The Blues, Indie pop, Soul music, Indie rock-master, and whatever you say about Andrew Hozier Byrne released his music video for "Dinner and Diatribes" last year which might have left some fans wondering about the meaning of the video.
Well, here I'm sharing my take on Dinner and Diatribes By Hozier.
But before I start the explanation, let's take a look at-
Andrew Hozier Byrne- simply known by his middle name "Hozier'' is an Irish singer, music writer, and sometimes composer. He released his studio album "Wasteland Baby'' on March 1, 2019. That album featured 13 songs including "Dinner and Diatribes''.
Well, here I'm sharing my take on Dinner and Diatribes By Hozier.
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| A Scene From The Dinner And Diatribes Video |
But before I start the explanation, let's take a look at-
What does the word "Diatribe" mean?
diatribe
/ˈdʌɪətrʌɪb/
noun
plural noun: diatribes
- a forceful and bitter verbal attack against someone or something."a diatribe against consumerism"
A diatribe, also known less formally as a rant, is a lengthy oration, though often reduced to writing, made in criticism of someone or something, often employing humor, sarcasm, and appeals to emotion.- Wikipedia
Some things about Hozier
Watch the “Dinner And Diatribes” video below.
Explanation of "Dinner and Diatribes" Music Video
I think the video is about abuse. And about the cycle of abuse.
Lighting someone on fire is, in my opinion, supposed to represent getting out of an abusive relationship, but becoming abusive/evil yourself in the process.
It's a cycle of abuse - people hurt you, you destroy them, you hurt other people, etc. (If you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss also gazes in you).
In the beginning, we see him eating a marshmallow he presumably roasted on someone else. His teeth are already black, which means that that isn't the first marshmallow he ate.
I think that it's implied here that he was abused by some people in the past and he "freed" himself of them by destroying them - which resulted in him becoming an abuser/evil person.
But after that, he doesn't move during the whole video - he's stuck in the cycle of abuse. And he's smiling all the time as if he didn't notice the fire, as if the fire was a normal occurrence (as if abusive behavior was normal, or something that makes him smile).
And there there's Anya, who's drawn in by him. She wants to escape, but she can't. She's trying to set him on fire. He doesn't let her leave. She's inexplicably drawn to him.
I think that's supposed to represent a toxic relationship. The other guests do nothing. The servants (also people abused in some way?) either help the abuser (Hozier's character) or try to help Anya's character.
In the end, she's helped by another woman (she's given the matches) and she succeeds in lighting him on fire. She destroys him and cements her "place" in the cycle of abuse.
She's become the toxic person now, stuck in a cycle she cannot break out of. Another person, presumably someone abused or treated wrongly, tries to light her on fire.
We don't see Anya's character treating the servant wrongly, but he sees her set him on fire - hurt someone - which gives him the motive to destroy the abuser that Anya's character became.
