What Does “Take Me to Church” by Hozier Mean?

‘Take Me to Church’ Meaning

“Take Me to Church” critiques how religious institutions shame sexuality. The lyrics—penned and sung by Irish singer-songwriter Hozier—feature a narrator describing the woman that they are in love with—comparing her adoringly to a religious deity. Throughout the mid-tempo, soulful track, Hozier uses repeated religious imagery to describe a romantic relationship that faces discrimination and disapproval—specifically from the Catholic Church and its followers. Hozier explains, “It’s a love song, very much about sexuality and sex. [It's about] what it is to love somebody and devote yourself to somebody. And it reflects upon organizations or institutions that would teach people to be ashamed about that.” However, Hozier has also clarified that he’s “not condemning the church or religion on the whole. Just that one policy [anti-same sex marriage] which seems so wrong to me. And obviously, I’m not alone in thinking that.”

‘Take Me to Church’ Lyric Analysis

In the first verse, the narrator shares adoration for his lover and a lessening religious faith. Hozier sings in the first stanza about a female lover who he should’ve worshipped…sooner, beginning the comparison of his girlfriend to a religious deity. He then states that if the heavens ever did speak, she’s the last true mouthpiece, implying that he believes that God himself would speak through this woman if he ever did choose to speak. In direct comparison to the loving description he bestows on his female lover, the narrator then describes bleak Sundays at church where followers are given a fresh poison each week. He explains how the speakers in the church claim that the followers were born sick. In these lines, Hozier is likely not directly attacking the church itself, but describing how some institutions and services preach hatred (or poison) and espouse the idea that all humans are born sick. This final phrase is likely a reference to “original sin,” the idea in Christianity that all men and women are sinful by nature. The lyrics then describe how the narrator is invited by his lover to worship in the bedroom, where he experiences the only heaven [he’ll] be sent to. In this line, Hozier may be saying that he feels close to God or a so-called “right” way of life in this act of love and sexuality, rather than in any act that’s enforced by established religion. Leading up to the explosive chorus, Hozier sings I was born sick / But I love it / Command me to be well. This line most likely refers to Fulke Greville’s poem “Chorus Sacerdotum,” which features the line “Created sick, commanded to be sound.”

The chorus simultaneously depicts the devotion of lovers and the danger of religious institutions. From one perspective, the chorus could be interpreted as the narrator singing about his lover and his devotion to her. Upon closer examination, however, it’s clear that the deeper intent of the chorus is to satirically criticize legalistic churches that preach certain doctrines and then attack others for disobeying that doctrine in any way. In an example of this double-meaning, the line offer me that deathless death “could be the church offering everlasting life, or a death without a death,” explains Hozier. “But it also nods to the idea of the French expression of ‘the little death.’ The French call it ‘le petit mort,’ which is basically an orgasm.” In the chorus’ first line, Hozier sings Take me to church / I’ll worship like a dog at the shrine of your lies / I’ll tell you my sins so you can sharpen your knife. These lyrics are commonly interpreted as Hozier pointing out how followers of the church give their lives, wages, and morality unflinchingly to religion. The church, in return, offers them lies and a sharpened knife. Further explaining the line I’ll tell you my sins so you can sharpen your knife, Hozier comments on the fact that he comes from a Catholic family but still believes “the idea of confession and that there’s one person in a community who hears everybody’s secrets to be such an outrageous power imbalance.” Before the chorus itself, there’s a pre-chorus where Hozier repeats the religious word “amen.” Hozier explains this inclusion as “a statement of intent that establishes this as a religious act…This song has been misinterpreted many times. I think of ‘Born in the USA’ by Bruce Springsteen, it's another classic example of people thinking it’s celebrating one thing and rather it’s actually critiquing or satirizing or sort of subverting some idea.”

Verse 2 reinforces the idea of love over organized religion and the hypocrisy of the Church’s morality. In the second verse of the song, Hozier’s narrator continues to describe how he worships his lover and views her as sunlight and a Goddess. Then, he mentions the sacrifice that must be made for this religious being, singing Drain the whole sea / Get something shiny / Something meaty for the main course / That’s a fine-looking high horse / What you got in the stable? / We’ve a lot of starving faithful. Hozier describes the first line (Drain the whole sea / Get something shiny) as the most controversial line in the song, explaining that “the Vatican City refers to itself as the ‘holy see’...[this line] is playing with the idea of taking back that wealth that was essentially created by people who showed up to church every week and donated bronze, silver, and gold.” Continuing the idea of a church hypocritically demanding money from their starving faithful, Hozier explains the allusion to a “high horse,” questioning, “What kind of moral authority does this organization have—given its legacy, given its legacy of abuse? On what grounds does it imagine itself to be able to speak on anything, from any sort of moral standpoint?”

In the bridge, Hozier describes a mortal and loving scene of intimacy. Before the final chorus, the narrator describes a ritual that likely involves a sexual act between the two lovers in the song. Hozier sings that there are No Masters or Kings around and that there is no sweeter innocence than our gentle sin / In the madness and soil of that sad earthly scene / Only then I am human / Only then I am clean. With these lyrics, Hozier is poignantly describing a romantic scene in which there are no traditional symbols of power or divinity (e.g., “masters” and “kings”). He also describes their lovemaking as a gentle sin embodying the ultimate innocence. In one interpretation, these lines depict what the church sees as a sin (whether sex in general or specifically homosexual sex) as an expression of sweetness and innocence—not as the dirty or devilish act that some ideologies might describe it as. Ending the bridge, the narrator describes how he is only human and only clean in that earthly scene, further highlighting the mortal and non-divine nature of the intimate moment. But despite the fact that there’s no traditional religion involved in this act, he feels the closest to a religious spirituality in this moment as he closes out the bridge with a repeated prayer of amen. As Hozier reflects on this moving bridge, he comments on how “it’s tough to be a human, and to find another person and share your own humanity. That is when you feel the most yourself, it’s when you feel the most connected to someone else. And so, that line, ‘only then I am human,’ that’s when I’m at my most ordered. That’s when I’m at my most in step with what it is to be a being on this Earth.”

What Hozier Has Said About the Song

“‘Take Me to Church is essentially about sex…well, it’s about sex and it’s about humanity.” Speaking to the underlying themes of love, sexuality, and religion, Hozier underscores the idea that “an act of sex is one of the most human things, but an organization like the church, say, through its doctrine, would undermine humanity by successfully teaching shame about sexual orientation — that it is sinful, or that it offends God. The song is about asserting yourself and reclaiming your humanity through an act of love. Turning your back on the theoretical thing, something that’s not tangible, and choosing to worship or love something that is tangible and real — something that can be experienced.” Hozier largely attributes the popularity of the song to these universal themes. “I struggle to comment on why [“Take Me to Church”] has been such a lasting piece of music,” Hozier stated in an interview with Genius Verified. “But I think the theme of it is universal. This idea that powerful organizations use people’s sexuality to mobilize people against women, against gay people. And the justification behind that is often religious in nature.”

“Growing up, I always saw the hypocrisy of the Catholic Church.” The lyrics of “Take Me to Church” draw attention to bigoted beliefs and patterns of abuse that have historically been associated with the Church. As someone who grew up in the Protestant Quaker faith, Hozier tells how he always paid attention to the hypocrisy within Catholicism and how “the history speaks for itself…I grew incredibly frustrated and angry,” shares the musician, “and essentially just put that into my words.” However, Hozier maintains that he doesn’t identify with atheism, which has frequently been insinuated by the media. “That term is associated with a belief that maybe there is nothing,” says Hozier. “I’m very comfortable not knowing.”

“To see Iranian protesters singing that song…I come up very short against courage like that.” In 2022, Iranian teenager Sarina Esmailzadeh sang “Take Me to Church” as part of a YouTube vlog showcasing her family vacation. Four months later, the clip of her singing went viral after Esmailzadeh was killed by Iranian authorities during the nationwide uprisings sparked by Mahsa Jhina Amini’s death in custody. Speaking about the tragic events, Hozier has commented on how his song “went viral in the aftermath of [Esmailzadeh] being beaten to death by forces of the Iranian state. With women who wanted the right, who were trying to seek the right to show their hair in public.” “In an example like that, with a teenage girl like Serena, you have somebody who has far more courage and far more bravery than I will ever have to contend with,” continues Hozier. “Somebody who paid the ultimate price. I come up very short against courage like that.”

‘Take Me to Church’ Background & Production

Hozier produced the “Take Me to Church” demo in the attic of his parents’ home. In 2013, before the release and subsequent virality of “Take Me to Church,” Hozier was a struggling musician who often played open mic nights and free shows in the Dublin area. He wrote and recorded a rough demo of “Take Me to Church” in his family home in County Wicklow, Ireland, saying that there was an “austerity to the way that song was recorded, there’s a rawness to it. I recorded it with a very bare-bones rig in my attic.” The song took three months for Hozier to complete, with only himself and one other musician—drummer Fiachra Kinder—featuring on the track.

The song was picked up by Rubyworks, who polished up the demo for release. Once the demo was circulated, it quickly caught the attention of Rubyworks, an independent record label. Rubyworks paired Hozier with music producer and sound engineer Rob Kirwan, and the pair worked together to overdub the demo with live instrumentation to prepare it for radio release. While the instrumentation was reworked, Kirwan actually opted to keep the original demo vocals, saying that he “felt the vocals were the best thing about [the track].”

‘Take Me to Church’ Release & Popularity

Hozier released “Take Me to Church” as a debut single in 2013. The artist Andrew Hozier-Bryne, known professionally as Hozier, released “Take Me to Church” as his debut single on September 13th, 2013. The track was originally included on his EP of the same name, but it was later featured as the opening track on his 2014 debut album (Hozier).

The song’s music video premiered in 2013, causing the track to go viral. The video premiered in September 2013 and showcased a romantic relationship between two men, ending in a violent and homophobic hate crime executed against one of them. The emotional video quickly went viral after its release and the song ended up topping charts worldwide.

The hit became Spotify’s most-streamed song of 2014, among other accolades. In 2014, “Take Me to Church” became a global smash hit, receiving critical acclaim as well as widespread popularity. It became Spotify’s most-streamed song of the year with 87 million listens and peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100. The track tied with Imagine Dragons’ “Radioactive” as the longest-running number-one song on the Hot Rock Songs (as of 2014), and was nominated for Song of the Year at the 57th Annual Grammy Awards.

The song’s popularity led to Hozier being signed by Justin Eshak at Columbia Records. Post the release and virality of “Take Me to Church,” there was a bidding war in the recording industry to sign Hozier. Columbia Records eventually won out and signed Hozier as his U.S. label. Justin Eshak, from Columbia Records, has said that, “if you’d taken a song with a slow tempo and heavy subject matter to Top 40 a year ago, they would have looked at you like you were crazy. But there’s been a shift due to artists like Sam Smith. The music is connecting because when it gets on the air it's such a sharp juxtaposition to the existing material on top 40 radio.”

‘Take Me to Church’ Music Video

The “Take Me to Church” music video follows a gay couple who are attacked by a mob of hooded men. The video begins with images of the same-sex male couple greeting each other, kissing one another, and otherwise spending time together romantically. They are noticed by a hooded man, and the video begins to show images of a large group of hooded men forming a mob as one member of the couple hurriedly packs his bags and runs toward a yet unknown destination. The other member of the couple, however, is at his home when the mob shows up. The men break into his home and drag him out, with these images of violence being spliced together with footage of the couple kissing and the other man continuing to run. This man arrives at his lover’s house to realize what’s happened. We then see the mob dragging the other man to a bonfire with a knife held to his throat, and the video ends with his paramour finally arriving to watch him be violently kicked and beaten. In making the video, Hozier wanted to bring attention to the persecution and oppression faced by the gay community, specifically in Russia, as well as the hypocrisy of people who decry homosexuality but are comfortable with horrific violence. As Hozier stated in an interview with Fuse TV, “If you feel offended or disgusted by the image of two people kissing…[and] you’re more disgusted by that than the actual violence, I think you should take a look at your values.”

Is ‘Take Me to Church’ a religious song?

No, “Take Me to Church” is not a religious song, but it does use religious imagery. Although often misinterpreted as a religious or Catholic song due to its title, “Take Me to Church” is not a religious song—at least not in the traditional sense. The lyrics do use religious imagery and metaphors to explore its themes, which include sexuality, love, and human rights. However, the song’s overall message is more of a critique of the Catholic Church’s history and policies rather than a celebration of them. Does Hozier think that it’s a religious song? Here’s what he said: “[Take Me to Church]” is not necessarily a traditional worship song. I think I still see my name put into playlists for Christian music. But I'm not averse to that, you know, I don't think the two are necessarily mutually exclusive.”

Similar Hozier Songs

Cherry Wine “Cherry Wine” is about an abusive relationship where the survivor of abuse still has fondness for their partner. Another song written and released by Hozier, “Cherry Wine” is a folk and indie track that features on his self-titled debut album, Hozier (2014). The narrator of the song is a man in an abusive relationship—the song details these episodes of abuse and the culture that permits domestic violence to develop and continue. Specifically, notable lines like “and it’s worth it, and it’s divine, I have this some of the time” describe how the cycles of abusive relationships also include good times together as a couple, which is part of what makes these connections so hard to escape.

Eat Your Young “Eat Your Young” literally describes a “starving” individual who’s putting together a chaotic feast. However, the song is typically interpreted as a criticism of capitalism, societal gluttony, and greed—as Hozier himself has summed up the track, the song came to him as the idea of “sacrificing the future of other people for the sake of short term gain.” “This idea of where children become the ground for culture war, for adults to use as the pawns in culture war,” continues Hozier. “Especially in arms deals—another school shooting, then another debate on gun rights, etc…I wanted the voice in the song to be that voice of power that shrugs off any responsibility to any sort of future that anybody has.” Hozier speaks specifically about the final lines of the chorus, which read Come and get some / Skinning the children / for a war drum / Putting food on the table / Selling bombs and guns / It’s quicker and easier / To eat your young. Explaining the meaning of these lyrics, Hozier comments that “adults and people who are not long for this world are playing with the lives of children and the futures of children for their own political ends.”

Too Sweet “Too Sweet” is a 2024 Hozier track about a person who lives a self-indulgent life with a bitter attitude being put off by his romantic interest’s positive and sweet attitude. The song details the intertwined lives of these polar opposites, with the narrator specifically viewing the “too sweet” individual as overly optimistic, idealistic, and uptight for his carefree and jaded nature. According to the artist himself, “The song is about somebody who wants to self-destruct and get trashed! You know, I’ve had a quiet laugh to myself about that…But I guess it’s something that’s fun and immediate and doesn’t take itself too seriously, which is part of the appeal.”