Content warnings: discussion of abortion and rape
Andrew Hozier Byrne, or “Hozier” for short, is finally releasing a new album. After a two-year wait for fans, the folk-pop musician is back, and he’s starting off strong.
“Swan Upon Leda” isn’t a typical single released to promote an album. While most artists release their promotional singles as a marketing tactic to draw attention to an upcoming album, Hozier released this song to draw attention to a bigger issue: women’s rights. In a tweet, Hozier explained his inspiration for the song and stated that “with the news of Roe v. Wade being overturned, I felt there was an opportunity to show solidarity.” These words could have been perceived as performative if they were on their own, but Hozier also says he donated to Mayday, AidAcess, and Plan C.
The song’s story and title come from a Greek myth in which the god Zeus turns into a swan and rapes Leda, the queen of Sparta. Later, she gives birth to three children, one of which was Helen of Troy. While many people know of Helen of Troy’s famed beauty, the story of her mother’s sorrow is often forgotten. Choosing to center the song around this particular story appears to be a decision made to showcase the glanced-over, violent beginnings that often accompany familiar stories dictated by men.
The song examines various nuances of the patriarchy, with the first verse parallelling how patriarchal violence can affect both a mother and child. The tone is heavy from the beginning and the second line, “a crying child pushes a child into the night,” immediately visualizes the injustice of forced motherhood. The thesis of the song is made clear in the chorus:
“But the gateway to the world
Was still outside the reach of him
What never belonged to angels
Had never belonged to men“
This chorus states that despite men’s historical attempts to control women, the power of childbirth ultimately belongs to those who wield it. This blatantly pro-choice stance says that a woman’s body belongs to her alone, not to men who endorse laws stating otherwise, and especially not to patriarchal religious doctrine.
These powerful lyrics, combined with Hozier’s melancholic voice, give the song a haunting tone. The instrumental bridge near the song’s end is powerful, but not overwhelmingly so, giving the listener time to contemplate the previous lyrics. The choral element of the song, a staple of Hozier’s work, makes the message feel like a divine truth. For those who share Hozier’s view on the matter, it is an ultimate truth.
Releasing this song now, at a time when many women’s rights are being loudly questioned yet again, only heightens its power. Blending the historical references within the song, such as the “abortion trail” in Ireland, with current global events, furthers Hozier’s message that attacks against women’s liberties are an old story, but that this longevity does not equate hopeless permanence. By choosing to take a definitive stance in the current political landscape, Hozier has attempted to give a voice to countless voiceless people while also encouraging those who do have a voice to use it.