It Will Come Back

This is probably my favourite song on the album. 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.

I saw him perform this song live last night and he said (and this is as word for word as I can remember) that it's about asking someone to do the merciful thing and cut all the ropes and just let you go.

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.

While I do see TKirby's point, I always felt like this song was about lust, rather than unrequired love. 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).

At first he is telling someone not to feed a dog or show any affection to a dog or any animal. But then later in the song there is another verse where he compares himself to the dog don't let hozier in or don't show any affection to hozier if you're not going to love him forever.

I think this song describes lust. After having sex with her, he (assuming this is a guy singing about a girl) becomes animalistic and begins craving it more and more.

"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.

I feel like this song could also speak on addiction. As he is referring to not feed it or give it attention. He could be explaining himself as the addiction. He could take on the form of a drug or any form of addiction. He says that "I will come back" and addictions can haunt you over time and many opportunities may come up to feed that addiction. By saying not to give it attention he could mean not to think about doing whatever it is or thinking about it so much to the point that it encourages them to do it again.

This song has a similar feel to "Jackie and Wilson". Both songs express his self awareness towards his excessive intensity with regards to relationships (new or old). Both songs also indicate a sense of self loathing as he deems himself unworthy of a loving relationship;

It will come back - "Leave it to the land, this is what it knows. Honey, that's how it sleeps"

Jackie and wilson - "Cut clean from the dream at night, let my mind reset Looking up from a cigarette, and she's already left I start digging up the yard for what's left of me and our little vignette For whatever poor soul is coming next"

Would indicate that he has commitment issues because he's afraid to fall in love... And he's afraid to fall in love because he knows that he'll inevitably become overbearing with it, pushing them away.. and he'll be relentless to try to win them back until he gets a solid answer.

This is my favourite Hozier song so far - and there have been a few crackers!

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.

To me this song’s meaning is related to any addict in recovery for any type of addiction. Alcohol, drugs, etc. “You know better babe than to look at it like that. Don’t give it a head or offer it a soul. “Honey don’t feed it, it will come back”