Angel Of Small Death & The Codeine Scene by Hozier Lyrics Meaning – Deciphering Euphoria And Heartache
Lyrics
Toying somewhere between love and abuse
Calling to join them, the wretched and joyful
Shaking the wings of their terrible youths
Freshly disowned in some frozen devotion
No more alone or myself could I be
Lurched like a stray to the arms that were open
No shortage of sordid, no protest from me
With her sweetened breath, and her tongue so mean
She’s the angel of small death and the codeine scene
With her straw-blonde hair, her arms hard and lean
She’s the angel of small death and the codeine scene
Feeling more human and hooked on her flesh, I
Lay my heart down with the rest at her feet
Fresh from the fields, all fetor and fertile
It’s bloody and raw, but I swear it is sweet
With her sweetened breath, and her tongue so mean
She’s the angel of small death and the codeine scene
With her straw-blonde hair, her arms hard and lean
She’s the angel of small death and the codeine scene
In leash-less confusion, I’ll wander the concrete
Wonder if better now having survived
Jarring of judgement and reason’s defeat the sweet
Heat of her breath in my mouth, I’m alive
With her sweetened breath, and her tongue so mean
She’s the angel of small death and the codeine scene
With her straw-blonde hair, her arms hard and lean
She’s the angel of small death and the codeine scene
With her sweetened breath, and her tongue so mean
She’s the angel of small death and the codeine scene
With her straw-blonde hair, her arms hard and lean
She’s the angel of small death and the codeine scene
In the realm of modern troubadours, few have struck a chord in the collective heart of the musically-inclined quite like Hozier. With his deeply resonant voice and profoundly poetic lyrics, the Irish singer-songwriter has a penchant for crafting songs that weave narratives of love, sin, and redemption into a tapestry rich with personal and philosophical significance.
‘Angel Of Small Death & The Codeine Scene’ stands as a testament to his uncanny ability to distill complex emotions into a singular, soul-stirring experience. The track is not just a sonic journey but a lyrical odyssey into the heart of human vulnerability and the intoxicating nature of love and desire.
A Dichotomy of Desire: The Lure of Forbidden Love
Hozier lays the groundwork for this auditory exploration with a compelling portrayal of love’s darker, more primal edges. Describing the work of his kin as ‘bold and boyful,’ he navigates the fine line between love and abuse, acknowledging the inherent tension and duality present in impassioned, perhaps even forbidden, attractions.
The song’s protagonists are painted as outcasts, rebels in a sense, bucking the trend of propriety for the fiery embrace of unchecked passion. This love is not the idyllic, sanitized variety, but one that is raw, disturbing, and exhilarating — akin to the high of an addictive drug.
The Siren’s Call: An Angel Cloaked in Danger
Hozier’s muse in the song, characterized as ‘the angel of small death and the codeine scene,’ emerges as a complex figure—a temptress who wields a transformative power over the singer. Small deaths, or ‘la petite mort’ in French, historically allude to the brief loss or weakening of consciousness traditionally tied to the ecstasy of an orgasm.
By conflating the destructive and the divine, Hozier invites listeners into a realm where pleasure is irrevocably linked to pain, where addiction to another person’s being is as potent and consuming as that to a drug. The angel is both savior and siren, her mean-spoken tongue as compelling as her sweet breath.
Laid Bare: The Sacrifice of the Heart
In stark, emotive imagery, Hozier speaks of laying his heart down, offering his love up as something sacred and sacrificial. Just as the fields surrender their bounty to feed the hunger of others, so too does the singer relinquish his love, acknowledging its raw, potentially destructive nature while cherishing its sweetness.
This act of surrender reveals a vulnerability that is brutally human, showing the lengths to which one might go to commune with another’s flesh and soul, to quench an insatiable desire for closeness and communion.
Surviving the Aftermath: A Reckoning with Reality
In the wake of such an intense and tumultuous affair, Hozier contemplates his state—’wonder if better now having survived.’ The relationship, it seems, has left him changed, bearing the scars of judgments jarred and reason defeated.
The experience, though searing, is ultimately life-affirming. The ‘sweet heat of her breath’ stands as a reminder of his endurance, the proof that through the trials and triumphs of love and connection, he emerges more alive and, perhaps, wiser for the wear.
Memorable Lines: A Lyrical Labyrinth of Seduction
Amidst the song’s complex narrative and lush instrumentation, certain lines cut through with razor-sharp precision. ‘With her sweetened breath, and her tongue so mean,’ encapsulates the intoxicating contradiction of the lover—both kind and cruel.
Such memorable lyrics speak to the conflict and confusion inherent in the search for affection and the fight for self-preservation. They echo long after the music fades, reminding us of the seductive, sometimes sinister nature of the profound connections we seek.
