Top 50 Songs of the Decade, #48: "Poison & Wine," The Civil Wars

How much does one need to know about a song to enjoy and appreciate it?  Is it better to have all the background, all the facts?  Or should you just let the mystery and the music envelop you?

John Paul White on the song:

"That song probably does sum us up - The Civil Wars, the name of the band - as well as any song that we've written.  We're all married, and we were all talking about the good, the bad and the ugly, and just felt like: What would you say to someone if you were actually brutally honest - the things that you could never say because it would turn them away or let the cat of the bag or reveal yourself to be weaker?  What would you actually say if you had this invisible curtain around you and could just scream it in somebody's face and they'd actually never hear it?  We were all being very painful honest, because we're very comfortable around each other and know that things like that never leave the room, except in a song.  I'm pretty proud of that song, to be honest."

In the case of "Poison & Wine," there may have been a little foreshadowing involved as well.  The duo stuck together for one album after "Barton Hollow" (on which this song appeared), and then called it a quits right in the middle of a tour. 

It's not a word I'd often use to describe a song, but this one is exquisite.  And even if you set the lyrics and the meaning aside, you can indeed just let the music wash over you.

#48 - "Poison & Wine," The Civil Wars.