20 Years

Album: Barton Hollow (2011)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • The Civil Wars were an indie folk duo comprised of singer-songwriters Joy Williams and guitarist/songwriter John Paul White. Some of the tracks on their debut album, Barton Hollow, deal directly with losses from their past. This song, for instance, concerns a family secret, mainly on Williams' side. She said: "We love to write about these things and hint at it while not giving the whole thing away. If the stories that we're singing about and the things that we're speaking of are true, hopefully they'll draw out the stories of the people who are listening, and that can create some invisible cycle of safety and exhilaration and freedom, and of being transported somewhere else for a little moment in time."
  • The Barton Hollow album was one of the most successful indie albums ever made, selling over 500,000 copies in America and winning the Grammy for Best Folk Album. They could have cashed in with a big contract for their next album, but the duo fractured as they were recording it in 2012. When it was finished in 2013, they were essentially broken up, so they couldn't tour to promote it. Columbia Records took it and gave it a powerful promotional push that helped it debut at #1, but with no sign of the (aptly named) Civil Wars, it quickly trailed off. They announced their official split in 2014.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Jon Oliva of Trans-Siberian Orchestra

Jon Oliva of Trans-Siberian OrchestraSongwriter Interviews

Writing great prog metal isn't easy, especially when it's for 60 musicians.

History Of Rock

History Of RockSong Writing

An interview with Dr. John Covach, music professor at the University of Rochester whose free online courses have become wildly popular.

Zakk Wylde

Zakk WyldeSongwriter Interviews

When he was playing Ozzfest with Black Label Society, a kid told Zakk he was the best Ozzy guitarist - Zakk had to correct him.

The Police

The PoliceFact or Fiction

Do their first three albums have French titles? Is "De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da" really meaningless? See if you can tell in this Fact or Fiction.

American Hits With Foreign Titles

American Hits With Foreign TitlesSong Writing

What are the biggest US hits with French, Spanish (not "Rico Suave"), Italian, Scottish, Greek, and Japanese titles?

Brenda Russell

Brenda RussellSongwriter Interviews

Brenda talks about the inspiration that drove her to write hit songs like "Get Here" and "Piano in the Dark," and why a lack of formal music training can be a songwriter's best asset.