Hozier Songs With Irish Lyrics You'll Love
- 01. The Definitive Hozier Song with Irish Lyrics
- 02. Complete List of Hozier Songs with Irish Language Elements
- 03. Historical Context: Irish Language in Modern Music
- 04. Detailed Comparison: Hozier Songs with Irish Elements
- 05. Lyrics Breakdown: The Irish Outro in Detail
- 06. Why This Matters for Irish Language Preservation
- 07. How to Listen and Engage with These Songs
Hozier's song with Irish (Gaeilge) lyrics is "De Selby (Part 1)," the opening track on his 2023 album Unreal Unearth, which ends with a four-line outro sung entirely in Irish: "Bhfuilis soranna sorcha / Ach tagais 'nós na hoíche / Trína chéile; le chéile, claochlaithe / Is claochlú an ealaín Is ealaín dubh í". While Hozier is an Irish singer-songwriter from County Wicklow born on March 17, 1990, most of his discography is in English, making this Irish lyrics outro a distinctive moment that directly answers your search.
The Definitive Hozier Song with Irish Lyrics
"De Selby (Part 1)" stands as the primary Hozier track featuring authentic Irish language, with the Gaelic portion appearing in the outro starting at approximately 3:42 into the song's 4:17 runtime. The Irish character De Selby comes from Flann O'Brien's novel The Third Policeman, which inspired the track's philosophical exploration of darkness and connection. This Unreal Unearth opening track debuted August 17, 2023, alongside the album's release, marking Hozier's first official studio recording with sung Irish lyrics.
The Irish lines translate roughly to imagery about bright treasures arriving through the night, transformation together, and art being transformation-specifically "dark art"-creating a mystical Gaelic conclusion that contrasts powerfully with the English verses about cosmic darkness. Fans note this Gaeilge outro section demonstrates Hozier's deep connection to Irish cultural heritage beyond mere nationality.
Complete List of Hozier Songs with Irish Language Elements
- De Selby (Part 1) - Contains four lines of sung Irish in the outro (2023, Unreal Unearth)
- The Humours of Whiskey - Traditional Irish folk song performed a cappella live in June 2019, not on studio albums
- Swan Upon Leda - References Ireland's abortion legislation with Irish cultural context (2023, Unreal Unearth)
- Eat Your Young - Political piece resonating with Irish historical challenges (2023, Unreal Unearth)
- Butchered Tongue - Title and themes connect to Irish language preservation concerns (2023, Unreal Unearth)
According to fan communities tracking Irish language usage, only "De Selby (Part 1)" contains actual sung Irish in Hozier's official discography, while other songs reference Irish themes or culture without Gaelic lyrics. The live performance tradition includes his impromptu a cappella rendition of "The Humours of Whiskey" at The Current studio on June 13, 2019, where he celebrated whiskey as Ireland's "elixir of life".
Historical Context: Irish Language in Modern Music
Ireland's official language status for Irish (Gaeilge) dates to the 1922 Constitution, yet only approximately 73,000 people speak Irish daily outside the education system as of the 2022 census, making Hozier's incorporation significant for mainstream visibility. The Irish language revival movement has gained momentum since 2019 when Ireland designated Irish as an official EU language, increasing global representation in media.
"De Selby (Part 1) is special, in that it ends with Hozier singing in Irish," noting the track's unique position in his catalog.
Hozier's music primarily draws from folk, soul, and blues traditions while incorporating religious and literary themes with political or social justice stances, according to his Wikipedia profile. This cultural authenticity approach explains why Irish language appears selectively-when serving specific artistic and thematic purposes rather than as decoration.
Detailed Comparison: Hozier Songs with Irish Elements
| Song Title | Irish Lyrics Present | Album/Release | Irish Element Type | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| De Selby (Part 1) | Yes (4 lines) | Unreal Unearth | Sung Gaelic outro | 2023 |
| The Humours of Whiskey | No (English traditional) | Live only | Traditional Irish folk | 2019 |
| Swan Upon Leda | No | Unreal Unearth | Ireland policy reference | 2023 |
| Eat Your Young | No | Unreal Unearth | Irish historical themes | 2023 |
| Butchered Tongue | No | Unreal Unearth | Language preservation theme | 2023 |
The table above shows that "De Selby (Part 1)" remains unique as the only studio track with actual Irish language lyrics, while other songs engage with Irish culture through themes, titles, or references. This selective incorporation pattern reflects Hozier's artistic philosophy of meaningful cultural representation.
Lyrics Breakdown: The Irish Outro in Detail
- First line: "Bhfuilis soranna sorcha" - Contains "soranna sorcha" (bright treasures/clear treasures)
- Second line: "Ach tagais 'nós na hoíche" - References arrival through "nós na hoíche" (the way of the night)
- Third line: "Trína chéile; le chéile, claochlaithe" - "Trína chéile" (through each other), "le chéile" (together), "claochlaithe" (transformed)
- Fourth line: "Is claochlú an ealaín Is ealaín dubh í" - "claochlú an ealaín" (transformation is art), "ealaín dubh" (dark art/black art)
This four-line Irish sequence creates thematic closure connecting darkness, transformation, and art-mirroring the English verses' exploration of cosmic emptiness and divine mystery. The Gaelic philosophical code draws from Irish literary tradition where language itself carries transformative power.
Why This Matters for Irish Language Preservation
Hozier's inclusion of Irish lyrics reaches over 50 million monthly listeners on Spotify, providing unprecedented mainstream exposure for Gaeilge among global audiences who might never encounter the language otherwise. The cultural representation impact matters particularly because Ireland's daily Irish speakers number only 73,000 outside education, making every mainstream visibility moment significant.
Audiophiles note the acoustic authenticity of the Irish outro-Hozier records vocals live without auto-tune, preserving the natural pronunciation and musicality of Gaelic. This artistic integrity approach ensures the Irish language appears respectfully rather than as exotic decoration.
How to Listen and Engage with These Songs
Stream "De Selby (Part 1)" on Unreal Unearth via Spotify, Apple Music, or YouTube Music; the official lyric video displays both English verses and Irish outro text side-by-side for bilingual comprehension. For the traditional folk experience, search "Hozier The Humours of Whiskey Live Current Studio" on YouTube to find his June 2019 a cappella performance.
Read Flann O'Brien's The Third Policeman to understand the literary reference depth behind "De Selby," as the fictional philosopher-character inspires the track's entire philosophical framework. Fan communities on Reddit actively translate and discuss Hozier's Irish elements, with one user translating favorite choruses into Irish receiving 11 upvotes in August 2024.
The Unreal Unearth album contains 22 tracks total, with "De Selby (Part 1)" and "De Selby (Part 2)" forming a bookend pair around the Dante-inspired central section. Only the first De Selby track includes Irish lyrics, making it the definitive answer to searches for "Hozier song with Irish lyrics".
Key concerns and solutions for Hozier Songs With Irish Lyrics Youll Love
What Hozier song has Irish lyrics?
"De Selby (Part 1)" is the only Hozier studio song containing Irish (Gaeilge) lyrics, specifically four lines sung in the outro starting at 3:42.
Does Hozier sing in Irish on any official recordings?
Yes, Hozier sings Irish on "De Selby (Part 1)" from Unreal Unearth (2023); he also performed the traditional Irish song "The Humours of Whiskey" live a cappella in 2019, but it's not on studio albums.
What does the Irish in De Selby (Part 1) mean?
The Irish outro translates to imagery about bright treasures arriving through night, transformation happening together, and art being transformation-specifically "dark art"-creating mystical closure to the song's themes.
Are there other Hozier songs about Ireland?
Yes, "Swan Upon Leda" references Ireland's abortion legislation, "Eat Your Young" addresses Irish historical challenges, and "Butchered Tongue" connects to Irish language preservation, but none contain sung Irish lyrics except "De Selby (Part 1)".
When was De Selby (Part 1) released?
"De Selby (Part 1)" released August 17, 2023, as the opening track on Unreal Unearth, with an official lyric video published the same day on YouTube.