You know the distance never made a difference to me
I swam a lake of fire, I'd have walked across the floor of any sea
Ignored the vastness between all that can be seen
And all that we believe
So I thought you were like an angel to me
[Verse 2]
Funny how true colours shine in darkness and in secrecy
If there were scarlet flags, they washed out in the mind of mе
Where a blindin' light shone on you еvery night
And either side of my sleep
Where you were held frozen like an angel to me
[Chorus]
It ain't the being alone (Sha-la-la)
It ain't the empty home, baby (Sha-la-la)
You know I'm good on my own (Sha-la-la)
Sha-la-la, baby, you know, it's more the being unknown
So much of the livin', love, is the being unknown
[Verse 3]
You called me "angel" for the first time, my heart leapt from me
You smile now, I can see its pieces still stuck in your teeth
And what's left of it, I listen to it tick
Every tedious beat
Going unknown as any angel to me
Do you know I could break beneath the weight
Of the goodness, love, I still carry for you?
That I'd walk so far just to take
The injury of finally knowin' you?
[Chorus]
It ain't the being alone (Sha-la-la)
It ain't the empty home, baby (Sha-la-la)
You know I'm good on my own (Sha-la-la)
Sha-la-la, baby, you know, it's more the being unknown
And there are some people, love, who are better unknown
About
In “Unknown / Nth”, Hozier expresses themes of distance, betrayal, and the feeling of being unknown or misunderstood in a relationship. The track takes inspiration from Dante Alighieri’s, Divine Comedy, mainly from the 9th Circle of Hell which is known as the “Treachery circle, where those who have committed acts of betrayal are punished. The circle is divided into four regions, each punishing a different form of treachery, and sinners are trapped in ice, frozen and isolated, which could symbolize a similar sense of emotional isolation and being trapped in a state of unknown or misunderstood feelings.
The track is the second single from Hozier’s third studio album, Unreal Unearth. The track made its debut on a TikTok Live Session with Hozier back on September 29, 2022, and was played in various Pop-Up Shows Hozier played in early 2023. It was then confirmed for official release on June 6, 2023.
Q&A
Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning
This is pretty much just me and a guitar which is what I enjoy about this. It’s very similar to the approach of my first record. I really enjoyed the space that’s in that song and then letting that space be something that had a lot of stillness and a lot of coldness in it.
The title comes from the expression of an unknown but large number, i.e. ‘Nth.’ The song reflects on having your heartbroken by someone you trusted. You think you learned, and it happens again. It also recalls ‘Ninth’ or the 9th circle of treachery. The song throws away the old premise of angelhood. None of us are angels. We are all going to break someone else’s heart or hurt another person. Musically, there was a minimalist approach. In that cold empty place, something else happened.
- 3.First Time
- 4.Francesca
- 8.Who We Are
- 9.Son of Nyx
- 10.All Things End
- 12.Butchered Tongue
- 13.Anything But
- 15.Unknown / Nth
- 16.First Light
