The song “Take Me to Church,” to which the singer owes his success, poignantly narrates about deep and devoted love. Its songwriter, Hozier, constructed the song by solely using metaphors and comparisons to talk about two different but parallel notions. For instance, the unambiguous meaning of the composition lies in its very name. However, it does not mean a church in the literal sense of the word, but a kind of ephemeral temple of feelings and emotions. The author turned his love into religion and is ready to worship his beloved as a deity, as he declares in the lines of the chorus, which follow immediately after the very “Take Me to Church.” Hollywood films are constantly building on ideas drawn from the concept, which are against endlessly praising and glorifying the creator God. His ministers, church, archaic rituals, and privations harm a person. The lyrics remind listeners of any revolutionary thinkers of modern time who are fighting the system. It proclaims individuality and the importance of love in the world. Such is the postmodern society, where everyone is not like everyone else.
As Hozier sings, he laments not having adored his woman sooner. Hozier is emphatically drawn to this lady, whoever she is. He starts by singing about a love partner who “giggles at a funeral” and who “knows everybody’s disapproval” (Hozier-Byrne 2-3). In the following refrain, he accepts that if God existed, He would talk through this woman. Furthermore, contrasted with her, the songwriter accepts church to be a distressing spot that lets out “poison” at the individuals who join in, revealing to them that they were “born sick” in transgression (Hozier-Byrne 8-9). This young woman is more attractive than the church and, he thinks about other means to comprehend the significance of life.
Another analogy of love affinity with religion is revealed in the initial verses of the song. Just as a religious object is not always worthy of worship, so the author’s conditional beloved hardly deserves blind adoration. The singer describes her as a rather cynical person who is used to the disapproval of society, and their love affair is clearly toxic and brings him suffering. The author erects the object of his love on a pedestal, and solitary worship brings him consolation as followed by the lines, “The only heaven I’ll be sent to is when I’m alone with you” (Hozier-Byrne 12). Then, he admits he was “born sick,” that there is something abnormal in this idolization, almost sick (Hozier-Byrne 14). Here, he starts to question the righteousness of human actions, which are commonly accepted.
Furthermore, the singer continues comparing two separate notions and shows the extremes people go to in their worships. As an example, he says that he will serve his love with dog loyalty and will repent of all sins as if he is to confess (Hozier-Byrne 19-20). Telling the priest sins is compared to the confession of love. This way, the person who is confessing should be forgiven. However, the artist’s feelings do not align with the song’s lines. The author knows that for this devotion, he will be rewarded with betrayal as he writes, “… you can sharpen your knife,” but still slavishly begs to let him devote his life to serving the object of his love because he says, “… let me give you my life” (Hozier-Byrne 20, 22). Hence, both in love and religious following, people dedicate themselves fully, dismissing the logic.
In the second verse, the author compares himself to an ancient pagan who worships the sunlight. He makes sacrifices to the demanding goddess in the line “She demands a sacrifice” (Hozier-Byrne 31). He lists all the deeds that he can commit in the name of his love, even the most absurd, and then declares that during the rituals of worship, he has no other authorities by saying “no masters, no kings,” and there is nothing more important than his sweet joys of communication with your beloved deity (Hozier-Byrne 51). Closer to the end of the text, the author states, “only when I am human, only then I am clean,” admitting that he sins, but amid the madness and sorrows of the earthly world, it is a sin that makes him feel truly human (Hozier-Byrne 55-56). He realizes the true nature of being human and, lastly, is honest about his own desires.
In conclusion, the musician supplements a dull assertion with a reasonable metaphor in his verses and a hearty, blues, and gospel sound build by song rhymes, which structures the force of his message. The lyrics constitute of continuous comparisons of the worship of God to the feeling of romantic love. As a result, its writer uses figurative language to convey his opinion on the common system and the power of love. Hozier proposes the idea of good is concentrated in a person, and he or she needs to gain freedom from archaic rituals. A person must approach the true God in himself through love.
Work Cited
Hozier-Byrne, Andrew. Lyrics to “Take Me to Church.”Rubyworks Records, 2013. AZLyrics. Web.