“Shaking the wings of their terrible youths”: Exploring References and Allusions in Hozier’s Eponymous Debut Album (2014)

Abstract

As British ethnomusicologist Martin Stokes writes: “Music is clearly very much a part of modern life and our understanding of it, articulating our knowledge of other peoples, places, times and things, and ourselves in relation to them”. In this context, Hozier has been considered one of Ireland’s new leading political voices in popular culture since 2014, the year that he gained recognition worldwide for the breakout hit single “Take Me to Church”. It is indeed his candour and ability to weave political and social messages with beautifully crafted lyrics and melodies that make Hozier’s debut album one particularly worth exploring from an Irish studies perspective. Furthermore, as those characteristics he admires in songs, literature, and artists have been carried over into his own body of work, it will also be especially useful to focus on the use of references and allusions in his songwriting. Thus, by acknowledging and using the perspectives of authors such as Martin Stokes, Richard Middleton and Simon Frith with regard to performance and articulation, this paper will offer a close study of the key texts of Hozier’s first album and a template for future analyses of his work.