Hozier- take me to church meaning?

[anon98328916]

What is your take on the meaning of this song?
metrolyrics.com/take-me-to-church-lyrics-hozier.html

Have you ever seen the video for this song? Maybe I’m wrong but is there some references to attacking the church…basically stating the church is homophobic? Please tell me what you think.

Ive picked it a few of the songs lyrics:

[If the Heavens ever did speak]
he is doubting God exists.

[Every Sunday’s getting more bleak
A fresh poison each week]
Here I think he is claiming the church is decreasing in numbers, and it’s nothing but rubbish that priests preach about.

‘We were born sick,’ you heard them say it]
This to me is an attack on the church in reference to homosexuals. He is stating here he thinks those in the church think gay people are born sick!

[My church offers no absolutes]
Blasphemy against confession.

[The only heaven I’ll be sent to
Is when I’m alone with you]
Again stating he pretty much doesn’t believe in God.
He is gay but he loves it and in a mocking manner asks God to help him.

[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]
Blashphemy!

[That’s a fine looking high horse
What you got in the stable?]
Referenced at Jesus.

[We’ve a lot of starving faithful
That looks tasty]
the Eucharist?

[Amen. Amen. Amen]
Mocking this prayer.*

 

[Lou2U]

I haven’t seen the video, so I can’t speak for that.

I think Hozier is saying what he finds hypocritical about the Catholic Church, and I do think one of these is the stance of homosexuality held. “We were born sick, you heard them say it” probably is a reference to this being that homosexual behaviour is considered deviant behaviour and is a sin in Catholicism.

What I see from the song is Hozier believing that the Church is not practising what it preaches - “I’ll worship like a dog at the shrine of your lies” and “What you got in the stable? We’ve a lot of starving faithful”, or people not being treated as they should.

I think he’s making his lover his god, because she emcompasses how a person is supposed to feel about their god and their religion - “If the heavens ever did speak, she’s the last true mouthpiece” and “good God, let me give you my life” followed by the “amen, amen, amen” after it, like he prays to her as his god.

I think the “I was born sick but I love it” refers to Original Sin, but I could be wrong.

Lou

 

[Hawkmaid]

I haven’t seen the video, so I can’t speak for that.

I think Hozier is saying what he finds hypocritical about the Catholic Church, and I do think one of these is the stance of homosexuality held. “We were born sick, you heard them say it” probably is a reference to this being that homosexual behaviour is considered deviant behaviour and is a sin in Catholicism.

What I see from the song is Hozier believing that the Church is not practising what it preaches - “I’ll worship like a dog at the shrine of your lies” and “What you got in the stable? We’ve a lot of starving faithful”, or people not being treated as they should.

I think he’s making his lover his god, because she emcompasses how a person is supposed to feel about their god and their religion - “If the heavens ever did speak, she’s the last true mouthpiece” and “good God, let me give you my life” followed by the “amen, amen, amen” after it, like he prays to her as his god.

I think the “I was born sick but I love it” refers to Original Sin, but I could be wrong.

Lou

I haven’t seen the video, but I know the song. Why are the worst lyrics paired with the catchiest music?!?!! I also think that “I was born sick” was Original Sin, because he loves the sins he’s referencing with his lover.

 

[Mercy365]

Perhaps this link to Hozier’s interview on youtube will explain his message of the song, directly from his mouth, since he wrote the lyrics.

This interview isn’t as “watered down/diluted” as some of his other explanations of the meaning of the song (to the U.S. mainstream media that I’ve seen.)