Cherry Wine

"Cherry Wine" is a song on the self-titled album Hozier. The song is about a man trapped in an abusive relationship. "Cherry Wine" sheds light on the issue of domestic violence and offers insight into an unhealthy relationship from the perspective of a male victim. The song is intended to express the difficulty of coming to terms and dealing with an abusive relationship.

Hozier uses powerful similes along with multi-dimensional language to reveal the pain behind domestic abuse. The chorus is:

The way she tells me I'm hers and shes mine

Open or closed fist would be fine 

The blood is rare and sweet as cherry wine

The simile between blood and cherry wine emphasizes his toxic yet wonderful relationship. When drinking cherry wine, it is easy to become drunk without realizing because it tastes so good. Similarly, the relationship is intoxicating and addictive and the narrator does not realize the toxicity of his relationship because his abuser makes him feel good. The blood in this line also literally represents the violence that occurs in their household.

But I want it, it's a crime

That she's not around most of the time

Hozier is emphasizing the difficulty in this relationship because he recognizes how horribly his partner treats him but the abuse is excused and affectionately described by the narrator due to his attachment with his abuser.

Calls of guilty thrown at me

All while she stains

The sheets of some other

Hozier uses "stains" in this stanza as a multi-dimensional word. It literally means that his partner is cheating on him but it also figuratively translates into the abuser ruining his life. Similar to a stain, once they are in your life, it is difficult to leave the relationship and get rid of them.

"Cherry Wine" is an emotional song that communicates the reality of being involved in an abusive relationship. Hozier shows that domestic violence can happen to anyone, including men. He is helping break the stigma surrounding domestic violence in a thoughtful and poetic manner.