The Misinterpretation of
On March 14h, Hozier announced that he was releasing a new EP called “Unheard,” which would consist of four songs that didn’t make the cut for his “Unreal Unearth” album: “Too Sweet,” “Wildflower and Barley,” “Empire Now,” and “Fare Well.” Along with this announcement, he released a snippet of the song “Too Sweet” to promote the EP. Naturally, this led many fans to try to analyze the little part of the song that they had.
As a diehard Hozier fan, I am not afraid to admit that Hozier’s fanbase has its flaws, but I feel like the flaws have never been as prominent as the misinterpretations that came from the release of this song. I’m going to go over the various misconceptions of the song given the context of the lyrics available at the time, and I will also provide my own (correct) interpretation, having taken account of the content of the entire song.
As a diehard Hozier fan, I am not afraid to admit that Hozier’s fanbase has its flaws, but I feel like the flaws have never been as prominent as the misinterpretations that came from the release of this song. I’m going to go over the various misconceptions of the song given the context of the lyrics available at the time, and I will also provide my own (correct) interpretation, having taken account of the content of the entire song.
Love and rejection:
Initially, the only part of the song that was released was the chorus:
I'd rather take my whiskey neat
My coffee black and my bed at three
You're too sweet for me
The upbeat nature of the chorus and Hozier's track record led people to believe that this was a love song. After all, calling someone “sweet” is obviously a compliment. However, if you listen to any other word in the chorus, it is clear that it isn’t a love song at all. Well if it's not a love song, then maybe it's a rejection song? But I don’t really believe that either. Many people thought he was talking about his preference for women through a metaphor of indulgence, but this isn’t about women at all. It's about bad behaviors and not wanting to corrupt the person he already has a relationship with, which will become much more apparent with the rest of the song.
Initially, the only part of the song that was released was the chorus:
I'd rather take my whiskey neat
My coffee black and my bed at three
You're too sweet for me
The upbeat nature of the chorus and Hozier's track record led people to believe that this was a love song. After all, calling someone “sweet” is obviously a compliment. However, if you listen to any other word in the chorus, it is clear that it isn’t a love song at all. Well if it's not a love song, then maybe it's a rejection song? But I don’t really believe that either. Many people thought he was talking about his preference for women through a metaphor of indulgence, but this isn’t about women at all. It's about bad behaviors and not wanting to corrupt the person he already has a relationship with, which will become much more apparent with the rest of the song.
Brittany Broski
The title of this portion might not make sense without knowing the history of Brittany Broski and Hozier, but it's not very extensive. Brittany Broski is an internet personality, who primarily does YouTube. She made a video where she expressed her love for Hozier and his music, which led her to be able to interview him in October of 2023. In the interview, the two had good chemistry because they’re both kind and funny people, but some fans took this chemistry too seriously and began to ship the two. When Hozier released a clip of a song expressing that a girl was “too sweet,” fans jumped on a bandwagon and claimed the song was about Brittany Broski. Granted, this was clearly a joke from the fandom, but many fans took it to another level when a separate interpretation was created.
The title of this portion might not make sense without knowing the history of Brittany Broski and Hozier, but it's not very extensive. Brittany Broski is an internet personality, who primarily does YouTube. She made a video where she expressed her love for Hozier and his music, which led her to be able to interview him in October of 2023. In the interview, the two had good chemistry because they’re both kind and funny people, but some fans took this chemistry too seriously and began to ship the two. When Hozier released a clip of a song expressing that a girl was “too sweet,” fans jumped on a bandwagon and claimed the song was about Brittany Broski. Granted, this was clearly a joke from the fandom, but many fans took it to another level when a separate interpretation was created.
Black Women
Another interpretation that derived solely from the lyrics of the chorus was that Hozier was referencing his preference for black women. This is primarily derived from the lyric “I take my whiskey neat, my coffee black and my bed at three.” Again, this interpretation wouldn’t make sense without knowing the history between Hozier and black women. Hozier has expressed his admiration for black artists and music since the beginning of his career, even making a song with Mavis Staples called “Nina Cried Power.” However, this interpretation is mostly a product of a line in the song “As it Was,” where he was talking about one of his ex-girlfriends, comparing her to the night: “And the nights were as dark as my baby, Half as beautiful too.” This line resonated with many black fans of Hozier, as they often felt underrepresented in media, especially music.
Another interpretation that derived solely from the lyrics of the chorus was that Hozier was referencing his preference for black women. This is primarily derived from the lyric “I take my whiskey neat, my coffee black and my bed at three.” Again, this interpretation wouldn’t make sense without knowing the history between Hozier and black women. Hozier has expressed his admiration for black artists and music since the beginning of his career, even making a song with Mavis Staples called “Nina Cried Power.” However, this interpretation is mostly a product of a line in the song “As it Was,” where he was talking about one of his ex-girlfriends, comparing her to the night: “And the nights were as dark as my baby, Half as beautiful too.” This line resonated with many black fans of Hozier, as they often felt underrepresented in media, especially music.
Upon the release of the song, many black women made videos claiming that the song was obviously about black women, which sent the Brittany Broski crowd into a spiral. Under any video that insinuated that the song was about black women, there were crowds of non-black fans saying “no, it's about Brittany Broski” or claiming that it wasn’t “that serious.” I personally don’t believe that this interpretation is correct, but I’m not going to go out of my way to knock down the black women who resonate with the lyrics just because I don't agree.
Too Young
I WILL, however, knock down this interpretation of the song. On March 16th, Hozier released an additional snippet of the song, which was the second verse:
You treat your mouth as if it's Heaven's gate
The rest of you like you're the TSA
I wish I could go along
Babe, don't get me wrong
You know you're bright as the morning
As soft as the rain
Pretty as a vine
As sweet as a grape
If you can sit in a barrel
Maybe I'll wait
Until that day
This interpretation mostly comes from the lyric “As sweet as a grape,/ If you can sit in a barrel,/ Maybe I'll wait,/ Until that day.” People took this lyric and nothing else to claim the song was about a younger, more “naive” woman. THAT IS GROSS. Usually, I believe that songs are up for interpretation, and if someone finds peace in resonating with their own interpretation, that's okay. HOWEVER, interpreting Hozier as the type of man that would wait for a girl to “ripen” is a disgusting and perverted interpretation of the song. Hozier is one of few male artists that writes music about women in a respectful and admiring manner. People projecting their trauma onto him to make themselves feel better is weird.
I WILL, however, knock down this interpretation of the song. On March 16th, Hozier released an additional snippet of the song, which was the second verse:
You treat your mouth as if it's Heaven's gate
The rest of you like you're the TSA
I wish I could go along
Babe, don't get me wrong
You know you're bright as the morning
As soft as the rain
Pretty as a vine
As sweet as a grape
If you can sit in a barrel
Maybe I'll wait
Until that day
This interpretation mostly comes from the lyric “As sweet as a grape,/ If you can sit in a barrel,/ Maybe I'll wait,/ Until that day.” People took this lyric and nothing else to claim the song was about a younger, more “naive” woman. THAT IS GROSS. Usually, I believe that songs are up for interpretation, and if someone finds peace in resonating with their own interpretation, that's okay. HOWEVER, interpreting Hozier as the type of man that would wait for a girl to “ripen” is a disgusting and perverted interpretation of the song. Hozier is one of few male artists that writes music about women in a respectful and admiring manner. People projecting their trauma onto him to make themselves feel better is weird.
The Correct Interpretation
I know me saying that songs are up to interpretation (within reason) and then claiming that my interpretation is correct is oxymoronic, but I’ve literally never been wrong about anything, SO this is my correct interpretation. I’ll give some leeway, considering that other interpretations were made before the whole song was released on March 22nd. The lyrics that were crucial to understanding them were in the first verse:
It can't be said I'm an early bird
It's 10 o'clock before I say a word
Baby, I can never tell
How do you sleep so well?
You keep tellin' me to live right
To go to bed before the daylight
But then you wake up for the sunrise
You know you don't gotta pretend
Baby, now and then
Don't you just wanna wake up
Dark as a lake
Smellin' like a bonfire
Lost in a haze?
If you're drunk on life, babe
I think it's great
But while in this world
I think I'll take my whiskey neat..
It's clear from these lyrics that the song is about a toxic man who has no interest in fixing his life warning his love interest that though he wants to be with her, he has no intention on becoming better. He explains that he stays up late into the night and asks his love interest if she ever just feels like letting go. He also explains how this woman has continuously told him to get his life together to no avail. This directly goes into the chorus:
I'd rather take my whiskey neat
My coffee black and my bed at three
You're too sweet for me
He is expressing a sequence of bad choices like drinking strong drinks and lots of caffeine, and going to bed late, which can also metaphorically represent living a life without much care or consideration for how the bad things he does affects him. He then goes on to the second verse:
I aim low
I aim true, and the ground's where I go
I work late where I'm free from the phone
And the job gets done
But you worry some, I know
But who wants to live forever, babe?
You treat your mouth as if it's Heaven's gate
The rest of you like you're the TSA
I wish I could go along
Babe, don't get me wrong
The first half of this represents his poor communication skills. He continues a cycle of bad habits, leaving his lover to worry about him, especially because he fails to keep in contact with her, leading her to assume the worst of what could be happening, even death. He then begins to criticize his lover's own habits. Claiming she “treat[s] [her] mouth as if it's Heaven's gate.” It is believed that this isn’t in reference to heaven itself, but rather the cult “Heaven’s Gate,” which was known for committing mass suicides. Genius claims that this is to represent someone so eager for validation that they are willing to commit to something that will ultimately bring them harm. He then says she treats the rest of herself like the TSA, meaning she is very cautious of herself physically, choosing to live a healthy life. Hozier has no interest in living that way. Which leads to the misinterpreted verse:
You know you're bright as the morning
As soft as the rain
Pretty as a vine
As sweet as a grape
If you can sit in a barrel
Maybe I'll wait
Until that day
Hozier is expressing his admiration for her, complimenting her beauty physically and personality wise. He then says that beauty is something he doesn’t want to ruin, but if she experienced the world the way he had, she might understand why he lives the way he does, and then he could be with her without causing her harm. This is obviously a very toxic way of thinking, but this is from the perspective of a very toxic man.
I know me saying that songs are up to interpretation (within reason) and then claiming that my interpretation is correct is oxymoronic, but I’ve literally never been wrong about anything, SO this is my correct interpretation. I’ll give some leeway, considering that other interpretations were made before the whole song was released on March 22nd. The lyrics that were crucial to understanding them were in the first verse:
It can't be said I'm an early bird
It's 10 o'clock before I say a word
Baby, I can never tell
How do you sleep so well?
You keep tellin' me to live right
To go to bed before the daylight
But then you wake up for the sunrise
You know you don't gotta pretend
Baby, now and then
Don't you just wanna wake up
Dark as a lake
Smellin' like a bonfire
Lost in a haze?
If you're drunk on life, babe
I think it's great
But while in this world
I think I'll take my whiskey neat..
It's clear from these lyrics that the song is about a toxic man who has no interest in fixing his life warning his love interest that though he wants to be with her, he has no intention on becoming better. He explains that he stays up late into the night and asks his love interest if she ever just feels like letting go. He also explains how this woman has continuously told him to get his life together to no avail. This directly goes into the chorus:
I'd rather take my whiskey neat
My coffee black and my bed at three
You're too sweet for me
He is expressing a sequence of bad choices like drinking strong drinks and lots of caffeine, and going to bed late, which can also metaphorically represent living a life without much care or consideration for how the bad things he does affects him. He then goes on to the second verse:
I aim low
I aim true, and the ground's where I go
I work late where I'm free from the phone
And the job gets done
But you worry some, I know
But who wants to live forever, babe?
You treat your mouth as if it's Heaven's gate
The rest of you like you're the TSA
I wish I could go along
Babe, don't get me wrong
The first half of this represents his poor communication skills. He continues a cycle of bad habits, leaving his lover to worry about him, especially because he fails to keep in contact with her, leading her to assume the worst of what could be happening, even death. He then begins to criticize his lover's own habits. Claiming she “treat[s] [her] mouth as if it's Heaven's gate.” It is believed that this isn’t in reference to heaven itself, but rather the cult “Heaven’s Gate,” which was known for committing mass suicides. Genius claims that this is to represent someone so eager for validation that they are willing to commit to something that will ultimately bring them harm. He then says she treats the rest of herself like the TSA, meaning she is very cautious of herself physically, choosing to live a healthy life. Hozier has no interest in living that way. Which leads to the misinterpreted verse:
You know you're bright as the morning
As soft as the rain
Pretty as a vine
As sweet as a grape
If you can sit in a barrel
Maybe I'll wait
Until that day
Hozier is expressing his admiration for her, complimenting her beauty physically and personality wise. He then says that beauty is something he doesn’t want to ruin, but if she experienced the world the way he had, she might understand why he lives the way he does, and then he could be with her without causing her harm. This is obviously a very toxic way of thinking, but this is from the perspective of a very toxic man.
As a crazy Hozier superfan, I can say that Hozier fans can be kind of weird. Typically, I don’t like to knock others' interpretations of media, as many things can have many meanings. However, I think the interpretations for this song are especially misguided. Many of them are based on singular lines of the song, many of which are purposely misinterpreted to fit one's own narrative, causing unnecessary discourse, as Hozier is one of the least problematic musicians in the modern day. I hope this analysis encourages more people to listen to his music, as this is my fourth(?) article on Hozier, and the number of people I have indoctrinated has only risen.
As always, Live, Laugh, Love, Hozier.
As always, Live, Laugh, Love, Hozier.
Angel Cal
