Hozier
Jordan Lancaster
October 6, 2014
WOST 220
Hozier Take Me to Church Hozier’s Take Me to Church is currently one of my favorite songs. I probably listen to it multiple times a day but I only recently saw the music video for it. I can tell you it was not what I expected. The music video is not singing and dancing like you would expect from any music video. This music video tells a story. A story of what happens in countries such as Uganda, Zimbabwe, Afghanistan, even in the USA and specifically in this instance, Russia: LGBT people are killed for being LGBT, in this case, by those following the calls of religion. Though he does it in a way that calls to mind the racial conflict of the 20th century. The music video itself does not really portray gender; all those in the video are male. It more has to do with sexuality and homophobia. We are presented with a homosexual couple. We see them kiss and enjoy each other’s company. We see the burying of a locked box, hidden. The box could represent who they are, their love. Then we see a group of masked men invade one of their houses. Taking them, digging up the box, burning it and beating him. Hozier says the video “references the recent increase of organized attacks and torturing of homosexuals in Russia, which is subsequent to a long, hateful, and oppressive political campaign against the LGBT community. The song was always about humanity at its most natural, and how that is undermined ceaselessly by religious organizations and those who would have us believe they act in its interests. What has been seen growing in Russia is no less than nightmarish.” The lyrics of the song do not match the video. The lyrics have female pronouns and talk of religion. Hozier says, "I found the experience of falling in love or being in love was a death, a death of everything. You kind of watch yourself die in a wonderful way, and you experience for the briefest moment – if you see yourself for a moment through their eyes – everything you
October 6, 2014
WOST 220
Hozier Take Me to Church Hozier’s Take Me to Church is currently one of my favorite songs. I probably listen to it multiple times a day but I only recently saw the music video for it. I can tell you it was not what I expected. The music video is not singing and dancing like you would expect from any music video. This music video tells a story. A story of what happens in countries such as Uganda, Zimbabwe, Afghanistan, even in the USA and specifically in this instance, Russia: LGBT people are killed for being LGBT, in this case, by those following the calls of religion. Though he does it in a way that calls to mind the racial conflict of the 20th century. The music video itself does not really portray gender; all those in the video are male. It more has to do with sexuality and homophobia. We are presented with a homosexual couple. We see them kiss and enjoy each other’s company. We see the burying of a locked box, hidden. The box could represent who they are, their love. Then we see a group of masked men invade one of their houses. Taking them, digging up the box, burning it and beating him. Hozier says the video “references the recent increase of organized attacks and torturing of homosexuals in Russia, which is subsequent to a long, hateful, and oppressive political campaign against the LGBT community. The song was always about humanity at its most natural, and how that is undermined ceaselessly by religious organizations and those who would have us believe they act in its interests. What has been seen growing in Russia is no less than nightmarish.” The lyrics of the song do not match the video. The lyrics have female pronouns and talk of religion. Hozier says, "I found the experience of falling in love or being in love was a death, a death of everything. You kind of watch yourself die in a wonderful way, and you experience for the briefest moment – if you see yourself for a moment through their eyes – everything you