Released: 2019
Hozier’s ‘Would That I’ is a poignant exploration of love and loss, using the imagery of fire and nature to convey deep emotions. The song captures the singer’s struggle with past relationships and his yearning for a love that once was, while also expressing hope for the present and future love.
The opening lines ‘True that I saw her hair like the branch of a tree / A willow dancing on air before covering me’ paint a vivid picture of a woman, likening her to a willow tree. This imagery suggests a sense of beauty and grace, but also a sense of melancholy, as willow trees are often associated with sadness and mourning.
The line ‘That the sound of the saw must be known by the tree / Must be felled for to fight the cold’ uses the metaphor of a tree being cut down for firewood to represent the end of a relationship. The ‘sound of the saw’ symbolizes the painful process of separation, while the need to ‘fight the cold’ suggests the loneliness that follows a breakup.
The chorus ‘And it’s not tonight (oh, oh) / Where I’m set alight (oh, oh) / And I blink in sight (oh) / Of your blinding light (oh)’ speaks to the singer’s longing for a love that’s no longer there. The ‘blinding light’ could represent the overwhelming intensity of his feelings, while ‘set alight’ suggests a sense of being consumed by these emotions.
‘With the roar of the fire, my heart rose to its feet / Like the ashes of ash I saw rise in the heat’ further emphasizes the theme of burning passion and heartache. The ‘roar of the fire’ symbolizes the powerful emotions that love can ignite, while the ‘ashes of ash’ could represent the remnants of a love that has burned out.
‘With each love I cut loose, I was never the same / Watching still living roots be consumed by the flame’ speaks to the transformative power of love and loss. The ‘still living roots’ could symbolize the lingering feelings and memories from past relationships, while ‘consumed by the flame’ suggests the destructive impact of these emotions.
The line ‘So in awe, there I stood as you licked off the grain / Though I’ve handled the wood, I still worship the flame’ encapsulates the song’s central theme. Despite the pain and heartache, the singer remains captivated by the allure of love, symbolized by the ‘flame’. The ‘grain’ and ‘wood’ could represent past relationships, suggesting that even though they ended, they still hold a significant place in his heart.
In the end, ‘Would That I’ is a powerful testament to the enduring power of love, even in the face of heartbreak and loss. Hozier uses vivid imagery and metaphor to convey the complex emotions associated with love, creating a song that resonates with anyone who’s ever loved and lost.
