“All Things End” by Hozier

Hozier released his EP “Eat Your Young” on 17 March 2023, which happens to be the singer’s 33rd birthday and also, as People has pointed out, St. Patrick’s Day, i.e. the most widely-celebrated Irish holiday in the world (with Hozier himself being from Wicklow). And amongst the three songs featured on that project is “All Things End”. The other two songs from this project are:

You can view the lyrics, alternate interprations and sheet music for Hozier's All Things End at Lyrics.org.

THE LYRICS OF “ALL THINGS END”

As to be expected from Hozier, some of the lyrics we’re dealing with here are pretty deep. And even beyond that, he has alluded to this composition being partially inspired by Dante Alighieri’s 14th century classic Divine Comedy and more specifically the most-famous part of that story, a section commonly known as Dante’s Inferno which depicts the author’s visions of hell. 

More specifically in that regard, Hozier likened “All Things End” to what is known as Dante’s Sixth Circle of Hell, where practitioners of heresy are confined to in the afterlife.

According to Hozier’s own words, he did so because “a breakup… always seems like heresy at the time”. Heresy, most simply explained, is when someone supports a religious doctrine which is contrary to the one that has been generally accepted. 

So we don’t particularly know what Hozier means in relating the lyrics of this song to such an act. But in any event, said comparison further speaks to how deep of a thinker he is as an artist.

What is put forth in this song is easier to understand without referencing the Divine Comedy and, though the first is heavily symbolic, relayed somewhat straightforwardly as far as Hozier songs go. And that is the singer espousing the philosophy of not getting bent out of shape when enduring a breakup.

The wording is not overtly romantic, but it is ascertainable that such is the concept he is speaking, i.e. relationships which initially may seem as if they’re going to last “forever” but do materialize as so. 

And his conclusion on the matter is “that everything will end”. Or let’s say that from the vocalist’s perspective nothing is permanent, and he feels that way even when it comes to romance. 

“And all things end
All that we intend is scrawled in sand
And slips right through our hand
And just knowing
That everything will end
We should not change our plan
Whеn we begin again”

Or put otherwise, he’s not the type to view a failed romance as the end of the world. That is to say that, as the ending of the second verse implies, Hozier is more inclined to look for the positives, if you will, in parting ways as opposed to the negative.

But it isn’t such that the vocalist is actually supporting the idea of breaking up. Rather his position, as indicated in the bridge, is that by all means the parties involved will go on to become involved in new relationships. 

But even then, they should keep in mind that “all… we intend is scrawled in sand”. And that reads like the singer’s way of arguing that we shouldn’t put an unwavering amount of faith in new romances since they too will eventually “end”.

CONCLUSION

Hozier’s disposition in All Things End may seem pessimistic for those of us who believe in love. But logic would dictate that this is his personal way of making peace with the world we live in, where romances seem more inclined to fail than succeed.

Upon first falling in love, no one really foresees that their future instead may be marked by bouncing from one partner to the next.  But that is the reality that many of us have found ourselves dealing with nonetheless, and this vocalist goes about making sense of it all by noting that, as some may say, all of the aspirations and works of men are only temporary.

THE TEAM BEHIND “ALL THINGS END”

Hozier was able to put this song out via his longtime supporters, Rubyworks Records, an indie label based in his homeland of Ireland. He co-wrote “All Things End” with these songwriters:

  • Peter Gonzales
  • Stuart Johnson
  • Daniel Krieger
  • Rappy
  • Bēkon

Bēkon, who has proven most notable due to his contributions to Kendrick Lamar’s career, also produced this track with Marius Feder.

All Things End

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