Foreigner’s God by Hozier Lyrics Meaning – Unraveling the Lyrical Tapestry of Cultural Dissonance
Lyrics
The perfect creature rarely seen
Since some lie I brought the thunder
When the land was godless and free
Her eyes look sharp and steady
Into the empty parts of me
Still my heart is heavy
With the hate of some other man’s beliefs
Always a well dressed for
Who wouldn’t spare the wrong
Never for me
Screaming the name
Of a foreigner’s God
Screaming the name
Of a foreigner’s God
Screaming the name
Of a foreigner’s God
The purest expression of grief
Wondering who I’ll copy
Muster in some tender charm
She feels no control of her body
She feels no safety in my arms
I’ve no language left to say it
All I do is crave to her
Breaking if I try to convey it
The broken love I make to her
All that I’ve been taught
And every word I’ve got
Is foreign to me
Screaming the name
Of a foreigner’s God
Screaming the name
Of a foreigner’s God
Screaming the name
Of a foreigner’s God
The purest expression of grief
Screaming the name
Of a foreigner’s God
Screaming the name
Of a foreigner’s God
Screaming the name
Of a foreigner’s God
The purest expression of grief
Screaming the name
Of a foreigner’s God
Screaming the name
Of a foreigner’s God
Screaming the name
Of a foreigner’s God
The purest expression of grief
In the vivid and visceral ‘Foreigner’s God,’ Hozier weaves a narrative that goes beyond the realms of traditional songwriting, striking at the heart of cultural estrangement and identity. The Irish singer-songwriter, known for his soul-clenching musical tales, brings forth an anthology of emotion in this potent composition. It is a song punctuated by its haunting refrain and layered with a thick sheen of existential pondering.
Like a prism breaking a beam of light into a spectrum of colors, ‘Foreigner’s God’ breaks down the experience of spiritual and cultural alienation into notes and words. This song transcends the mere concept of a deity belonging to others; it unfolds a landscape of introspection, conflict, and longing for belonging and understanding within the tapestry of the human condition.
The Echoes of Estrangement: Cultural Displacement Unveiled
Diving into the first verse, listeners are introduced to an enigmatic muse, a ‘perfect creature rarely seen,’ and Hozier’s reference to ‘bringing the thunder’ at a time when ‘the land was godless and free’. The vivid imagery illustrates a time of pure existence devoid of religious influence, contrasting with the imposition of foreign belief systems. It conjures the essence of indigenous histories upturned by colonial forces, societal transitions, or personal narratives where one’s beliefs are overshadowed by those of others.
There is an underlying commentary on how imposed faiths have historically brought tumult and eroded the ‘godless’ freedom of pre-conversion eras. Yet, the words ‘shameless wonder’ capture an undefined beauty and rarity, an undaunted spirit that persists despite the encroachment of these ‘foreigner’s gods’. This sets the stage for a profound exploration of how alien ideologies can both oppress and define our self-perception and interactions.
A Haunting Refrain: Decoding the Chorus’s Intensity
The chorus of ‘Foreigner’s God’ is a guttural cry, a ‘purest expression of grief’ that repeats with a fervor. Hozier’s repetition of ‘screaming the name’ captures a dual sensation of devotion and despair, an invocation that is both sacred and sacrilegious. It’s the sound of a personal catharsis, of resistance against oppressive beliefs, and of mourning the loss of a self or a way of life that has been taken by the assimilation into another’s culture.
On another level, this chorus could be seen as the struggle with one’s shaky faith, of grappling with ideas of the divine that come from an external source rather than an internal conviction. The word ‘screaming’ evokes a sense of urgent desperation, perhaps a last attempt to communicate with or understand a force that feels both omnipresent and inaccessible.
The Pain of Disconnection: Musings on Love and Language
As Hozier reflects on a relationship burdened by the imposition of external beliefs, the song delicately navigates the complexities of love entangled with dogma. The lyrics ‘I’ve no language left to say it, all I do is crave to her’ articulate the profound sense of loss when words fail to bridge the chasm of understanding between lovers, exacerbated by the weight of ‘some other man’s beliefs’.
It is a portrayal of a relationship where cultural and religious differences introduce a language barrier not just of words but of spirits. The ‘broken love’ that Hozier admits to making to his muse speaks to the imperfect harmony they achieve, strained by ideologies that may not resonate with both. The romance becomes a microcosm for the song’s broader theme of strife between personal identity and the imposition of an alien ethos.
A Cry For Authenticity: The Song’s Hidden Meaning Revealed
‘Foreigner’s God’ can be interpreted as a quest for authenticity in a world laden with prescribed ideologies. Hozier seems to critique the idea of adopting beliefs without personal alignment, echoing a larger cultural discussion about the importance of individual truth versus inherited or enforced dogmas. When he sings, ‘all that I’ve been taught, and every word I’ve got, is foreign to me,’ there’s a defiant claim to the need for self-discovery and the rejection of externally-defined narratives.
In essence, Hozier might be challenging his audience to consider where their beliefs originate and whether they truly represent their inner convictions or simply the mire of history’s intrusions. At its core, the song interrogates how one finds solace or spirituality in concepts that do not resonate intrinsically, and it’s this tension that fuels the song’s existential gravity.
Strands of Heartache: Exploring the Song’s Most Memorable Lines
Part of what makes ‘Foreigner’s God’ so powerful are lines like ‘Still my heart is heavy, with the hate of some other man’s beliefs’ and ‘Never for me.’ These phrases encapsulate the personal cost of external influence, the way it can weigh one down with a burden of ancestral grudges or societal expectations that feel fundamentally misaligned with one’s personal truth.
The sentiment of ‘Never for me’ is particularly haunting. It is the sound of being on the outside looking in, of seeing others find solace or fervor in beliefs that leave one cold. This sense of isolation and misunderstanding are what imbue Hozier’s song with its raw and relatable pain, transforming what could have been a mere commentary on belief into a universal anthem for those who feel alien in the face of ‘foreigner’s gods.’
