Hozier Reveals How Bleeding on a Plane Next to Cillian Murphy Inspired “Too Sweet” Lyrics

Hozier‘s “Too Sweet” became an instant hit when he released it earlier this year from the Unreal Unearth sessions. He’s previously discussed the origin of the phrase “too sweet” in Irish slang, but did you know that some of the lyrics were inspired by a wild night of drinking and bleeding on a plane next to Cillian Murphy?

On August 18, Hozier told the interesting tale while on stage during an appearance in Minnesota. “I probably would go to my grave without saying it, but it’s kind of a good story and I’d rather it come from me,” he prefaced. Not knowing what could possibly come next, the crowd settled in for a wild story.

He went on to give a little context, explaining that he had met up with his “best old mate” and the two were gearing up for a night out. He then added that this was the night before he was due to catch a flight to Los Angles, and he hadn’t even started packing yet.

The two were “drinking very heavily all night, as you do,” said Hozier. He then promptly awoke the next morning, still unpacked for his trip.

“So I stand up quickly, and I am quite tall. It’s been said to me, if I fall down I would be halfway home,” Hozier joked, then added, “I was walking at full pace and I just went, ‘Boom!’ My head hit the window at such force.” 

[RELATED: Hozier Drops Three-Song EP ‘Unaired,’ Following Earlier Offering ‘Unheard’]

Hozier Regales Crowd with Hilarious Story of How a “Too Sweet” Lyric Came About

Hozier shared that he ran “straight into a wall” on his second attempt to get up, but eventually managed to get to the airport on time. However, he said, he was “in rough shape.”

“I’m like rattled. You know, that type of hangover where you’re shaking,” he described. “And then I look over to the left of me on this plane and I see a famous Irish actor. I’m also subject to celebrity shock where you see somebody you’ve seen on screen a thousand times and you’re like, ‘Oh my God that’s a famous person’…”

Enter Cillian Murphy, stage left. Hozier added, “And when I see Cillian Murphy is to my left…” So now, Hozier is on a plane to L.A., sitting next to Cillian Murphy, hungover as all get out. Hozier shared that he told himself to “stop staring,” but then he started feeling around his forehead. That’s when things took an unfortunate if pretty funny turn.

“I’m like, ‘Oh my God, that’s wet.’ So I’m on the plane looking at my fingers, like I’m bleeding a little bit,” he explained. “And I turn to my left and Cillian Murphy’s hunkered by my seat and is like, ‘How’s it going?’ I’m trying to play it cool.”

As for the “Too Sweet” lyric inspired by this encounter? “It’s the line, ‘I aim low, I aim true and the ground’s where I go.’ I’ve never told Cillian Murphy that. I didn’t have the guts to tell him at the time the shape that I was in.”

This just goes to show that lyrics don’t always have to stem from 14th century Italian poetry. Sometimes they can just come from being hungover on a plane next to Cillian Murphy.

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