have an amazing supportive church family that keeps me in their prayers as because I deal with ptsd and depression but I know their prayers don’t stand between my prayers to my Lord. Thank you for this reaction.
On pop song professor it breaks down this song according to the singers own perspective ... just letting you know and you are close .. I had to look it up myself... I agree there’s a lot of meaning in this song I hadn’t even realized how much til I started watching you and I have started listening closer and looking up song meaning... thank you for what you do.. I’m from magnolia KY.. and I just happened to come across randomly a video of yours and I absolutely enjoy watching listening and opening my mind heart and soul through your perspective and I’ve been blessed by God through you ... I thank God for you
I love this song. It's about the hiprocy of the church and organized religion. My personal thought is that organized religion pushes people away from the church. I'm an Atheist/Humanitarian. I believe we can be good for the sake of being good. And we should be good. This world if full of angry people who usually don't know what they are angry at. I'd love it if you would do a reaction and give your opinion on Childish Gambino's "This Is America". You'd have to watch the video not just hear the lyrics.
I totally agree with your comments and song suggestion. One of my favorite lines in this song (besides the chorus) is "That's a fine looking high horse. What you got in the stable? We've a lot of starving faithful".
dude! I lost your channel for a long time and found it again just now! "I can tell you my sins and you can sharpen your knife" can often be heard as judgement by people you look up to "offer me a deathless death" is an afterlife
You need to watch the actual video. It shows how there are people that still have hate in there hearts. It's a good video and it shows the pain he feels...
In September, Irish songwriter Hozier released the video for his gospel-inspired epic, “Take Me to Church,” a cavernous song that uses love and ecstasy as a religious metaphor. The video depicts two men’s gentle intimacy, followed by brutal gay-bashing at the hands of masked vigilantes against lyrics like, “I was born sick, but I love it / command me to be well / Amen. Amen. Amen.”
In Ireland there were mobs hunting down and beating (sometimes killing) gays, which is portrayed in the music video. This song is calling out hypocrisy. The church was preaching love and forgiveness yet were turning around and spewing hate and condemnation in the next breath... A church can be a persons salvation but when the "church" has lost sight of it's purpose it can actually be the reason that people are driven away from faith and can even be the driving force between unthinkable cruelty... I'm lucky. I was raised to love my neighbor, to not cast the first stone and to NOT judge.
More Hozier please!!! Shrike is beautiful, Movement, From Eden, Cherry Wine and/or Nina Cried Power. He does not have a bad song and his second album comes out March of this year. HUGE FAN!
Not so big of a fan, after viewing the music video and reading the lyrics. The music sounds nice, but is now tainted by the meaning. That doesn't mean that I feet hatred toward the artist or wish him failure in the music industry. I guess I can somewhat understand his bitterness toward everyone and his desire to quickly produce as much music material as possible while he still has the physical strength to do so. I am a Conservative Christian, just looking to protect my young kids from this type of material until they are old enouhgh to properly comprehend it. AND -- I am not heartless -- I do feel sadness for ANYONE afflicted by HIV/AIDS.
While I respect your opinion and your right to your beliefs, I'm struggling to understand the AIDS part. If you are implying the artist has Aids you're mistaken. If you implying that he is a homosexual you are mistaken. Also, if you believe all homosexuals have Aids, I suggest you read a book other than the bible. Maybe step into this millennium. This is one song wherein he criticizes the church and christianity as he has a right to do so. And also it has been almost 5 years since his debut album. I'm not sure where you are getting your facts.
Arsonist's lullaby is my fav song aside from take me to church.. Work song is really good too, used to listen to it while preparing to leave in the morning.
i'm a christian, and i've been baptized but i love this song so much. there are many interpretations to it but mine is that love is love and nobody can take that away from you. there's also the message that there are extreme christians that are very critical of lgbt people and that christianity is like a romantic relationship, just with a godly being above anyone else. of course, the last interpretation is what hozier said sort of and i can sort of see it. i think it's easier to understand when you watch the music video tho. so many interpretations, so little time
In an interview he said the lyrics were created by the influence of the Catholic church in Ireland on his life. The Irish Catholic Church rules all aspects of ones life there, with an iron hand. 'Nuff said. Research for more info. It's out there. (To cover my ass, I'm going to say that all of the above is in my opinion and experience ONLY.)
I found your comment intriguing so thought I'd share some of my understand of the word. Granted I attend a Baptist church, when I'm not working. However baptism is not required for salvation. All that is required for salvation is believing Christ died for our sins and repenting of those sins to him. No witnesses are needed either as only He can see a persons heart. The main Reason I was baptised was to follow His example. Much like the Lords Supper it is to be done in remembrance of Him, but not a requirement for salvation. Just hold on to your faith in Him, and He'll show you what you need to do for Him.
Justin K if you have the opportunity and are able, you need to be baptised to get to heaven. There are many denominations, not just one “church.” Find the one that is doing right😉
In the very beginning of the song, the singer says, "the church doesn't offer absolution". It goes on to describe someones primal disgust of another, contrasting with the target subjects passion, which is judged openly as an inappropriate act deserving of complete punishment .... then equates the dynamic to being a false religious edict, more akin to paganism where a female goddess is at the center of worship. The lyrics are actually in 3rd person referring to the bigotry and hatred that some "Christian" organizations, and their parishioners, exhibit toward those who have different beliefs. Specifically, it deals with the hardline messages & condemnation of homosexuality so purported in the orthodox churches, especially in eastern European countries, & the horrific hate crimes that were perpetrated by gangs of young church members that have occurred as a result of it.
Hozier was raised a Protestant in a mostly Catholic town in the Republic of Ireland . My family comes from his hometown as well,... In the Republic, lots of mixed communities exist, and i am an Irish Catholic BTW. Regarding forgiveness in the confessional... it means nothing if the priest absolves you of your sins if you are not truly sorry for the sin. A priest is only meant to help your bridge to God.
Jesus is the bridge. No man can absolve you of your sin. We must come through the Son to get to the Father God. The traditions of men will send us straight to hell, it is God's way or no way.
@@lindaferguson7265 Yes.. that is pretty much what I wrote. The priest helps you reach God. "Fellowship" is very important... I think the only place we might disagree is that I do not care what human's call themselves... as long as they live the life God wishes us to live. Sinning is a part of life... and so is forgiveness.
No, the priest is to be a witness of Christ. He cannot absolve us of our sin. Only Jesus can do that. He bore our sin and shame on the cross, He took our place. When Jesus said It is finished. The Bible says that the veil was rent in two. Jesus became our mediator between us and God. Through the shed blood of Jesus are our sins forgiven. When we sin, we must repent ( to turn from) and ask Jesus to forgive us. We first must believe in the virgin birth, who He is (God's only begotten Son) and what He came to do (give His life for us) repent and ask Jesus as your Saviour. Nothing else will save you but Jesus.
@@lindaferguson7265 Well, again... we believe a bit differently, and that's all right with me. The important thing we do agree on is "Faith." Be well and God be with you.
@Amy McGraw-Pate I knew he was not a Catholic, and so assumed a lot. "I apologize" But it still must have been a bit tough as a kid and there. My family comes from Wicklow and today people are very tolerant... but back when he was a child thing's were a lot different... lots of mistrust after 300 years of slavery, theft, and lynchings from the British. And Wicklow played a big part in the 1798 Irish rebellion... btw, led by an English protestant. Not all were monsters.
He actually wrote this song after breaking up with his girlfriend. The music video was not related to the original meaning of the lyrics. Also, interestingly, he grew up in the Quaker church.
He does question some Catholic beliefs about pre-marrital sex, being gay or abortion..he is Irısh and raised in a very Catholic environment and he was in church choir when he was younger... The lyrics of this song gives me the impression he is singing to a woman..it is like he feels amazing when he is with her but also it is like he is conflicted about his desires and questions both how pre-marrital sex can be a sin when it feels like he is in heaven and how it is also so earthly and only physical especially after it is finished..but you should also watch the MV which depicts the gay side of the story in a catholic country.. it has one of the most impressive music videos I've ever watched..
Hmmmmm. Not sure how I feel about this song. I have heard it before but only focused on the chorus and melody for that part. But reading the lyrics, it’s quite interesting. Good job breaking down the chorus and what it may mean.
I see a lot of people talk about how the French word for orgasm means 'little death' and that's the meaning of the 'deathless death' line, but I don't think that's it. The chorus talks about a person telling their sins and them being used to shame them (I'll tell you my sins and you can sharpen your knife - the knife being shame to keep the person in line), so to me the 'deathless death' is destroying the parts of yourself that make you perceived as sinful in the eyes of the church (like being gay as the music video shows) and becoming a shell of what you are - a death of yourself while you still walk around, but as someone else. The 'good god let me give you my life' fits with the shaming theme, as it shows that the shame put upon you has made you so guilty for being yourself that you welcome the death of it.
Lyrically, "Take Me to Church" is a metaphor, with the protagonist comparing his lover to religion. The song grew out of Hozier's frustration with the Catholic Church's teachings which, although he himself was raised in the Protestant Quaker faith, dominated the social and political outlook of the Irish state. The main point of this song is that Hozier feels closer to God (or the "good life" or "right living") in the act of love in sex, not when he adheres to established religion. ... Hozier sings, "Take me to church / I'll worship like a dog at the shrine of your lies / I'll tell you my sins and you can sharpen your knife
@@xaozkort8737 That's a very narrow interpretation of the song based on the video which does not correspond to the song exactly but expands on its themes.
Xaoz Kort Hi..yes I saw the video today and then it's more obvious about the gay connection. That added to the beauty and truth of the song. Thanks for the information.
Omg! You have to react to Hozier’s “Nina cried power” pleeeease! It features Mavis Staples. Watch the official video. I promise it will give you chills. 💜
Late to the game and haven't read other's comments. I was hoping to see you react to the music video. The song is powerful and beatuiful, and the video...is the same but, god, damn...it's powerful. I can't watch the video without crying.
Sadly now a days if u sin and ur a Christian UR A VILLAIN all of a sudden but what u need is to pray to God. But hey whoever sees this pray for my friend Sydney and her mom Melissa bc Melissa has cancer and Syd is her daughter their not doing so well so keep them in your prayers.
I'm not sure, the song seems about sexuality and freedom, it feels anti religious to me, I can get behind that, yeah, I like it for that, I was raised in a Christian end times cult and I feel like it pretty much destroyed my childhood ... anyway, also, the song is catchy as hell to my ear and so I I like it just for that too.
@@Modern-Renaissance-Man ...please start on it lol. I was brought up (largely inactive like) in the mormon church; I basically know a pinch more perhaps about the mormon religion than non-mormons in my area. Now that said, I know very little or even next to nothing about other denominations, and this has my curiosity now...
Oh no, no. Listen to the version by Morgan James. Take me to church. Prince gave her permission to do one of his songs. Which the only other person he let do his song was his wife.He was very impressed .
It annoys me (comment section) when people can’t understand that an amazing artist can make a song and it can fit other people’s lives even if it’s not the same reason said artist made it. So many people can relate to this song but in a different way then it was intended. And that’s what great songs do , you interpret it to you’re own situation.
This song is pretty much about the hypocrisy of religion and how it supposedly teaches us to accept everyone but it openly condemns gay people and makes them feel ashamed about their sexuality.
Hi MRM. If you watch the video, you may get a better understanding of this song. The video shows a same-sex male couple involved in a relationship seemingly in love. Because of this, one of these gentlemen is kidnapped and tortured. I am a 63 year old Black, Catholic heterosexual woman born and raised in Los Angeles. This is one of my favorite songs. Hozier is an Irish gentleman (I think). I interpret this song as saying I have confessed who I am, I am not hiding, so I have been condemned. Unfortunately in many places, gay love is still frowned upon. Even and especially by those in the church.
