You might think of wine as the humble, unassuming product of the sweet little grape, its only purpose to fill a bottle, grace a glass or decorate a wine rack. You would be wrong. It seems wine helps the greatest of artists and the meanest of men to understand life a little better; it blessings, itssetbacks and its meaning. Below are five songs that use wine to help explain love, learning and life.
Deana Carter Strawberry Wine
Like strawberry wine and seventeen
The hot July moon saw everything
My first taste of love, oh, bittersweet
The green on the vine like strawberry wine
About Wine:
Strawberry wine reminds her of youth, innocence and summer romances
About Life:
There are some things in life you will never forget – like first loves – and there will be things that spark bittersweet memories; instead of being flooded with a feeling of loss for times gone by, focus on the sweet part…the parts that taste like strawberry wine
Norah Jones Don’t Know Why
My heart is drenched in wine
You’ll be on my mind
Forever
About Wine:
Drowning your sorrows is typical behaviour for a broken heart but only numbs the pain a while; there will still be bruising once the hangover wears off and you can’t clear you mind of its thoughts
About Life:
The song is about making a hard decision and facing the consequences (heartbreak) of that decision. Sometimes, even though you love someone or something it isn’t what is best for you and you have to let it go. You will be consumed by regret almost immediately afterward and will drive yourself mad trying to figure out “Why?” you made that choice. Eventually, your heart will heal and you’ll only have to worry about your mind and memories sneaking up on you every now and then
Alanis Morrissette Ironic
An old man turned ninety-eight
He won the lottery and died the next day
It’s a black fly in your Chardonnay
It’s a death row pardon two minutes too late
And isn’t it ironic… don’t you think
It’s like rain on your wedding day
It’s a free ride when you’ve already paid
It’s the good advice that you just didn’t take
Who would’ve thought… it figures
About Wine:
A black fly in your Chardonnay – another way the world manages to rain all over your parade
About Life:
Life has its moments, moments where it slaps you in the face after it’s knocked you to the floor; irony is a beautiful…and it is to be expected. Life is out there with the sole purpose of dumping flies into your Chardonnay, so you just have to accept and embrace it
Leann Rimes Good Friend And A Glass Of Wine
A good friend and a glass of wine
A little pick me up to get me through the night
We talk trash n’ we laugh and cry
That kind of therapy money can’t buy
Every now and then, every now and then
Every girl needs a good friend and a glass of wine
About Wine:
The wine is the façade under which friends meet. It’s good to talk and better to talk over wine
About Life:
Friends make everything better. They laugh with you, cry with you and help you put the world to rights. If you throw in a couple glasses of wine then a much needed chat between friends becomes the best form of therapy there is
Sugarland Settlin’
With some good red wine and my brand new shoes
Gonna dance a blue streak around my living room
[…]
I ain’t settling for just getting by
I’ve had enough so so for the rest of my life
Tired of shooting too low, so raise the bar high
Just enough ain’t enough this time
I ain’t settling for anything less than everything
About Wine:
The wine is a treat, like the new shoes. It represents the ‘tomorrow may never come, so go ahead and enjoy today’ philosophy.
About Life:
The song is about letting yourself be happy. Doing what makes you feel the best, no settling for second place or ‘good enough’. The wine is just the beginning here, the message is to face life head on and go for it – full throttle, no apologies
So next time you pass your wine rackwith nonchalance or taste a glass absentmindedly, think about wine’s presence and central role in the songs that sum up life.