Hozier Recalls 'Bleeding' on a Flight After Drunken Night Out — Then Having to Chat with Famous Seatmate

Hozier opens up about a not-so-sweet travel experience.

The Irish musician, 34, recalled how some of the lyrics to his hit song “Too Sweet” were inspired by a series of drunken incidents – which included a chance encounter with a celebrity. A fan filmed the story being told on stage during Hozier’s Unreal Unearth tour and shared a detailed account on TikTok on August 18.

“I’d probably go to my grave without saying it, but it’s a good story and I’d rather it come from me,” he explained on stage at the Xcel Energy Center in Minnesota earlier in August.

Hozier, whose real name is Andrew Hozier-Byrne, went on to explain how he met up with his “best old friend” the night before he was due to catch his flight, adding that he “hadn’t even started packing when we had our first drink. ”

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Hozier takes the stage in Chicago in August 2024.

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He said they “drank a lot all night, like you,” and the next thing he remembered was being woken up suddenly by his friend the next morning.

“So I got up quickly, and I’m pretty tall. I was told if I fell, I would be halfway home,” he joked. “I was walking at full speed and I just said ‘Boom!’ My head hit the window with such force.”

Despite hitting “straight into the wall” the second time he tried to get up, the “Take Me to Church” singer said he finally managed to pack up and make it to the airport, although he was “in a tough spot.”

“It’s like I’m freaking out. You know, the kind of hangover when you’re shaking,” he explains. “And then I look to my left on this plane and I see a famous Irish actor. I’m also prone to celebrity shock when you see someone you’ve seen on screen a thousand times and go, ‘Oh my God, that’s a famous person.’ And when I see that Cillian Murphy is on my left…”

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Hozier (left) and Cillian Murphy (right).

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While telling himself to “stop staring” at Oppenheimer the star, of whom he is a “big fan”, began to “scratch” his head where he fell and began to worry.

“I’m like, ‘Oh my God, that’s wet.’ So I’m on the plane and I’m looking at my fingers, like I’m bleeding a little,” he said. “I turned to my left and Cillian Murphy was huddled next to my seat and asked, ‘How’s it going?’ I’m trying to be composed.”

Hozier added that the tumultuous experience of the trip — specifically the part where he fell multiple times — is what inspired some of the lyrics in “Too Sweet.”

“It’s the line, ‘I aim low, I aim straight and the ground is where I’m going.’ “I never told Cillian Murphy. I didn’t have the guts to tell him what state I was in,” he concluded with a smile.

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During an exclusive interview with PEOPLE in March 2023, the “Cherry Wine” singer opened up about his thoughts on fame and how he likes being able to fly under the radar.

“I really enjoy being able to bring music to an audience that appreciates it,” he told PEOPLE at the time. “It’s still amazing that people would spend their money buying a ticket to come and see you sing your songs, so it’s still an honor I don’t take lightly.”

He continued: “Being famous for its own sake or being famous for its own sake, I think is very dangerous and quite unhealthy, potentially, and I don’t recommend it. I will say that I don’t have much interest in it other than people enjoying my work. I’m very happy to be able to walk down the street or walk into a restaurant without anyone really knowing who I am.”

Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education