“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 song’s meaning becomes clearer: it’s a raw take on being trapped in an abusive relationship.
This article breaks down the lyrics in “Cherry Wine” 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 it’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. There’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 it’s not what it seems.
This could be him covering up signs of abuse, possibly to his mother.
He claims it’s “clean” like it’s not real harm, or maybe that he chooses it.
It’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. It’s about the pain that comes with loving someone who hurts you.
He compares it to cherry wine because it’s sweet, tempting, and easy to keep drinking even when it’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.
It’s a twisted reversal. He’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 she’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 it’s toxic, but still wants her. Her absence feels wrong to him.
That “it’s a crime” line suggests he feels punished when she’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 she’s gentle, it’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 it’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.
He’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 doesn’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 they’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. It’s emotional, mental, and spiritual. Still, the person stays, addicted to the rare moments of comfort and affection that follow the pain.
“Cherry Wine” 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
“Love the Way You Lie” describes a relationship fueled by passion and violence, where both partners hurt each other but can’t walk away. The song, like “Cherry Wine,” shows the messy line between love and destruction.
2. “Back to Black” by Amy Winehouse
“Back to Black” 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 “Cherry Wine.”
Related: “Back to Black” Song Meaning
3. “Toxic” by Britney Spears
“Toxic” plays with the idea of being addicted to someone even when you know they’re bad for you. The energy is different from “Cherry Wine,” but the idea of craving what hurts is just as clear.
4. “Jar of Hearts” by Christina Perri
“Jar of Hearts” 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
“Pretty When You Cry” strips things down to the raw truth of being vulnerable in love, even when it hurts. It’s quiet, personal, and heavy with the same sadness found in “Cherry Wine.”
Conclusion: When Love Isn’t Safe
“Cherry Wine” 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.
It’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.