Album Anniversary: Revisiting Hozier’s Ode to the Bitter End, ‘Wasteland, Baby!,’ Five Years Later
Hozier’s Wasteland, Baby! reaffirms anxieties of inevitable doom through love, pain, and pure Irish inspiration.
Written by Claire Hookstra
Photo courtesy of Lucy Nuzum
“Don’t you worry, that’s just wasteland, baby! (It’s only the end of the world, what’s the big deal?).”
Singer-songwriter Andrew Hozier Byrne, better known as Hozier, hit the ground running with his first-ever single, “Take Me to Church,” in 2013. After establishing an audience of worshippers with the religiously symbolic rock track, the Irishman’s eponymous debut album topped American and European charts and won over the masses, granting him a Grammy nomination for Song of the Year with “Take Me to Church.” A genius in making music to both destroy and mend the hearts of its listeners, fans were left eager for more when the singer took a grueling hiatus from releasing new music.
The defining characteristics of his album Hozier, besides the heart-wrenching vocals and grandiose instrumentals, are that Hozier is not afraid to discuss concerning and controversial topics in the work. “Take Me to Church” investigates the complex ties between the LGBTQ+ community and religion. “Cherry Wine,” though a seemingly beautiful love song, deals with the emotional and physical pain of domestic abuse. The bravery and advocacy of Hozier’s work is not lost in his sophomore album, Wasteland, Baby!, which centers around the fatalistic doomsday mindset that was just as pertinent five years ago as it is today. Environmental disasters, the political scene, and social controversies of the world all find their respective place within the 14 songs.
Photo courtesy of Samantha Lopez
While the overarching idea of the sophomore album is the decay of humanity and morality, several subthemes, from activism to persisting love, are explored through the tracklist. Listeners are immediately made aware of the soulful serenity they will encounter through the album with the opening track, “Nina Cried Power.” The song presents the argument for the cathartic power of music. Featuring artist and civil rights activist Mavis Staples, “Nina Cried Power” is a unique take on a protest song, ultimately protesting nothing in particular. Throughout the booming track, the artist names several civil rights musicians, including Nina Simone, the song’s namesake, James Brown, John Lennon, and Pete Seeger. While all of these artists emphasized different aspects of human rights through their art, they shared the goal of seeing a change in the society surrounding them. “Nina Cried Power” focuses on celebrating the powerful voices that have led movements through music, introducing a new generation to the legends that deserve to be discussed.
Continuing with the theme of honoring inspirational musicians, “Almost (Sweet Music),” pays homage to jazz artists such as Duke Ellington and John Coltrane. Syncopated clapping sounds guide the song, while Hozier’s signature flourishing vocals fill in the gaps between the meticulous bass groove. The lyrics are inspired by the song titles of tunes by jazz musicians. “That was heart / the drums that start off ‘Night and Day,’” Hozier sings in the first verse, comparing his beating heart to the rhythm of “Night and Day” by Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald. “Do I owe each kiss to lip and cheek, as soft as Chet can sing ‘Let’s Get Lost’?” he asks in the song, taking inspiration from famous musician Chet Baker. Jazz music is known to be improvisational and sporadic; it is music that can make anyone get up and dance. With this track, Hozier spreads the idea behind jazz that music can lift your worries and make you feel free. In addition, the incorporation of these titles brings recognition to well-known artists and honors their place in the historic music scene. “Almost (Sweet Music)” and “Nina Cried Power” highlight how even when disaster defines the world, music is there to spread ideas, empower people, and encourage generations to fight for what they believe in.
As the album continues, a shift in tone occurs as the tracks adopt a darker and more sultry tone. A sharp contrast to the jovial beats of the opening songs, “As It Was” and “Dinner & Diatribes” both describe the debilitating power love can have over a person. As the world is collapsing into fiery ash around the narrator of these two tracks, they can focus on nothing but their lover. “As It Was” builds a moral wasteland created by the vices presented in life. “Before the otherness came / And I knew its name / The drug, the dark, the light, the flame,” Hozier wails before the chorus of the song. “But your love was unmoved,” he solemnly whispers next. Despite the devilry found in the world, he has a love that stays with him, unmoving. When the darkness of the world prevails over his being, he remembers how the love his partner has for him remains constant. The relationship acts as a way to find comfort and stillness in the chaotic and evolving world around him. He can direct his focus on his relationship to ignore the disasters that surround him. “Dinner & Diatribes,” arguably the heaviest song on the album, uses fire as a metaphor for the overwhelming pressure that arises from social situations and expectations. “Hell is the talking type / I’d suffer Hell if you’d tell me what you’d do to me tonight,” he yearns. At a social engagement, he can focus on nothing — not even the world burning around him — in the presence of his lover.
Musical inspiration from Hozier is found throughout Wasteland, Baby! “Shrike,” a somber romantic ballad, presents the folk feel that is found throughout Hozier. A raw, earthy, and intricate plucking pattern repeats throughout the song, reminiscent of “Cherry Wine.” The composition, though about love, provides a sinister overtone regarding the content matter. A shrike is a carnivorous bird that violently displays its prey upon thorns for all other organisms to see. “A shrike to your sharp and glorious thorn,” Hozier yearns, as he is drawn to the cursed and gruesome love that presents him, like a shrike to its prey. Compared to the songs off the self-titled album, “Shrike,” takes a more declamatory approach to the folk genre with intense guitar work that vibrates energy through the track. “Shrike” is a pristine example of the “love songs for the end of the world” found throughout the work. Through the COVID-19 pandemic, international controversy, and disastrous natural events, societal tragedy continues in the present day, Wasteland, Baby! continues to provide a sense of security when one’s surroundings are bursting into flames. Hozier reminds listeners that when all hope is gone, love is what prevails, even in the worst of times.
Photo courtesy of Lucy Nuzum
“Would That I,” a song that explains the destruction of once-fond love, has found recent success on TikTok in support of the “cottagecore” aesthetic. With whimsical instrumentals, the song provides the perfect soundtrack to coming-of-age montages and road trips. However, the lyrics prove to be much more somber and personal than the uplifting percussion and guitar pattern. Hozier, in an interview with Billboard, claims that the song is “obsessed with fire and the burning of things.” “I fell in love with the fire long ago,” he expresses after the bombastic vocals of the chorus. Realizing he fell in love with a toxic person, he continues to long for them as he is addicted to the fire they produce. He continues to return this person, despite the pain they have brought him.
The album concludes with the title track, “Wasteland, Baby!” The work, characterized by boasting vocals and heavy percussion, ends acoustically in a melancholic yet bittersweet ode to love. Hozier frames the love as an apocalyptic event. As the world is ending, he feels secure in the space he shares with his partner. “You are unbreaking / Though quaking, though crazy / That’s wasteland baby,” he croons near the end of the song. As an attempt to provide comfort to the lover in the song as they watch doomsday unfold, the singer reassures that the wasteland is something to accept rather than fear. A bittersweet ending, the track summarizes the haunting beauty of the entire work as a whole. Thematically, each song relates to the idea of finding light in a dark and gruesome reality. “Wasteland, Baby!” illustrates the permanence of the sun setting for the final time on Earth, in addition to the end of the album. Ending with the message that love provides warmth in the coldest of times encapsulates the album and brings it to a satisfying close.
Wasteland, Baby! is nothing short of a nuanced reflection on potential societal disaster, effortlessly balancing love with despair. With inspiration from historical protest musicians and current, The tracks convey the ease and dire necessity of locating a source of tenderness in grueling times. The album borders the thin line between beauty and terror, with each song presenting vivid imagery of utter doom along with inspiring and sonically empowering instrumentals. Wasteland, Baby! debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 Albums Chart in 2019 for good reason. The raw and emotive subject matter of each song is impossible to go unnoticed.
Reaffirming Hozier’s permanent spot as an innovator in the music industry, Wasteland, Baby! inspired a generation and brought awareness to climate change, political unrest, and social injustice. “Nina Cried Power” brings awareness to legendary civil rights activists who used their voices to spread messages of human empowerment and justice. Through several metaphors of fire, as found in “Would That I” and “Sunlight,” Hozier uniquely sheds light on the phenomenon of global warming. Overall, the album is built upon underlying tones of activism, something that shows the range of artistry Hozier presents. Wasteland, Baby! is timeless. As somber as it may seem, the album will always remain applicable to life. There will always be the need to find comfort in chaos. There will always be the unwanted task of facing disaster. Most importantly, hearts will always be broken. Five years later, this album remains impactful, and it will continue to do so for years to come.