A deep dive into the discography of Hozier – Abstract (Psychopomp)

Hozier performing Abstract (Psychopomp) on 13th December 2023

Introduction

‘Abstract (Psychopomp)’ is the fourteenth track on Hozier’s most recent album ‘Unreal Unearth’, released on 18^th August 2023. While everyone knows his popular hits like ‘Take Me to Church’ (3.2 billion streams) and ‘Too Sweet’ (1.74 billion), it’s the deep cuts like this song that truly showcase Hozier’s immense songwriting talent, despite having only a fraction of the streams (47 million).

From the editor

Out of his full discography, this track is one of my personal favourites on the album. It could absolutely be seen as one of his saddest songs, but it is so beautiful that you can’t help but keep listening. It’s very moving to hear, with a deep and emotional backstory, which we’ll get into now.

What is the song about?

The emotional backstory of ‘Abstract (Psychopomp)’ makes it even more emotionally powerful. Before I saw Hozier live for the first time, it was already one of my favourite songs. However, it gained even more significance when the teenage version of myself heard Hozier introduce the song by saying, “We’re gonna lift the mood a little by offering you a song about seeing an animal after it’s just been hit by a car.”

“The creature still moving, that slowed in your arms”

The song is about a childhood memory that Hozier has of witnessing a person run into oncoming traffic to care for a dying animal that had just been hit by a car. It is about a human act of kindness, selflessness, and love. Not only the love that the person showed the animal, but also the love that Hozier felt for them, seeing how they risked their life to comfort another being.

“The moment I knew I’d no choice but to love you”

“All my love and terror balanced there between those eyes”

It shows how memories can have such diverse emotions attached to them. There is the love and happiness that come from knowing the animal will be at peace, and for the kind gesture of the person who wanted to help. Then there is the grief for the loss of the animal, a pain that will linger.

Moments like the one in the song show that there is light, even in the darkest moments of life, and are a beautiful part of what it means to be human. I think that this is especially important to recognise, considering that Hozier began writing ‘Unreal Unearth’ during the pandemic. He spoke about this being a difficult time, and it is during difficult times that reminders of such love and compassion are so integral.

“See how it shines”

It could be interpreted that his repetition of “See how it shines” is a reminder to always look for that light, because it is always there. There is a theme of finding beauty in tragedy throughout the song, “the streets looking brand new”, “glistening”, “I remember the view, street lights in the dark blue”. There is a focus on the surrounding scenery and details of the animal’s face, rather than more morbid details of what would likely have been a very upsetting sight to see.

“The fear in its eyes gone out in an instant. Your tear caught the light, the Earth from a distance”

These lines describe a devastating moment of fear and upset for both the creature and the people witnessing its death. It shows the extreme pain, but how, ultimately, in the grand scheme of life, these events are much smaller than they seem. Describing “Earth from a distance” reminds us that from space, every bit of the planet seems tiny. He acknowledges how small the event really is, yet it is still emotionally all-consuming.

Links to Greek Mythology and poetry.

The second part of the title ‘Psychopomp’ comes from Greek mythology and means ‘guide of souls’. Their role is to escort the spirits of the deceased from Earth to the afterlife. In the title, it is likely referring to the person who helped the animal. By running to be by its side in its last living moments and providing comfort to it, they acted as a psychopomp as the animal passed.

On this album, Hozier takes inspiration from ‘Dante’s Inferno’ (the first section of a 14^th-century poem ‘The Divine Comedy’, portraying the poet Dante Alighieri’s journey through the Nine Circles of Hell). Hozier sections the songs on the album into this journey through hell. However, Hozier does this differently from the original poem. Originally, each circle represented a different sin and its punishment. Hozier adapted this to a version in which the circles are reinterpreted in relation to emotions such as grief, love, and rebirth instead.

‘Abstract (Psychopomp)’ falls under Dante’s eighth circle – Fraud. But, how? There’s a clue in the title itself. The ‘Abstract’ is the memory, in which the events are blurred. The memory now is less about the literal events, but more about the emotions. It isn’t about a moral fraud, but an emotional one. It is self-deceit, as the human mind tries to forget the pain and trauma of the memory and reshapes it into an artwork of beauty and love. The ‘fraud’ could also refer to self-deceit in the moment, wanting to believe it could be saved, but knowing that it was dying.

Other similar works:

If you loved Abstract (Psychopomp), then here are our top picks for tracks by other artists that have a similar sound or messaging behind them:

1. Sign of the Times – Harry Styles

According to Styles, this song is about a mother who is told, after giving birth, that she only has a few minutes left to live. It’s about how everything will be okay despite devastating circumstances and accepting death. Both songs accept death and use spiritual imagery, “Breaking through the atmosphere”.

2. Through The Eyes Of A Child – AURORA

This track is about somebody wishing to see life from a child’s viewpoint, so that you can see the good in everything, including the darkness in the world. Both songs are about looking for beauty and positivity in the hardest of times.

3. Mind Over Matter (Reprise) – Young the Giant

The vocals are very similar to those of Abstract (Psychopomp), in that they are strong and almost soar. They drive the song emotionally.

4. Bigger Than The Whole Sky – Taylor Swift

This song is about feeling a very strong sense of loss and grief. While the cause is unspecified, many interpret a relation to miscarriage, loss of self, or a relationship. Both songs also speak directly to somebody, frequently referring to “you”.

5. The View Between Villages – Noah Kahan

A song about feeling mixed emotions when returning to a place that carries lots of memories, both happy and traumatic. It explores what it means to grow, remember, and process grief. Like Abstract, it finds meaning in pain. Both songs also use descriptions of landscapes in reference to emotions and suggest that growth and grief will coexist.

6. Atlantis – Seafret

This song has many similarities both in terms of sound and meaning. Both songs explore loss, with Atlantis looking at the death of a relationship. Vocally, they have a resemblance to each other, particularly when it comes to high notes.

7. Do you Realize?? – The Flaming Lips

This song reflects on the preciousness of life and the importance of living life to the fullest. Like Abstract, it acknowledges the inevitability of mortality as a central point of the song.

8. Just Hold On – Louis Tomlinson

This track is about persevering after loss and looking for hope when everything feels overwhelming. Both songs are about the emotions after a first-hand experience with death- Hozier’s being witnessing the death of an animal, and Louis’ being the loss of his mother.

9. Marjorie – Taylor Swift

This is a song that reflects on loss and the long-lasting effects of grief. Beautiful descriptions of happy memories and details take focus, reminiscent of the environmental descriptions present throughout Abstract.

And, for Hozier’s music, there are several tracks from ‘Unreal Unearth’ and his other albums that have a similar feel to ‘Abstract (Psychopomp)’. Here are our recommendations:

If you like ‘Abstract (Psychopomp)’ for its quiet, poetic, emotional reflection, then we suggest:

1. Swan Upon Leda