As long as there's something left of the fire, he has no feelings of wanting to be in love
Basically, the picture overall is one of having sex in a relationship that you know is doomed.">
Would That I Meanings & Lyrics Discussion | SongMeanings
As long as there's something left of the fire, he has no feelings of wanting to be in love
Basically, the picture overall is one of having sex in a relationship that you know is doomed." />
True that I saw her hair like the branch of a tree
Willow dancing on air before covering me
Hozier compares a woman letting her hair down to the branches of a willow tree, her hair covers him because he's under her.
Under cotton and calicoes
cotton and calicoes are types of fabric - the implication would be sheets, clothing, underwear.
Over canopy dapple long ago
canopy dapple likely refers to the filtering of light through a forest canopy
True that love in withdrawal was the weeping of me
'weeping' is a callback to 'willow', 'withdrawal' is an allusion to addiction; the meaning here is that when the love ended, he was sad
That the sound of the saw must be known by the tree
Must be felled for to fight the cold
This means that the tree - the love, the lover - must be cut down to fuel the fire that keeps him warm
I fretted fire but that was long ago
'fretted' may allude to the fret board of a string instrument, the implication being that 'the fire' is Hoziers music. So heartbreak fuels the fire, his work. In the past he 'fretted' (meaning 'worried about') the fire, but he's over that and has come to terms with the process of writing about heartbreak.
And it's not tonight (Oooh, oooh)
Where I'm set alight (Oooh, oooh)
And I blink in sight (Oooh, oooh)
Your blinding light (Oooh)
Oh, it's not tonight (Oooh, oooh)
Where you hold me tight (Oooh, oooh)
Light a fire bright (Oooh, oooh)
Oh, let it blaze, alright (Oooh)
Basically, this night is not fire-inspiring. And he's probably not getting broken up with.
Oh, but you're good to me
Oh, you're good to me
Oh, but you're good to me, baby
she's good to him, but she doesn't 'light his fire', doesn't inspire that kind of passion, intensity, or heartbreak.
With the roar of the fire my heart rose to its feet
Like the ashes of ash I saw rise in the heat
This fire inspires passion. 'ashes of ash' refers to when ash itself burns - so a fire here has been re-lit and is more intense each time.
Settle soft and as pure as snow
I fell in love with the fire long ago
he likes this cycle of passion and heartbreak etc.
With each love I cut loose I was never the same
Watching still living roots be consumed by the flame
every time he parts with a lover, it changes him. Part of it lives within him and the 'flame' is fueled by it.
I was fixed on your hand of gold
Laying waste to my loving long ago
'hand of gold' means a wedding ring; he fell for a married person and became fixated on them - or - he wanted to marry someone and that fucked him up.
So in awe there I stood as you licked off the grain
Though I've handled the wood, I still worship the flame
Having sex, his partner performs fellatio to a finish, and so the 'wood' has been handled, but he still 'worships' his partner, meaning they're not through with sex just because he came
Long as amber of ember glows
All the "would that I loved" is long ago
As long as there's something left of the fire, he has no feelings of wanting to be in love
Basically, the picture overall is one of having sex in a relationship that you know is doomed.
@burningonempty also, because he refers to 'handling the wood' and refers to 'would (wood) that I loved' it's possible that the general idea is one of having been with another man, and contrasting a male 'you' in his past - who did in spire a fire in him - with 'her' who does not, but who is very nice and is his present lover.
@burningonempty also, because he refers to 'handling the wood' and refers to 'would (wood) that I loved' it's possible that the general idea is one of having been with another man, and contrasting a male 'you' in his past - who did in spire a fire in him - with 'her' who does not, but who is very nice and is his present lover.
@burningonempty I disagree with the notion that it's a man, not at all because I think that Hozier would be opposed to queer iconography, I just think that the "All the 'would that I'd loved' is long ago" line is just a play on "all the wood that I'd loved is long ago", continuing the metaphor of past lovers being wood, and her new lover being a flame. Also, "would that I" is a way to say "if only I could" or "I wish I could", i.e. unattained desires, unfulfilled dreams, unlived futures: "would that I could". He's not only...
@burningonempty I disagree with the notion that it's a man, not at all because I think that Hozier would be opposed to queer iconography, I just think that the "All the 'would that I'd loved' is long ago" line is just a play on "all the wood that I'd loved is long ago", continuing the metaphor of past lovers being wood, and her new lover being a flame. Also, "would that I" is a way to say "if only I could" or "I wish I could", i.e. unattained desires, unfulfilled dreams, unlived futures: "would that I could". He's not only saying that his lovers are in his past and he's fine with it, he's saying that all the potential futures that he sacrificed for the sake of being this woman are long forgotten and no longer of concern; she makes him so happy that he doesn't care about all the things he can no longer experience for having chosen to be with her.
@burningonempty I also disagree with the interpretation that this line:
"๐๐ฐ, ๐ช๐ฏ ๐ข๐ธ๐ฆ, ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ฆ ๐ ๐ด๐ต๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ฅ ๐ข๐ด ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ ๐ญ๐ช๐ค๐ฌ๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐ฐ๐ง๐ง ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐จ๐ณ๐ข๐ช๐ฏ, ๐๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ถ๐จ๐ฉ ๐'๐ท๐ฆ ๐ฉ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ๐ญ๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ธ๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ฅ, ๐ ๐ด๐ต๐ช๐ญ๐ญ ๐ธ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ด๐ฉ๐ช๐ฑ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐ฎ๐ฆ" is sexual. Again, not at all because I think Hozier is too shy to have themes of eroticism, merely because this is otherwise such an innocent song. I think this is merely referring to the common biblical characterization of fire/flame as having "tongues". The tongues of fire, lapping at the grain of the wood, till it "comes off" (licking it off, i.e. burning the wood until it no longer...
@burningonempty I also disagree with the interpretation that this line:
"๐๐ฐ, ๐ช๐ฏ ๐ข๐ธ๐ฆ, ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ฆ ๐ ๐ด๐ต๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ฅ ๐ข๐ด ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ ๐ญ๐ช๐ค๐ฌ๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐ฐ๐ง๐ง ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐จ๐ณ๐ข๐ช๐ฏ, ๐๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ถ๐จ๐ฉ ๐'๐ท๐ฆ ๐ฉ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ๐ญ๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ธ๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ฅ, ๐ ๐ด๐ต๐ช๐ญ๐ญ ๐ธ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ด๐ฉ๐ช๐ฑ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐ฎ๐ฆ" is sexual. Again, not at all because I think Hozier is too shy to have themes of eroticism, merely because this is otherwise such an innocent song. I think this is merely referring to the common biblical characterization of fire/flame as having "tongues". The tongues of fire, lapping at the grain of the wood, till it "comes off" (licking it off, i.e. burning the wood until it no longer has a visible grain).
Handling the wood I believe is merely in reference to having been with other women, having "handled" them (which, while slightly little less directly sexual, is nonetheless a euphemistic reference to sex) in his past does not diminish his reverence of her
@burningonempty Though your reading of the song seems not to address the obvious simile that the wood represents old lovers and the fire represents his new lover, I still really like your interpretation(s) because they provide an entirely different perspective that can see allegories that were missed by more "standard" interpretations of the lyrics. That being said:
@burningonempty Though your reading of the song seems not to address the obvious simile that the wood represents old lovers and the fire represents his new lover, I still really like your interpretation(s) because they provide an entirely different perspective that can see allegories that were missed by more "standard" interpretations of the lyrics. That being said:
> So heartbreak fuels the fire, his work. In the past he 'fretted' (meaning 'worried about') the fire, but he's over that and has come to terms with the process of writing about heartbreak.
> So heartbreak fuels the fire, his work. In the past he 'fretted' (meaning 'worried about') the fire, but he's over that and has come to terms with the process of writing about heartbreak.
You're the only one to have brought up the connection between "fretted" (frets) and a guitar, but I don't think that it means that heartbreak fuels the "fire" of his music. I think fretting fire means "fretting (for) fire", i.e. penning and playing songs for "the fire": his new all-consuming love' serenading her. This is in addition to the obvious meaning of "fret(ted)" meaning "feared". He was fearful of the prospect of falling in love again, due to the pain it might bring him, but now he doesn't care. He's not afraid anymore, he's fully in love.
Here's how I see it:
True that I saw her hair like the branch of a tree Willow dancing on air before covering me
Under cotton and calicoes
Over canopy dapple long ago
True that love in withdrawal was the weeping of me
That the sound of the saw must be known by the tree Must be felled for to fight the cold
I fretted fire but that was long ago
And it's not tonight (Oooh, oooh) Where I'm set alight (Oooh, oooh) And I blink in sight (Oooh, oooh) Your blinding light (Oooh) Oh, it's not tonight (Oooh, oooh) Where you hold me tight (Oooh, oooh) Light a fire bright (Oooh, oooh) Oh, let it blaze, alright (Oooh)
Oh, but you're good to me Oh, you're good to me Oh, but you're good to me, baby
With the roar of the fire my heart rose to its feet Like the ashes of ash I saw rise in the heat
Settle soft and as pure as snow I fell in love with the fire long ago
With each love I cut loose I was never the same Watching still living roots be consumed by the flame
I was fixed on your hand of gold Laying waste to my loving long ago
So in awe there I stood as you licked off the grain Though I've handled the wood, I still worship the flame
Long as amber of ember glows All the "would that I loved" is long ago
Basically, the picture overall is one of having sex in a relationship that you know is doomed.
@burningonempty also, because he refers to 'handling the wood' and refers to 'would (wood) that I loved' it's possible that the general idea is one of having been with another man, and contrasting a male 'you' in his past - who did in spire a fire in him - with 'her' who does not, but who is very nice and is his present lover.
@burningonempty also, because he refers to 'handling the wood' and refers to 'would (wood) that I loved' it's possible that the general idea is one of having been with another man, and contrasting a male 'you' in his past - who did in spire a fire in him - with 'her' who does not, but who is very nice and is his present lover.
@burningonempty I disagree with the notion that it's a man, not at all because I think that Hozier would be opposed to queer iconography, I just think that the "All the 'would that I'd loved' is long ago" line is just a play on "all the wood that I'd loved is long ago", continuing the metaphor of past lovers being wood, and her new lover being a flame. Also, "would that I" is a way to say "if only I could" or "I wish I could", i.e. unattained desires, unfulfilled dreams, unlived futures: "would that I could". He's not only...
@burningonempty I disagree with the notion that it's a man, not at all because I think that Hozier would be opposed to queer iconography, I just think that the "All the 'would that I'd loved' is long ago" line is just a play on "all the wood that I'd loved is long ago", continuing the metaphor of past lovers being wood, and her new lover being a flame. Also, "would that I" is a way to say "if only I could" or "I wish I could", i.e. unattained desires, unfulfilled dreams, unlived futures: "would that I could". He's not only saying that his lovers are in his past and he's fine with it, he's saying that all the potential futures that he sacrificed for the sake of being this woman are long forgotten and no longer of concern; she makes him so happy that he doesn't care about all the things he can no longer experience for having chosen to be with her.
@burningonempty I also disagree with the interpretation that this line: "๐๐ฐ, ๐ช๐ฏ ๐ข๐ธ๐ฆ, ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ฆ ๐ ๐ด๐ต๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ฅ ๐ข๐ด ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ ๐ญ๐ช๐ค๐ฌ๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐ฐ๐ง๐ง ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐จ๐ณ๐ข๐ช๐ฏ, ๐๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ถ๐จ๐ฉ ๐'๐ท๐ฆ ๐ฉ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ๐ญ๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ธ๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ฅ, ๐ ๐ด๐ต๐ช๐ญ๐ญ ๐ธ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ด๐ฉ๐ช๐ฑ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐ฎ๐ฆ" is sexual. Again, not at all because I think Hozier is too shy to have themes of eroticism, merely because this is otherwise such an innocent song. I think this is merely referring to the common biblical characterization of fire/flame as having "tongues". The tongues of fire, lapping at the grain of the wood, till it "comes off" (licking it off, i.e. burning the wood until it no longer...
@burningonempty I also disagree with the interpretation that this line: "๐๐ฐ, ๐ช๐ฏ ๐ข๐ธ๐ฆ, ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ฆ ๐ ๐ด๐ต๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ฅ ๐ข๐ด ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ ๐ญ๐ช๐ค๐ฌ๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐ฐ๐ง๐ง ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐จ๐ณ๐ข๐ช๐ฏ, ๐๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ถ๐จ๐ฉ ๐'๐ท๐ฆ ๐ฉ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ๐ญ๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ธ๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ฅ, ๐ ๐ด๐ต๐ช๐ญ๐ญ ๐ธ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ด๐ฉ๐ช๐ฑ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐ฎ๐ฆ" is sexual. Again, not at all because I think Hozier is too shy to have themes of eroticism, merely because this is otherwise such an innocent song. I think this is merely referring to the common biblical characterization of fire/flame as having "tongues". The tongues of fire, lapping at the grain of the wood, till it "comes off" (licking it off, i.e. burning the wood until it no longer has a visible grain). Handling the wood I believe is merely in reference to having been with other women, having "handled" them (which, while slightly little less directly sexual, is nonetheless a euphemistic reference to sex) in his past does not diminish his reverence of her
@burningonempty Though your reading of the song seems not to address the obvious simile that the wood represents old lovers and the fire represents his new lover, I still really like your interpretation(s) because they provide an entirely different perspective that can see allegories that were missed by more "standard" interpretations of the lyrics. That being said:
@burningonempty Though your reading of the song seems not to address the obvious simile that the wood represents old lovers and the fire represents his new lover, I still really like your interpretation(s) because they provide an entirely different perspective that can see allegories that were missed by more "standard" interpretations of the lyrics. That being said:
> So heartbreak fuels the fire, his work. In the past he 'fretted' (meaning 'worried about') the fire, but he's over that and has come to terms with the process of writing about heartbreak.
> So heartbreak fuels the fire, his work. In the past he 'fretted' (meaning 'worried about') the fire, but he's over that and has come to terms with the process of writing about heartbreak.
You're the only one to have brought up the connection between "fretted" (frets) and a guitar, but I don't think that it means that heartbreak fuels the "fire" of his music. I think fretting fire means "fretting (for) fire", i.e. penning and playing songs for "the fire": his new all-consuming love' serenading her. This is in addition to the obvious meaning of "fret(ted)" meaning "feared". He was fearful of the prospect of falling in love again, due to the pain it might bring him, but now he doesn't care. He's not afraid anymore, he's fully in love.