Hozier – Swan Upon Leda Lyrics

On October 4th, Hozier posted about the new song from his upcoming album Unreal Unearth,and said “EGYPTIAN JOURNALIST AND AUTHOR MONA ELTAHAWY ONCE REFERRED TO THE GLOBAL SYSTEMS THAT CONTROL AND ENDANGER WOMEN AS THE WORLD’S “OLDEST FORM OF OCCUPATION.”

EVER SINCE HEARING HER SPEAK IN DUBLIN, I WANTED TO EXPLORE THAT THOUGHT IN A PIECE.

I WROTE SWAN UPON LEDA IN IRELAND A YEAR AGO AND RECORDED IT RECENTLY WITH PRODUCER JENN DECILVEO. WE WERE TRACKING IT IN STUDIO WHEN THE NEWS CAME THROUGH OF ROE V. WADE BEING OVERTURNED. I FELT THERE WAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO OFFER SOME SHOW OF SOLIDARITY.

WE’RE REMINDED AGAIN BY THE PROTESTS IN IRAN THAT PROGRESSIVISM IS A GLOBAL MOVEMENT. THE RECENT PUSHBACKS AGAINST CIVIL LIBERTIES AND HUMAN RIGHTS RESPECT NO BOUNDARIES OR BORDERS, AND LIKE ALL ACTS OF CONTROL, VIOLENCE AND INDEED ALL FORMS OF OCCUPATION, THEIR LEGACIES CAN BE IMMEASURABLE IN BOTH THE PERSONAL AND POLITICAL SPHERES.”

[Verse 1]
A husband waits outside
A crying child pushes a child into the night
She was told he would come this time
Without leaving so much as a feather behind
To enact at last the perfect plan
One more sweet boy to be butchered by man

[Chorus]
But the gateway to the world
Was still outside the reach of him
Would never belong to angels
Had never belonged to man
The swan upon Leda
Empire upon Jerusalem

[Verse 2]
A grandmother smugglin’ meds
Past where the god child-soldier
Setanta stood dead
Our graceful turner of heads
Weaves through the checkpoints like a needle and the thread
Someone’s frightened boy waves her on
She offers a mother’s smile and soon she’s gone

[Chorus]
The gateway to the world
The gun in a trembling hand
Where nature unmakes the boundary
The pillar of myth still stands
The swan upon Leda
Occupier upon ancient land

[Instrumental Bridge]

[Outro]
But the gateway to the world
Was still outside the reach of him
Would never belong to angels
Had never belonged to men