PB&Jams: Hozier

By Samantha Webster, The Dartmouth Staff | 3/31/15 7:32am

Unless you’ve been pulling a Kimmy Schmidtand been living underground for the past few years, you’ve undoubtedly heard Hozier’s “Take Me to Church.” The tl;dr of PB&Jams this week is that you should go listen to the rest of his self-titled album right this second.

On my local alternative radio station (shout-out to Philadelphia’s 104.5, you guys are the best), one of the hosts called “Take Me to Church” polarizing, noting that you either “love it or hate it.” While I may be biased because I find myself in the “Play it again!” camp on this one, it seems like most of the country has been eating it up. Though I get pretty stoked every time it comes on, I must say my favorite tracks lie elsewhere on the album.

“Jackie And Wilson”

While it would be impossible to choose a single favorite, “Jackie and Wilson,” is likely my top pick. A story unfolds through the lyrics as Hozier narrates a tale of seeing a woman from afar and imagining their life together. He writes:

She blows out of nowhere, Roman candle of the wild
Laughing her way through my feeble disguise
No other version of me I would rather to be tonight
Lord she found me just in time

[…]

She's gonna save me, call me baby, run her hands through my hair
She'll know me crazy, soothe me daily, but yet she wouldn't care
We'll steal her Lexus, be detectives, ride round pickin' up clues
We'll name our children Jackie and Wilson, raise ‘em on rhythm and blues

Never have I ever wanted to ride around in a Lexus until this song, but his plans unravel quickly when he looks up and she’s gone:

Cut clean from the dream that night, let my mind reset
Looking up from the cigarette, she's already left
I start digging up the yard for what's left of me and our little vignette
For whatever poor soul is coming next

Check out the live version here. You might want to put it on loop.

“From Eden”

If you haven't already fallen for Hozier, the way he sings "babe" at the opening of this song ought to do it. He then proceeds with a series of engaging contradictions:

Babe, there’s something tragic about you
Something so magic about you
Don’t you agree?

Babe, there’s something lonesome about you
Something so wholesome about you
Get closer to me

If you say so, Hozier, if you say so. You can find the song's official video here.

“Work Song”

The deep driving beat of "Work Song" will have you humming alone in no time flat. And while it's undeniable that this song makes you want to sway wherever you are, the lyrics really set it apart.

As saccharine as it may be, I'm a huge sucker for the part where Hozier declares:

There's nothing sweeter than my baby
I'd never want once from the cherry tree
'Cause my baby's sweet as can be
She gives me toothaches just from kissin' me

The chorus is strong and loaded, Hozier pleads:

When my time comes around
Lay me gently in the cold dark earth
No grave can hold my body down
I'll crawl home to her

The video features a bunch of eerily dancing couples while Hozier plays and sings
Check it out here.

“It Will Come Back”

In "It Will Come Back," Hozier starts by setting up parallels between a stray animal and himself, warning not to give either a taste of something they can't have. He begins:

You know better babe, you know better babe,
Than to look at it, look at it like that.
You know better babe, you know better babe,
Than to talk to it, talk to it like that.

[...]

Don't let it in with with no intention to keep it
Jesus Christ, don't be kind to it.
Honey don't feed it, it will come back.

Then he moves on to relate the concept to his own experience as he sings:

You know better babe, you know better babe,
Than to smile at me, smile at me like that
You know better babe, you know better babe,
Than to hold me just, hold me just like that.

Don't let me in with with no intention to keep me
Jesus Christ, don't be kind to me.
Honey don't feed me I will come back.

The melody is haunting and the lyrics so full of an untouchable combination of hoping and warning.

If my harping on the lyrics of this album didn't do it for you, just trust me and check it out for yourself. I guarantee you'll love it — or at least like it. Terms and restrictions may apply. Unfortunately I don't actually think I can actually guarantee anyone's musical emotions via Dartbeat.


Samantha Webster, The Dartmouth Staff