General
17 Aug 25
When most people think of Hozier, it's most likely that the first songs that come to mind are either "Take Me to Church" or, if they're new fans, "Too Sweet." The Irish singer became an international sensation in 2013 with his hit single "Take Me to Church," which later came out in his debut self-titled album. For years, he maintained a relatively low profile, putting out great music and maintaining a loyal fan base, but not trying to replicate his early success. But then, in 2024, "Too Sweet" was accidentally leaked during an interview and catapulted Andrew Hozier-Byrne to the top of the charts for the first time in his career. Because of this, a lot of the great songs on the album were outshone. Including "Francesca," arguably his best song to date.
The Beautiful Story Behind Hozier's Song "Francesca"
After spending 2019 touring his sophomore album, Wasteland, Baby, Hozier planned to take a break and then go back to writing. Of course, no one could have foreseen what 2020 had in store, and the singer wound up spending quarantine alone in the Irish countryside. He kept himself busy, even if he didn't go back to writing straight away, and books played a big part in his creative process. Fans will remember his wholesome TikTok lives where he read poetry to his followers. But in addition to using poetry to connect with his fans, he also read to cope with the uncertainty of those times. So, perhaps ironically, he picked up Dante's Inferno.
The book made a big impact on him, and by the time he was ready to work on his next album, he had drawn a lot of inspiration from the timeless poem. Hozier's 2023 album, Unreal Unearth, is technically a concept album. The singer organized his songs in a way that each represented the nine circles of Hell, much like Dante's poem, and for the circle of lust, he wrote the song "Francesca." Francesca de Remini was a noblewoman whom Dante fictionalized in his Inferno, condemning her and her lover to Hell for their lust. In the poem, their love was the source of misery and punishment. Hozier chose to give them a different ending in his song.
In Hozier's "Francesca", the lovers know their romance will lead to their doom, and choose to love each other over going to Heaven. The narrator assures their loved one that no consequences could make them turn their back on their love.
If someone asked me at the end
I'll tell them, "put me back in it."
Darling, I would do it again,
If I could hold you for a minute
Darling, I'd go through it again.
The song ends in a heartbreaking perpetual canon where Hozier repeats, "I would not change it each time, Heaven is not fit to house a love like you and I."
Hozier Was Going Through Heartbreak When He Was Writing the Song
What Hozier sings about in "Francesca" is one of the most universal themes in art. The idea that it's better to have loved someone, even if it ended badly, resonated with the singer when reading an epic poem from the 1300s. It's the kind of feeling that every artist has written about throughout the centuries. But it wasn't just the universal feel of it, or the heartbreak of the characters, that he wanted to honor. No, Hozier was going through his own heartbreak, and the song, and the album as a whole, is an unusual display of vulnerability from the normally very private singer.
During an interview after the album came out, he revealed that he had written the songs while going through a period of "love and loss." When asked if he had managed to "make peace" with it, his eyes filled with tears, and he replied, "Well, I made an album, I don't know about peace." He called the relationship referenced on the album both "wonderful" and "challenging," but true to his private personality, he declined to share any more details to protect the people involved. Two years later, though, Hozier seems to be doing much better. He's in a new relationship now, and while, as usual, he's keeping it out of the public eye, he and his partner have been seen attending events together and looking very happy.
In the end, what truly makes "Francesca" the best song in Hozier's catalog is the perfect mix of heartbreak and hope. The idea that, no matter how much love can hurt when it ends, no one can truly regret having felt it. And, in the end, life has a way of leading people right where they should be.