Swan Upon Leda - a new feminist anthem?

On the 7^th of October 2022, Irish singer-songwriter Hozier released the first song from his forthcoming album, Unreal Unearth, and it couldn’t have come at a more appropriate time. With the overturning of Roe V Wade in the US earlier this year, Swan upon Leda offers solidarity to women in a time of unrelenting uncertainty and bleakness.

Upon the announcement of the song’s release, Hozier took to Instagram to explain his reasonings behind writing Swan upon Leda. In the post, he shared that he listened to Egyptian author and journalist Mona Eltahawy speak in Dublin. He wrote, “Eltahawy once referred to the global systems that control and endanger women as the world’s ‘oldest form of occupation,’” After hearing the shattering news of Roe V Wade being overturned whilst in a recording studio, Hozier said that was another strong motivation behind the song and its visceral lyrics.

Hozier cleverly uses Greek mythology to illustrate how modern society still subjugates women, just as it did back in ancient times. In the original story of the Swan and Leda, Zeus transforms into a swan and assaults Leda to punish her for becoming Queen of Sparta. The use of this particular Greek myth is significant as it shows how the oppression of women has been a constant throughout history; it happened in ancient Greek society, and it still happens today.

Swan upon Leda solidifies Hozier’s title as an expert protest song writer. His lyrics hold an inexplicable sense of grief that make the song feel like a requiem. The chorus in particular feels like a punch in the gut:

But the gateway to the world

Was still outside the reach of him

What never belonged to angels

Had never belonged to man

The ‘gateway to the world’ ref
ers to childbirth, and it is not in the realm of men. Hozier regularly uses religious imagery in his work, and this is prevalent in this song. Biblically, angels are not born or reproduced, they are simply created. Essentially, Hozier is making the statement that men nor religion should have control over the female body – it doesn’t belong to them.

Musically, Swan upon Leda is beautiful. The vocals are soft, almost hushed, which reflects how many abortions are carried out in secrecy, something that society tells women they must keep quiet about. Yet, the layering of vocals, especially towards the end of the song, creates a sense of solidarity that feels like an embrace in a time of immense grief and anger.

I strongly urge everyone to listen to Swan upon Leda. It’s not the kind of feminist anthem you would expect, especially as it was written by a man. It isn’t a manufactured, shallow, girl boss power anthem, it is a gut-wrenching portrayal of the gritty reality of modern women. Whether it be the American women fighting for their reproductive rights, or the Iranian women fighting for their right to not wear the hijab, Hozier spotlights one of the most pressing women’s issues in the world today – fighting for the right to choose.