It Will Come Back by Hozier Lyrics Meaning – Unveiling the Depths of Desire and Consequence
Lyrics
Than to look at it, look at it like that
You know better babe, you know better babe
Than to talk to it, talk to it like that
Don’t give it a hand, offer it a soul
Honey, make this easy
Leave it to the land, this is what it knows
Honey, that’s how it sleeps
Don’t let it in with with no intention to keep it
Jesus Christ, don’t be kind to it
Honey don’t feed it, it will come back
You know better babe, you know better babe
Than to smile at me, smile at me like that
You know better babe, you know better babe
Than to hold me just, hold me just like that
I know who I am when I’m alone
Something else when I see you
You don’t understand, you should never know
How easy you are to need
Don’t let me in with with no intention to keep me
Jesus Christ, don’t be kind to me
Honey don’t feed me I will come back
Can’t be unlearned
I’ve known the warmth of your doorways
Through the cold, I’ll find my way back to you
Oh please, give me mercy no more
That’s a kindness you can’t avoid!
I want you baby tonight, as sure as you’re born
You’ll hear me howling outside your door
Don’t you hear me howling babe?
Don’t you hear me howling babe?
Don’t you hear me howling babe?
Don’t you hear me howling
Don’t you hear me howling
Don’t you hear me howling babe?
Hozier, the Irish musician who bewitched the world with ‘Take Me to Church’, once again showcases his profundity in the hauntingly beautiful ‘It Will Come Back’. With a keen eye on lyrical craftsmanship fused with stirring rhythms, Hozier takes listeners through a cryptic journey of longing, caution, and the innate nature of yearning.
Embarking upon the depths of ‘It Will Come Back’, each line echoes with a weight that seems to transcend mere words, arranging them to lay bare the soul of desire itself. Hozier’s evocative voice becomes the lighthouse guiding us through the murky waters of human emotions, where the siren song of temptation meets the shore of self-restraint.
The Siren’s Beckoning: Listen Closely to the Call
Hozier plays the role of the worldly sage, admonishing against the allure of a siren’s call. ‘You know better babe… Than to look at it, look at it like that,’ rings not just as friendly advice, but a wariness born from experience. This continuously repeated warning against engagement is a plea – an urging to prevent the encroachment of a mesmerizing threat that is as desirable as it is dangerous.
The song’s narrative structure serves as a vessel for a conversation between the tempted and the tempter. There’s a palpable tension that courses through the first verse to the chorus, outlining the perilous dance between self-control and the abandonment of it. This isn’t merely a story of restraint, but one of deep inner conflict where one’s better judgment is at odds with their intrinsic desires.
Offering Soul to Soil: The Metaphorical Heartbeat
Rooted deep in earthy metaphors, Hozier suggests leaving ‘it to the land, this is what it knows,’ implying that certain feelings or relationships are as inherent to human nature as growth is to the land. There’s an organic acceptance of the cycle of life and death, of coming and going, that the land represents – a cycle that Hozier seems to parallel with the ebb and flow of primal desire.
The line ‘Honey, that’s how it sleeps’ then resonates with a finality that is at once comforting and unsettling. It’s a provocative exploration of the idea that some things – whether it be love, pain, or longing – are meant to lay dormant within us, stirring only when the conditions are right, forcing us to confront what we have tried to bury.
The Seduction of Symmetry: Shattered Mirrors of Self
‘You know better babe, Than to smile at me, smile at me like that,’ Hozier sings, batting the echo back to the protagonist, suggesting that the allure of danger is not a solo dance. The symmetry within these lines reflects not just the actions but also the shared knowledge of the inevitable – the magnetic pull they exert upon one another, mirroring the odyssey of temptation they each represent.
‘I know who I am when I’m alone,’ highlights a self-awareness that’s shattered in the company of the other. This fracture of self-knowledge speaks to the transformative power of human connection, and the unpredictable metamorphosis of identity in the face of undeniable attraction.
Unlearned Paths and Doorway Warmths – The Inescapable Return
There is an acknowledgement of a profound connection, almost spiritual in its intensity, when Hozier intones, ‘Can’t be unlearned, I’ve known the warmth of your doorways’. This is the crux of ‘It Will Come Back’, where the music’s muse understands that the knowledge and experience shared cannot be forsaken or forgotten, marking a point of inevitable return.
This return, underscored by an intense vulnerability in the plea for ‘mercy no more’, frames desire as an unshakeable force, one that defies logic and self-preservation in pursuit of what it considers consequential. It’s an act of admitting to one’s own natural instincts, defying the cold rationality that seeks to disenfranchise the heart.
The Howling Crescendo: A Symphony of Yearning
Arguably one of the most poignant and memorable lines of ‘It Will Come Back’ is found swelling in the song’s conclusion: ‘Don’t you hear me howling babe?’ Repeated as if to underscore an urgency, a desperation, the howl is primal, raw, and unrestrained – it is the cry of a yearning that will not be quieted, a need that will not go unnoticed.
This animalistic imagery encapsulates the entirety of the song’s message, from caution to capitulation. It’s as if the howling is a final release, a cathartic acceptance of one’s nature, imploring recognition. Hozier’s haunting repetition serves to remind us that no matter how civilized we become, our most basic, human emotions are as wild and tempestuous as nature itself.
