"I finally taught the grief to walk behind me," Phillips sings on "Candles and Stars," one of four new songs released on her mini-album Human Contact Is Never Easy. In a Songfacts interview, she talked about what inspired the song: "In the last few years I realized how much suffering I can put myself through in my mind. On the other side of that is clarity, stubborn optimism and faith in love."

Richard Dodd, who also appeared on the Dixie Chicks album Taking the Long Way, played the cello on this track. Eric Gorfain did the string arrangements and Phillips played the piano.