Hozier’s new 3-track EP contains some amazing music as always. “Nobody’s Soldier” stands out in this album. In the song, we find Hozier torn between being a ‘salesman’ and a ‘soldier’ which we will deep dive into later on in the article.
Hozier released his sixth EP ‘Unaired’ on August 6, 2024. The EP contains three tracks namely; “Nobody’s Soldier,” “Thar You Are,” and “July.” These are leftover tracks from his previous studio album ‘Unreal Unearth’ from 2023.
Hozier called this song “anti-war” and went on to explain the inspiration behind the song in an interview with NME magazine;
“It doesn’t matter who you are, it doesn’t matter where you come from. It doesn’t matter if you are an Israeli citizen or Palestinian citizen – you wouldn’t want to see any human being be subject to the kind of terror we have been witnessing.
If you feel moved to reach out to your representatives as a citizen, a foreign citizen, as a man who comes from a country whose peace process came about due to the investment of the United States, something I am very, very grateful for, I strongly urge you to, I strongly encourage you to reach out to your representation.”
Listen to “Nobody’s Solider” by Hozier
Hozier “Nobody’s Soldier” Lyrics Meaning and Song Review
In the first verse of the song, Hozier talks about his life in a nutshell. It’s a fast-paced lifestyle. He creates music, tours, pushes albums, meets and greets people, and back to writing songs. He compares this routine to running with the bulls–energetic, dangerous, and exhausting.
Coffee and blue light screens till the morning
This line reflects how destructive his life has become. A coffee addiction to keep him awake and sharp and looking at his laptop screen to create music.
Hozier then switches gears to tell us that this life has become exhausting. He feels as if he is drowning. But only he can relate to this (or someone in a similar situation to him). Us mortals would look at a global superstar and would think ‘what more could this guy achieve in life!.’
I could bring fire from the mountain
You tell me it feels a little colder
Hozier must be fighting to bring out the music he has for us. He often creates songs that go against the grain but not all of us are ready to consume them. Not everybody agrees with his opinion when sometimes the choices are as clear as day. But we choose to ignore the truth because they are uncomfortable or even we feel we have no control over them. Hozier broke through to mainstream success through his 2015 song “Take Me To Church.”
I don’t wanna
Choose between being a salesman or a soldier
Hozier’s music has always been different from other mainstream songs. Hozier always has a message to deliver and sometimes it is a strong one. His 2015 track “Take Me To Church” sent shockwaves through the music industry as Hozier stood on his business. This can be compared to being a soldier–fighting for a cause he believes in. Fortunately, “Take Me To Church” was a massive commercial success as well. However, not all songs that fight the ‘system’ gain popularity. First of all such songs get despised by people who don’t share the same opinion and secondly they don’t get radioplay. Hozier has to make a living too. His commercial success can be compared to him being a ‘salesman.’
It is a tough battle to stand on both sides of this spectrum.
Gonna be Nobody’s Soldier
He finally decides to be a soldier to nobody. This is a double entendre. In one way, it means that he is not going to succumb to the systems that promote division, violence, war, etc. In the other sense, he is going to be a soldier for nobody’s of this world. Nobodys of the world are the common folk like you and me who barely get a platform to voice their opinions. Does any of us really want a war anywhere in the world? No. Yet, they happen and they get funded by governments without the consent of the general population.
In the second verse of the song, Hozier explains why he takes this stance. It seems as if whatever option we choose, leads to worse results in the long run. Systematic oppression is abundant although no common folk welcomes it. Wars are waging on despite the common folk marching against it. Then, who really wants these and supports them? Maybe the goal Hozier set out to be was wrong in the first place. Maybe he cannot be an artist first and a soldier second. Maybe he cannot put his career first. Or maybe he should have.
Let us hear what you think about this song in the comments below. Read the complete lyrics to the song on Genius.