On September 25, 2013, Irish musician Andrew Hozier-Byrne (or simply Hozier), who was not yet known to the general public, posted on YouTube a video for the song Take Me to Church from his debut LP released shortly before.
The next day, the number of views of the video exceeded 35,000. A day later, this figure reached 80,000. A year later, it approached twenty million. So one of the first compositions of Hozier unexpectedly made him a star.
Naturally, journalists from various publications drew attention to the artist and his hit. Excerpts from numerous interviews that Hozier has given over the past months will help to understand what the author wanted to say.
The story behind of the song Take Me to Church
Hozier explained what the song is about:
Sexuality and sexual orientation – regardless of orientation – is completely natural. Sexual intercourse is one of the most inherent human things. But an organization like the church, through its teaching, undermines humanity when it teaches, not without success, about the shame of sexual orientation – that it is sinful, or that it offends God. The song is about standing up for your rights and restoring your human nature through an act of love.
The Cut
Hozier wrote Take Me to Church shortly after breaking up with his girlfriend, which could not but be reflected in the song. The author compares the beloved with the church and draws parallels between love and religion.
Meaning of Take Me to Church
His explanations of the main idea of the work are interesting:
I came to the conclusion that falling in love or being in love is like death, the death of everything. You kind of watch yourself dying in an amazing way, and for a moment you realize – if at that moment you look at yourself through someone else’s eyes – that all the way you perceived yourself is gone. In terms of death and rebirth.
The Irish Times
Hozier also made it clear how he feels about religion:
The natives of Ireland certainly have few cultural relics from the influence of the church. A lot of people go around with a stone in their hearts and disappointment. This shit is passed down from generation to generation. That’s what the song is about – about defending your rights, returning humanity to what is most natural and worthwhile. About choosing – in this case, a woman – a beloved, worthy of love.
The Cut
Critics saw in the composition an influence on the author of later works of the writer and publicist Christopher Hitchens, a well-known atheist and secular humanist.
Let’s listen to the song Take Me to Church and watch the text clip online.
Release and achievements
In October 2013, the song climbed to number two on the Irish charts.
She later topped Billboard’s Hot Rock Songs and Adult Alternative Songs charts. It peaked at number nine on the main Billboard chart.
Video of Take Me to Church – Hozier
The music video also did not leave the audience indifferent. The video, directed by Brendan Canty, raises the issue of discrimination against homosexuals in Russia. The idea belongs to Hozier:
The song was originally about humanity in its most natural form and how it is constantly undermined by religious [by organizations] and those who make us believe that they are acting in her interests. What is growing in Russia is just a nightmare. I suggested bringing these themes into the story, and Brendan liked the idea.
State
Below you can watch Hozier’s Take Me to Church clip in good quality.
Share your opinion about the song.
Let’s check the tolerance of the Blimey audience in comments. What is your attitude towards homosexual love?
Interesting Facts
- The line “I was born sick, but I loved it. Command me to be well” was possibly inspired by the poem Chorus Sacerdotum by the English poet Fulk Greville. Compare: “Born sick – but you strive to be healthy!”
- Hozier said that the success of his song on the Internet was facilitated by a retweet mentioning it from Stephen Fry.
- The author of the song does not appear in the video.
- The song is featured in a popular commercial for Beats wireless headphones featuring NBA star LeBron James.
Take Me to Church Lyrics by Hozier
My lover’s got humor
She’s the giggle at a funeral
Knows everybody’s disapproval
I should’ve worshiped her sooner
If the heavens ever did speak
She’s the last true mouthpiece
Every Sunday’s getting more bleak
A fresh poison each week
‘We were sick born,’ you heard them say it
My Church offers no absolutes.
She tells me, ‘Worship in the bedroom.’
The only heaven I’ll be sent to
Is when I’m alone with you—
I was born sick
But I love it
Command me to be well
Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.
Chorus 2x:
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
offer me that deathless death
Good God, let me give you my life
If I’m a pagan of the good times
My lover’s the sunlight
To keep the Goddess on my side
She demands a sacrifice
Drain the whole sea
Get something shiny
Something meaty for the main course
That’s a fine looking high horse
What did you get in the stable?
We’ve a lot of starving faithful
That looks tasty
That looks plenty
This is hungry work
No Masters or Kings
When the ritual begins
There is no sweeter innocence than our gentle sin
In the madness and soil of that sad earthly scene
Only then I am Human
Only then I am Clean
Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.
Lyrics of Take Me to Church by Hozier Alternate
My sweetheart with humor
She’s the type to giggle at funerals
And knows that others don’t approve of it
I should have started worshiping her sooner
If the heavens really spoke
She would be their last honest mouth
It gets worse every Sunday
Every week a fresh poison
“We were born sick” – you hear them say
My “church” doesn’t put forward absolutes
She says “worship in the bedroom”
The only heaven they send me to
Will be when I’m alone with you
I was born sick, but I loved it.
tell me to be healthy
Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.
Chorus (2 times):
take me to church
I will serve like a dog at the altar of your lies
I confess all my sins to you, and you can sharpen the knife
Offer me immortal death
My God, let me give you my life
If I’m a pagan of the good old days
My beloved is sunshine
For the goddess to stay by my side,
She demands a sacrifice
Drain the whole sea
Get something shiny
Something hot meat
This is a fine, tall horse
What do you have in your stable?
We’re full of starving believers
that look good,
Which look great
That’s what hunger does
There are no lords or kings
When does the rite begin?
There is no sweeter innocence than our gentle sin
In madness and the soil of that sad mundane scene
Only then do I become a man
Only then am I cleansed
Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.
Take Me to Church by HozierChords
Em Am Em
My lover’s got humor
Am G
She’s the giggle at a funeral
Am Em
Knows everybody’s disapproval
Am Em
I should’ve worshiped her sooner
Am Em
If the Heavens ever did speak
Am G
She is the last true mouthpiece
Am Em
Every Sunday’s getting more bleak
Am D9
A fresh poison each week
C Em
We were born sick, you heard them say it
Am Em
My church offers no absolutes
Am G
She tells me ‘worship in the bedroom’
Am Em
The only heaven I’ll be sent to
Am D9
Is when I’m alone with you
C
I was born sick, but I love it
C
Command me to be well
GCG Cm G Cm G
Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.
chorus:
Em
take me to church
Em B7
I’ll worship like a dog at the shrine of your lies
B7G
I’ll tell you my sins and you can sharpen your knife
G Am
offer me that deathless death
Em
Good God, let me give you my life
Can you play Take Me to Church on the guitar and sing beautifully the famous Hozier song? Share your videos.
Song quote
…the song is partly about the loss of religion.
Hozier, The Guardian
Download Take Me to Church
Blimey readers can’t download the song Take Me to Church in Mp3 for free on this site. Here you can only listen to tracks and watch clips. Sheet music, tabs and karaoke versions are also not provided.
