: The narrator sees his younger, innocent self in the subject ("familiar like my mirror years ago") and seeks to bridge that gap through temptation. 2. Lyrical Contrast and Complexity
: In the video, the "sin" is the couple's life of crime, yet they strive to protect the child's innocence, such as when Hozier's character hides a wanted poster. Hozier - From Eden
Hozier has explicitly stated that the song is sung from the viewpoint of the looking longingly at something innocent—Eve—that he can never truly possess. : The narrator sees his younger, innocent self
: The Irish Times praised Hozier’s "soulful delivery," while PopMatters noted the song's journey of self-discovery. Hozier has explicitly stated that the song is
: The track peaked at #2 on the Irish Singles Chart and reached #15 on Billboard’s Hot Rock & Alternative Songs in the US.
: Hozier pairs positive and negative concepts—"magic" with "tragic," and "wretched" with "precious"—to highlight a relationship that is as destructive as it is alluring.
The song is built on "torturous Biblical ponderings" and sharp contradictions.