"From Eden" is a song recorded by Irish singer-songwriter

Hozier Andrew John Hozier-Byrne (born 17 March 1990), known professionally as Hozier ( ), is an Irish musician, singer and songwriter. His music primarily draws from folk, soul and blues, often using religious and literary themes. He had his interna ...

for his 2014 eponymous debut studio album. It was released on 9 March 2014 as the second single from the record and peaked at number two on the

Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is the Republic of Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association (IRMA) and compiled on their behalf by the Official Charts Company. Chart rankings are bas ...

and number fifteen on the ''Billboard'' Hot Rock and Alternative Songs Chart. An accompanying music video was released in November 2014, featuring actress Katie McGrath.

Writing and composition

"From Eden" is the sixth track from the album, written by Hozier alone. "From Eden" is one of the experimental tracks on the album, with

Motown Motown Records is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. It was founded by Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on June 7, 1958, and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmanteau of ''moto ...

influences breaking down a flamenco bridge while returning to religious metaphor; the lyrics contain "torturous Biblical ponderings", with Hozier slithering from the

Garden of Eden In Abrahamic religions, the Garden of Eden ( he, גַּן־עֵדֶן, ) or Garden of God (, and גַן־אֱלֹהִים ''gan-Elohim''), also called the Terrestrial Paradise, is the Bible, biblical paradise described in Book of Genesis, Genes ...

to confront a love he deems "familiar/like my mirror, years ago". In rhythmical terms, the track follows a predominantly 5/4 time signature.

Critical reception

"From Eden" received praise from critics; '' The Irish Times'' commended the track for its "grit and substance" and exclaimed that Hozier's vocals contained a "blue-eyed, soulful delivery", while '' PopMatters'' stated that the song saw the Four Tops quartet "put their arms around young Hozier" as he realises a "journey as much about finding himself as it is about finding the girl."

Commercial performance

The song peaked at number 15 on the Billboard Hot Rock & Alternative Songs Chart and number 2 on the

. "From Eden" also scored within the Top 100 charting positions in the UK, Canada, and Belgium, respectively. "From Eden" is certified gold in the United Kingdom and Australia.

Music video

Released on 18 November 2014, the official music video for "From Eden" was directed by filmmaking duo henry/ssong (Henry Chen and Ssong Yang). Actress Katie McGrath and child actor Tate Birchmore star alongside Hozier in the video, which contrasts a "life of crime" with the breezy melody and lyrics, resulting in conflicting emotional circumstances. It depicts Hozier as an

outlaw An outlaw, in its original and legal meaning, is a person declared as outside the protection of the law. In pre-modern societies, all legal protection was withdrawn from the criminal, so that anyone was legally empowered to persecute or kill them ...

with his companion, McGrath, and young boy they've taken into their company while on the run. Hozier robs a gas station and the trio commandeer a house in which to spend the night; the pair are subsequently caught, with the boy being taken from their custody. It is revealed that the couple had found the boy alone in a dilapidated house. The video has garnered over 43 million views on YouTube.

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

Release history

References

{{authority control 2014 singles 2014 songs Hozier (musician) songs Island Records singles Hozier (musician) EPs Songs written by Hozier (musician)