Cherry Wine (Hozier song)

Hozier initially was shooting his first press photos at an abandoned hotel in Ireland that had caught on fire; upon arrival, the building possessed a caved-in roof and walls covered in graffiti, with "Cherry Wine" recorded on the roof of the location at five in the morning.[5][6] The song is written from the perspective of a man trapped in an abusive relationship, while his love endures through abusive episodes and a culture that enables them.[7][8] Hozier stated that it is "a love song about the awful parts of love" that "get(s) across the difficulty of [...] facing up to domestic violence”."[1][9]

"Cherry Wine" is the final track of the Hozier, written solely by Hozier[10]and concludes the album on an intimate, apologetic note.[11] The song consists solely of resonant acoustic guitars against Hozier's vocals during a live recording, and offering delicate, romantic acoustics intertwined with the chirping of birds as a red herring[7] against lyrics describing a tempestuous, hot-headed, fluctuating love.[12]

"Cherry Wine" was met with acclaim from music critics for its lyricism, production, and advocacy. The A.V. Club cites the song as "compelling", providing a prime example of "creative friction" on the album.[12] State depicted the track as "an aural warm blanket, folksy and rich in tone", comparing the composition to a Dave Van Ronk song.[13] The voice-work is described as "haunting" and "delicate yet powerful".[14] Vox stated that the song was "a love sonnet steeped in abuse" and that Hozier's vocals "sound sadder, more distraught, and more exhausted than [it] does in the rest of the album."[6] The song received praise for its "powerful" messaging, with critics acknowledging its touching upon a "taboo" subject while going against the trope of a "cliched abuser" who "behavior throughout the entire narrative is unremittingly tender —horrifyingly so."[15][16]

Saoirse Ronan's performance as a victim of domestic violence in the music video was praised by critics.

Domestic violence is an ongoing issue in our society, the statistics of which are shocking and the effects of which damage whole families, communities and span generations. 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. I’m honoured to be joined by Saoirse Ronan, video director Dearbhla Walsh and Moe Dunford in spreading awareness on this issue.”

— Hozier, NME[1]

The official music video for "Cherry Wine" was released on 14 February 2016 (Valentine's Day) as part of the #FaceUpToDomesticViolence social media campaign.[19] Directed by Dearbhla Walsh, the video casts actors Saoirse Ronan and Moe Dunford as the victim and the abuser in the relationship, respectively.[19] The music video was described as "powerful", with Ronan's "delicate" performance praised by critics.[20][21] It has amassed over 29 million views on YouTube.[22]

The video features low-key lighting and exposed wooden floors in a homey apartment, with a heart motif appearing throughout the video in the character's decoration and jewelry.[15] The abuser "sports a tidy beard" and is "wrapped in a ... cardigan" whose behavior appears caring as he caresses the cheek beneath his partner's injury.[15] Ronan's character is implied to be a mother, who warmly accepts her partner's apparent affection while, in isolation, she stoically and tearfully observes her wounds.[15] The scenes alternate between Ronan and Dunford kissing, laughing, and drinking wine intercut with Ronan slowly removes her make-up to reveal a black eye and a forearm bruise.[21]