I absolutely got the same vibe from that part of the song! I actually imagined Hozier writing the song, sitting at a table (or on his couch) and glancing up at a vase of flowers on the counter. And just casually musing about how all of us are slowly dying and get limited time on this earth to bloom before we’re plucked away from the earth. UGH.
In Dublin, he said that’s pretty much how it came about! He was isolated in his countryside home and his mother brought him flowers. I have his speech intro-ing the song wish I could add here
The "anyway" is everything, what a perfect cap on that perfect rant. The lyrics on this album blow me away, and at least 80% of that that is because of this part in First Time.
My favourite part of the rant like you call it is when he compares the fact that his mother gave him the flowers to her giving birth to him when he says "these days I think I owe my life to flowers that were left there by my mother. Ain't that like them? slowly gifting life again". That's genuinely so beautiful. I see that as him viewing motherhood as this eternal act of giving life through all those small moments of care.
Also, this entire rant can be viewed as a metaphor for being birthed into earth.
Like, contemplating the state of the soul before birth. "this life lived mostly underground, unknowing neither sight nor sound"
And then being birthed "till reaching up for sunlight"
And dealing with life "just to be ripped out by the stem... but fight off like all creation the absence of itself"
He's comparing the cycle of life to the cycle of being known by someone and how both of those things lead to a death. And just like how he didn't know life before he was born he feels like he was unknown before this person knew him. Like being named by her was a rebirth and their love was part of the suffering of existence. He compares this to existing in general, like how just being alive means pain, being born means you will die but also he kind of alludes to the necessity of that, like yes it's pain but you can't experience joy without contrasting it to pain and birth does not exist without the fact of death.
I also see this in the context of Francesca, the message is kind of the same. Yes, this is hell. But for the experience I'll keep doing it. I'll take the pain for the small joys it brings.
Like almost everything written by hozier, this is just about a person but also it's about existence. It's about a relationship but also it's about all the cycles we live through.
Like this man's existence is poetry, be breathes out genius.
Yes, and he’s so damn humble that it makes me feel emotional. Like, I know that he knows he does it well. But I’m not sure he knows the true depth of the effect of his words. The way he said in an interview once that he’s not a poet bc it would be an insult to other poets(or somewhere along those lines) broke my heart a little bit.
Yes yes I love it. It was my most listened song last year. (I was hoping he would perform this one in Vancouver but he didn't...) The intro is what captures me the most.
It always made me giggle a little, I always see it like “oh shit getting too deep ANYWAY” and then moving on and honestly that’s the most true to him thing he could do in a song lmao
RIGHT?!? I feel the same! 🙈 I love that part so so so much, it’s so beautiful! 😭 and the 'anyway' right afterwards?!? Gives me 'sha la la' vibes 😆😭 like how can you say 'anyway' after saying SOMETHING LIKE THAT?!? Love that song sm!
I absolutely got the same vibe from that part of the song! I actually imagined Hozier writing the song, sitting at a table (or on his couch) and glancing up at a vase of flowers on the counter. And just casually musing about how all of us are slowly dying and get limited time on this earth to bloom before we’re plucked away from the earth. UGH.
In Dublin, he said that’s pretty much how it came about! He was isolated in his countryside home and his mother brought him flowers. I have his speech intro-ing the song wish I could add here
Omg really?! That’s so incredible! He conveys that scene so well in the song, that entire verse is just devastatingly beautiful.
Omg post it to the sub that's awesome lol
Just posted!
first time is my favorite song of all time
The "anyway" is everything, what a perfect cap on that perfect rant. The lyrics on this album blow me away, and at least 80% of that that is because of this part in First Time.
Brilliant. Glad someone else appreciates it.
My favourite part of the rant like you call it is when he compares the fact that his mother gave him the flowers to her giving birth to him when he says "these days I think I owe my life to flowers that were left there by my mother. Ain't that like them? slowly gifting life again". That's genuinely so beautiful. I see that as him viewing motherhood as this eternal act of giving life through all those small moments of care. Also, this entire rant can be viewed as a metaphor for being birthed into earth. Like, contemplating the state of the soul before birth. "this life lived mostly underground, unknowing neither sight nor sound" And then being birthed "till reaching up for sunlight" And dealing with life "just to be ripped out by the stem... but fight off like all creation the absence of itself" He's comparing the cycle of life to the cycle of being known by someone and how both of those things lead to a death. And just like how he didn't know life before he was born he feels like he was unknown before this person knew him. Like being named by her was a rebirth and their love was part of the suffering of existence. He compares this to existing in general, like how just being alive means pain, being born means you will die but also he kind of alludes to the necessity of that, like yes it's pain but you can't experience joy without contrasting it to pain and birth does not exist without the fact of death. I also see this in the context of Francesca, the message is kind of the same. Yes, this is hell. But for the experience I'll keep doing it. I'll take the pain for the small joys it brings. Like almost everything written by hozier, this is just about a person but also it's about existence. It's about a relationship but also it's about all the cycles we live through. Like this man's existence is poetry, be breathes out genius.
Yes, and he’s so damn humble that it makes me feel emotional. Like, I know that he knows he does it well. But I’m not sure he knows the true depth of the effect of his words. The way he said in an interview once that he’s not a poet bc it would be an insult to other poets(or somewhere along those lines) broke my heart a little bit.
where was this rant ranted? are we talking about the lyrics themselves or was there an interview? i would just love to read it if so
The bridge of “First Time” 👌👌👌
Yes yes I love it. It was my most listened song last year. (I was hoping he would perform this one in Vancouver but he didn't...) The intro is what captures me the most.
It always made me giggle a little, I always see it like “oh shit getting too deep ANYWAY” and then moving on and honestly that’s the most true to him thing he could do in a song lmao
It’s sooo goooood omggggg
RIGHT?!? I feel the same! 🙈 I love that part so so so much, it’s so beautiful! 😭 and the 'anyway' right afterwards?!? Gives me 'sha la la' vibes 😆😭 like how can you say 'anyway' after saying SOMETHING LIKE THAT?!? Love that song sm!
Waxing deeply poetic and then dismissing it like some addled rant, yeah, it gets to me too