Album: Cellophane Symphony (1969)

Charted: 7

License This Song 

Songfacts®:

• Expressing his Christian beliefs in this song, James told us that the "sweet cherry wine" is "A metaphor for the blood of Jesus." Talking about his faith, James said: "I don't worship every Sunday; I worship every day. Every hour of every day. It's just me, it's part of me. I became a Christian in 1967. I was brought up Catholic, but I really didn't know my faith very well, didn't know what I believed, why I believed what I believed. And in 1967 I was listening to Billy Graham at Shea Stadium on television. And we were writing, as a matter of fact, and I put the guitars down and started listening. And he just gave the most amazingly lucid teaching on why Jesus came. And I had never heard it put quite that way before. I had heard a lot of over-my-head sophisticated kind of things growing up. But I never really heard the gospel message quite like that. And there's a moment, I equate it to hitting a champagne glass – a crystal champagne glass with a fork, you know how you get that pure tone? That's kind of how I felt when I heard Billy Graham explain why Jesus came. And I knew I'd heard the truth. It's too simple and too beautiful to not be the truth, and not be God. And I was actually high at the time, it's true. It just cut right through everything that was going on with me, and I just got right up to the TV and put my hand on the TV and made my commitment right there."
• This was song was released at the height of psychedelia. The 2 previous Tommy James & the Shondells singles were also trippy: "Crimson And Clover" and "Crystal Blue Persuasion."

Comments: 12

• Charles Kenneth Butler from Pageland ScI love hearing his music. I might try playing sweet cherry wine at church in the near future .
• Caroline Fields from Lexington KyLove this beautiful song
• Awa Cd from Amelia Island Great song !
• Marty from Cleveland, OhThis is Tommy James' tribute to desertion. Another recording studio warrior.
• Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn March 16th 1969, "Sweet Cherry Wine" by Tommy James and the Shondells entered Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart at position #86; seven weeks later on May 4th, 1969 it peaked at #7 {for 2 weeks} and spent 10 weeks on the Top 100...
  Between 1966 and 1970 the group had nineteen Top 100 records; seven made the Top 10 with two reaching #1, "Hanky Panky" for 2 weeks in 1966 and "Crimson and Clover" for 2 weeks in 1969...
  They just missed having a third #1 record when "Crystal Blue Persuasion" peaked at #2* {for 3 weeks} in 1969...
  Tommy James, as a solo artist, had thirteen Top 100 records; with one reaching the Top 10, "Draggin' the Line" at #4 in 1971 {it reached #2 in Canada}...
  Mr. James, born Thomas Gregory Jackson, will celebrate his 68th birthday next month on April 29th {2015}...
  * The three weeks that "Crystal Blue Persuasion" was at #2, the #1 record for those three weeks was "In the Year 2525 (Exordium and Terminus)" by Zager and Evans.
• Mac from Evanston, IlAgree with Ron, Rick, and Martin. And Joe of Monroe, NY: you are correct. "C and C" and "Crystal Blue Persuasion" were both on the "C and C" album released in 1968, and the single "C and C" was released first. But for some reason, "Sweet Cherry Wine" was released as a single before "CBP." "SCW" was then included on TJ and the Shondells' next album, "Cellophane Symphony."
• Martin from Fresno, CaI agree with both Ron and Rick.
• Rick from Belfast, MeRight on Ron.....a fantastic and beautiful song it is....Tommy made some sweet music
• Mike from Eastman, Gawas this song also a protest against the war in Vietnam?
• Joe from Monroe, NyThe actual order of single releases by TJ & the Shondells was: Crimson & Clover, Sweet Cherry Wine, THEN Crystal Blue Persuasion. There is a marvelous gospel version from 2005 that was done by Tommy James with The Kootz.
• Grace from Reno / Tahoe , Nvlove it ! babykisses
• Ron from Bothell, WaSweet Cherry Wine is a beautiful song that doesn't get as much airplay as it should. Tommy James has said that "Sweet Cherry Wine" refers to the blood of Jesus Christ. As the lyrics say
  "Only God has the right to decide who's to live and die". "To save us He gave us sweet cherry wine". Ron

More Songfacts:

Writing's On The WallSam Smith

Sam Smith's "Writing's On The Wall" was the first ever James Bond theme song to reach #1 in the UK.

Grazing In The GrassThe Friends Of Distinction

Grazing In The Grass by The Friends Of Distinction was the first big hit to use the phrase "dig it" in the lyric.

Metal Thrashing MadAnthrax

The 1984 Anthrax song "Metal Thrashing Mad" popularized the phrase "thrash metal," a faster version of heavy metal. "Thrash" dates back to 1982 though, when Metallica put the lyric "thrashing all around" in their song "Whiplash."

Last NiteThe Strokes

The Strokes admitted to purloining Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers' "American Girl" for their hit "Last Nite."

True CompanionMarc Cohn

When Marc Cohn played "True Companion" to his girlfriend, she thought he was proposing. He wasn't, but he did eventually marry her.

Happiness Is A Warm GunThe Beatles

John Lennon got the title of the Beatles song "Happiness Is A Warm Gun" from an article in a magazine published by the National Rifle Association.

Editor's Picks

Jesus Christ Superstar: Ted Neeley Tells the Inside StorySong Writing

The in-depth discussion about the making of Jesus Christ Superstar with Ted Neeley, who played Jesus in the 1973 film.

MetallicaFact or Fiction

Beef with Bon Jovi? An unfortunate Spandex period? See if you can spot the true stories in this Metallica version of Fact or Fiction.

Edie BrickellSongwriter Interviews

Edie Brickell on her collaborations with Paul Simon, Steve Martin and Willie Nelson, and her 2021 album with the New Bohemians.

Did They Really Sing In That Movie?Fact or Fiction

Bradley Cooper, Michael J. Fox, Rami Malek, Reese Witherspoon, Gwyneth Paltrow and George Clooney: Which actors really sang in their movies?

Kelly Keagy of Night RangerSongwriter Interviews

Kelly Keagy of Night Ranger tells the "Sister Christian" story and explains why he started sweating when he saw it in Boogie Nights.

Rickie Lee JonesSongwriter Interviews

Rickie Lee Jones on songwriting, social media, and how she's handling Trump.