Hozier recalls bleeding on a hungover flight while sitting next to Cillian Murphy

Hozier tells of a not so pleasant travel experience.

The 34-year-old Irish musician recalled that some of the lyrics of his hit song “Too Sweet” were inspired by a series of drunken events – including a chance encounter with a celebrity. A fan recorded the story, told onstage during Hozier's Unreal Unearth tour, and shared the detailed account on TikTok on August 18.

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

Hozier, whose real name is Andrew Hozier-Byrne, further explained that he met up with his “best old mate” the night before his flight, adding that he “hadn't even started packing when we had our first drinks.”

He said they had been “drinking a lot all night, as one does,” and the next thing he remembered was being suddenly woken up by his friend the next morning.

“So I get up quickly, and I'm pretty tall. I was told that if I fell, I'd be halfway home,” he joked. “I was going full speed and I just thought, 'Boom!' My head hit the window with such force.”

Although he hit “right into a wall” on his second attempt to get up, the “Take Me to Church” singer said he eventually managed to pack his things and make it to the airport, albeit in “bad shape.”

“I'm kind of confused. You know, that kind of hangover where you're shaking,” he explains. “And then I look to my left on this plane and I see a famous Irish actor. I also suffer from celebrity shock, when you see someone you've seen a thousand times on screen and you think, 'Oh my God, that's a famous person.' And when I see that Cillian Murphy is to my left…”

When he told himself to stop waiting for the Oppenheimer Star, of whom he is a “huge fan,” he began “scratching” his head where he had fallen and began to worry.

“I was like, 'Oh my God, that's wet.' So I'm sitting on the plane looking at my fingers like they're bleeding a little bit,” he said. “And I turn to my left and Cillian Murphy is crouched next to my seat and says, 'How's it going?'” I'm trying to keep my cool.”

Hozier added that the turbulent travel experience – particularly the part where he fell several times – was the inspiration for some of the lyrics in “Too Sweet.”

“It's the phrase: 'I aim low, I aim straight and the ground is where I'm going.' I never said that to Cillian Murphy. I didn't have the courage to tell him at the time what state I was in,” he concluded with a smile.

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

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

He continued: “Being famous just for the sake of being famous, or being famous for its own sake, is, in my opinion, very dangerous and potentially quite unhealthy, and I don't recommend it. I have to 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 into a restaurant without anyone really knowing who I am.”