"It Will Come Back" as written by and Andrew Hozier Byrne....
You know better babe, you know better babe
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?
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?
Lyrics submitted by 2014, edited by randy11242, teaspill, fili82, goneinaminute
"It Will Come Back" as written by Andrew Hozier Byrne
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
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I guess the meaning is pretty clear after a few listens, but anyway I'd say it's about an unrequited love, with the lyrics being a plea to someone not to be kind or loving to him, otherwise those feelings will just grow back again.
I love the way he distances himself from the affection and refers to the loving feelings as 'it'... although it's obvious she is looking at him lovingly, he writes 'don't look at it like that'. It shows that he himself doesn't want to be associated with this affection, and making it a separable object makes it seem out of his control, which to be fair, it normally is.
Aside from the lyrics, I think the use of the bottleneck and its bluesy feel sounds awesome. Also the guitar solo half way through accompanied by the cellos sounds so brilliant!
Hozier's a really great artist, so nice to see some really talented blues/R&B be in the mainstream at the moment.
Rather than it being about a new relationship or unrequited love, it's actually about the end of a relationship where one person would still go back for more given the chance. If they give you the slightest hint of interest or that there's something still there, you'll never fully move on.
It seems to me that he is comparing himself and his relationship (including a part of his anatomy) to a stray dog or a wolf (or both).
Just so raw and fantastic.
He portrays himself as a guy who wants a woman badly, and it surprises him, because he's not usually that way ("I know who I am when I'm alone"). His wanting for her is almost animalistic, and he tries to warn her not to give in to him. But he also says it's partially her fault, for being nice to him and "letting him in with no intentions to keep" and tells her that being nice to him is a "kindness she can't afford" (I know the lyrics say avoid, but I'm pretty sure it's actually afford. At least that's what I always hear, AND also what the little booklet that comes with the album when you buy it says).
"I know who I am when I'm alone, something else when I'm with you", and his
"howling" are a couple of instances where he indicates he is an animal around her.
There are a lot of lines that seem to point to the sexual part of the relationship:
"don't give it a hand", "don't let it in with no intention to keep it", and "I've known the warmth of your doorways". All of these could refer to sex or sexual acts.
It seems to me they are in an on/off type of relationship, or perhaps they are friends who sometimes but not always have sex... leaving him wanting more.