Cherry Wine

Album: Hozier (2014)
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Songfacts®:

  • This raw emotional song was recorded live in the early morning on an abandoned hotel rooftop accompanied by the dawn chorus. Hozier recalled during a gig at Boston's Café 939. "It was like five in the morning and I was so tired… and it ended up on the first EP!"
  • The song was written by Hozier from the male perspective of an abuse sufferer. The violence is excused by the victim as he is apparently captivated by her raw emotionality.

    Hozier said: "With the song 'Cherry Wine,' I tried to get across the difficulty of coming to terms with and facing up to domestic violence and the dynamic of an abusive relationship."
  • The track was released as a charity single on February 12, 2016 to benefit domestic abuse charities worldwide, including Women's Aid in the UK.
  • The song's music video was shot by Irish director Dearbhla Walsh. It stars Saoirse Ronan as a woman dealing with a physically abusive relationship. The actress is known for her roles as Briony Tallis in Atonement (2007) and Eilis Lacey in Brooklyn (2015). Actor Moe Dunford (Vikings, Game Of Thrones) plays her violent partner.
  • A couple got engaged when Hozier played "Cherry Wine" during a show in Madison, Wisconsin. Hozier stopped to acknowledge the proposal when he heard people screaming in excitement but was confused given the song's dark subject matter.

    "Congratulations," he told the couple. "Congratulations on putting the fear of God into me, well done. I'm so delighted for you. Is that the hand, newly ringed? Alright... this of all the songs too?"

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