Angel Of Small Death And The Codeine Scene

Album: Hozier (2014)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • The female character on this track is portaged by Hozier as a lover with a mean tongue. He told The Cut: "There's probably a lot of Portrait of the Artist As a Young Man in that song. I suppose it's about feeling liberation... and a woman whose references might be questionable at best."
  • James Joyce's 1916 semiautobiographical novel Portrait of the Artist As a Young Man was a very strong influence on Hozier when writing the songs for his debut album. He explained to The Cut: "It's very much about a man's struggle to find his own identity in an oppressive culture of church, in an age influenced heavily by the Catholic church and a nationalism that he just wants to be free of."

Comments: 1

  • Smartalek from BostonIn French, "la petite mort" ("small death") is an idiom for orgasm.
    In case anyone wanted to know that.
    Can't speak knowledgeably about "the codeine scene," though.
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Best Band Logos

Best Band LogosSong Writing

Queen, Phish and The Stones are among our picks for the best band logos. Here are their histories and a design analysis from an expert.

Waiting For The Break of Day: Three Classic Songs About All-Nighters

Waiting For The Break of Day: Three Classic Songs About All-NightersSong Writing

These Three famous songs actually describe how they were written - late into the evening.

When Rock Belonged To Michelob

When Rock Belonged To MichelobSong Writing

Michelob commercials generated hits for Eric Clapton, Genesis and Steve Winwood in the '80s, even as some of these rockers were fighting alcoholism.

The End Of The Rock Era

The End Of The Rock EraSong Writing

There are no more rock stars - the last one died in 1994.

Charlotte Caffey of The Go-Go's

Charlotte Caffey of The Go-Go'sSongwriter Interviews

Charlotte was established in the LA punk scene when a freaky girl named Belinda approached her wearing a garbage bag.

Little Richard

Little RichardFact or Fiction

Was Long Tall Sally a cross-dresser? Did he really set his piano on fire? See if you know the real stories about one of rock's greatest innovators.