Sep. 19, 20143 viewers463.3K views
Angel of Small Death & the Codeine Scene Lyrics
[Verse 1]
I watch the work of my kin, bold and boyful
Toying somewhere between love and abuse
Calling to join them the wretched and joyful
Shaking the wings of their terrible youths
Freshly disowned in some frozen devotion
No more alone or myself could I be
Lurched like a stray to the arms that were open
No shortage of sordid, no protest from me
[Chorus]
With her sweetened breath, and her tongue so mean
She's the angel of small death and the codeine scene
With her straw-blonde hair, her arms hard and lean
She's the angel of small death and the codeine scene
[Verse 2]
Feeling more human and hooked on her flesh
I lay my heart down with the rest at her feet
Fresh from the fields, all fetor and fertile
It's bloody and raw, but I swear it is sweet
[Chorus]
With her sweetened breath, and her tongue so mean
She's the angel of small death and the codeine scene
With her straw-blonde hair, her arms hard and lean
She's the angel of small death and the codeine scene
I watch the work of my kin, bold and boyful
Toying somewhere between love and abuse
Calling to join them the wretched and joyful
Shaking the wings of their terrible youths
Freshly disowned in some frozen devotion
No more alone or myself could I be
Lurched like a stray to the arms that were open
No shortage of sordid, no protest from me
[Chorus]
With her sweetened breath, and her tongue so mean
She's the angel of small death and the codeine scene
With her straw-blonde hair, her arms hard and lean
She's the angel of small death and the codeine scene
[Verse 2]
Feeling more human and hooked on her flesh
I lay my heart down with the rest at her feet
Fresh from the fields, all fetor and fertile
It's bloody and raw, but I swear it is sweet
[Chorus]
With her sweetened breath, and her tongue so mean
She's the angel of small death and the codeine scene
With her straw-blonde hair, her arms hard and lean
She's the angel of small death and the codeine scene
[Bridge]
Oh, oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh-oh
Oh, oh, oh, oh-oh
Oh, oh, oh
[Verse 3]
In leash-less confusion, I'll wander the concrete
Wonder if better now having survived
The jarring of judgement and reason's defeat the sweet
Heat of her breath in my mouth, I'm alive
[Chorus]
With her sweetened breath, and her tongue so mean
She's the angel of small death and the codeine scene
With her straw-blonde hair, her arms hard and lean
She's the angel of small death and the codeine scene
With her sweetened breath, and her tongue so mean
She's the angel of small death and the codeine scene
With her straw-blonde hair, her arms hard and lean
She's the angel of small death and the codeine scene
Oh, oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh-oh
Oh, oh, oh, oh-oh
Oh, oh, oh
[Verse 3]
In leash-less confusion, I'll wander the concrete
Wonder if better now having survived
The jarring of judgement and reason's defeat the sweet
Heat of her breath in my mouth, I'm alive
[Chorus]
With her sweetened breath, and her tongue so mean
She's the angel of small death and the codeine scene
With her straw-blonde hair, her arms hard and lean
She's the angel of small death and the codeine scene
With her sweetened breath, and her tongue so mean
She's the angel of small death and the codeine scene
With her straw-blonde hair, her arms hard and lean
She's the angel of small death and the codeine scene
About
Genius Annotation
The song is primarily about codeine (an opiate drug), but Hozier draws a parallel to a hard-to-get sometimes heartless woman and the drug.
The Angel of Small Death refers to ‘la petite mort’ meaning “the little death”, a French term for orgasm, so literally it means the messenger or bringer of orgasms.
Q&A
Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning
Live Performance
Genius Answer
- 2.Angel of Small Death & the Codeine Scene
- 4.Someone New
- 5.To Be Alone
- 6.From Eden
- 7.In a Week
- 8.Sedated
- 9.Work Song
- 12.Foreigner’s God
- 15.Run
Credits
Producers
Writer
Mixing Engineer
Mastering Engineer
Arranger
Piano
Synthesizer
Drums
Percussion
Guitar
Bass
Cello
Label
Recorded At
Wicklow & Dublin ("in the attic"); Cauldron Studios; Westland Studios; Exchequer Studios
Release Date
September 19, 2014
Angel of Small Death & the Codeine Scene Covers
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