“Cherry Wine” Lyrics Meaning (Hozier)


Cherry Wine Lyrics Meaning (Hozier Song Explained)

“Cherry Wine” is a quiet and painful song by Irish artist Hozier, released in 2016 as a single from his self-titled debut album. At first listen, it might seem like a tender love song. But when you listen closely, the songโ€™s meaning becomes clearer: itโ€™s a raw take on being trapped in an abusive relationship.

This article breaks down the lyrics in โ€œCherry Wineโ€ to understand the deeper message behind each line, and how Hozier uses gentle music to mask a much darker truth.

“Cherry Wine” Lyrics Meaning: Line by Line

Verse 1: Dangerous Love

Her eyes and words are so icy
Oh, but she burns like rum on a fire

Her words and looks are cold, but her passion is intense and destructive.

“Burns like rum on a fire” suggests a love that hurts, like alcohol poured on flames. It feels good at first, but itโ€™s dangerous.

Hot and fast and angry as she can be
I walk my days on a wire

Her emotions move quickly from love to rage.

Living with her is like walking a tightrope. Thereโ€™s no safety or balance, just the constant risk of falling.

He stays, but every step feels risky.


Pre-Chorus 1: Explaining the Bruises

It looks ugly, but it’s clean
Oh mama, don’t fuss over me

From the outside, the wounds are visible. But he insists itโ€™s not what it seems.

This could be him covering up signs of abuse, possibly to his mother.

He claims itโ€™s “clean” like itโ€™s not real harm, or maybe that he chooses it.

Itโ€™s denial dressed as devotion.


Chorus: Pain Dressed as Love

The way she tells me I’m hers and she is mine
Open hand or closed fist, oh, would be fine

He accepts both tenderness and violence. To him, it’s all part of the same love.

When she claims him, whether through affection or harm, he still feels wanted.

The blood is rare and sweet as cherry wine

The blood is not just about bruises. Itโ€™s about the pain that comes with loving someone who hurts you.

He compares it to cherry wine because itโ€™s sweet, tempting, and easy to keep drinking even when itโ€™s bad for you.

He sees the damage as something beautiful, even precious, because it means he still has her.


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Verse 2: Lies and Blame

Calls of guilty thrown at me, all while she stains
The sheets of some other

She cheats, but still accuses him of wrongdoing.

Itโ€™s a twisted reversal. Heโ€™s the one being blamed, even as she betrays him.

This adds emotional abuse to the already violent relationship.

Thrown at me so powerfully, just like she throws
With the arm of her brother

Her words hit him as hard as a physical blow.

Comparing her anger to the strength of her brother suggests that even when sheโ€™s not using fists, her emotional attacks still leave damage.

These lines hint at how forceful and cruel her words can be.


Pre-Chorus 2: Craving What Hurts

But I want it, it’s a crime
That she’s not around most of the time

He knows itโ€™s toxic, but still wants her. Her absence feels wrong to him.

That โ€œit’s a crimeโ€ line suggests he feels punished when sheโ€™s gone, even though it should be a relief.

The abuse has changed how he sees love and need.


Verse 3: Seduced by Comfort

Her fight and fury’s fiery
Oh, but she loves like sleep to the freezing

Her rage is intense, but when sheโ€™s gentle, itโ€™s everything to him.

Sleep is deadly to someone freezing, but it also feels like peace. He knows it might kill him, but he still craves that warmth.

Her love brings comfort, but itโ€™s the kind that leads to harm.

Sweet and right and merciful, I’m all but washed
In the tide of her breathing

When she’s loving, it feels pure. Her breath becomes something sacred to him.

Heโ€™s so pulled into those rare soft moments that it drowns out all the violence.

It’s like he’s been brainwashed into believing this is love.


Pre-Chorus 3: Holding On to the Good

And it’s worth it, it’s divine
I have this some of the time

He admits that this kind of love doesnโ€™t happen all the time. But when it does, it feels like heaven.

That high is what keeps him in the low moments. He holds on to those glimpses of goodness, even if theyโ€™re rare.


“Cherry Wine” Song Meaning: Love That Hurts and Holds

With “Cherry Wine,” Hozier paints a picture of someone caught in a toxic, abusive relationship. It’s not just physical abuse. Itโ€™s emotional, mental, and spiritual. Still, the person stays, addicted to the rare moments of comfort and affection that follow the pain.

โ€œCherry Wineโ€ shows how love can be twisted into something that looks beautiful from far away but is dangerous up close. The sweetness makes the hurt harder to leave. It also points to how society often excuses or misunderstands this kind of love, especially when the signs aren’t easy to see.


Songs Like “Cherry Wine”

Here are some other songs with themes of love tangled with pain, control, or addiction:

1. “Love the Way You Lie” by Eminem & Rihanna

โ€œLove the Way You Lieโ€ describes a relationship fueled by passion and violence, where both partners hurt each other but canโ€™t walk away. The song, like โ€œCherry Wine,โ€ shows the messy line between love and destruction.


2. “Back to Black” by Amy Winehouse

โ€œBack to Blackโ€ tells the story of falling into despair after heartbreak, using dark imagery to show the emotional toll of love. The grief and hopelessness in the lyrics mirror the sadness in โ€œCherry Wine.โ€

Related: “Back to Black” Song Meaning


3. “Toxic” by Britney Spears

โ€œToxicโ€ plays with the idea of being addicted to someone even when you know theyโ€™re bad for you. The energy is different from โ€œCherry Wine,โ€ but the idea of craving what hurts is just as clear.


4. “Jar of Hearts” by Christina Perri

โ€œJar of Heartsโ€ focuses on emotional damage left by a partner who keeps coming back, causing pain every time. The song is about a similar struggle with breaking free from someone destructive.


5. “Pretty When You Cry” by Lana Del Rey

โ€œPretty When You Cryโ€ strips things down to the raw truth of being vulnerable in love, even when it hurts. Itโ€™s quiet, personal, and heavy with the same sadness found in โ€œCherry Wine.โ€


Conclusion: When Love Isn’t Safe

โ€œCherry Wineโ€ pulls back the curtain on a relationship built on both tenderness and violence. The lyrics show how someone can feel trapped, believing the pain is part of love.

Itโ€™s a song about the confusion that can come when love looks sweet on the surface but causes deep harm underneath. It reminds us that not all love stories are safe, even if they sound beautiful.

You can listen to “Cherry Wine” on Spotify and Amazon.

Be sure to check out more of our Song Interpretations.

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