This song is a follow-up to “Nice and Blue” from A To B Life. There are several direct references that song in the lyrics, which was about Amanda, a former love interest. Musically, the song starts with guitars and drums. Bass comes in with the vocals in the verse, which also features ethereal background “ahhhh” vocals. There is a prechorus before the first chorus that is played again directly after the chorus instead of in the lead up to the second chorus. There’s also a glorious lead guitar transition into each chorus. The second chorus is followed by a disjointed bridge and a softer chorus to end the song.

You were a song I couldn’t sing    

Caught like a bear by the bees    

With its hand in a hive    

Who complains of the sting    

When I’m lucky I got out alive!

A life at best left half-behind    

The taste of the honey    

Still sweet on my tongue    

And I’d run (Lord knows I’ve tried)    

But there’s no place on Earth    

I can hide from the wrong I’ve done

“You were a song I couldn’t sing” is a direct reference to “Nice and Blue”. The line refers to his relationship with a former love interest, which he now sees as an unattainable goal. By the lyrics, it sounds like he views their relationship as having been based on desire, which he views as bad. He’s complaining about whatever painful consequences have resulted from the relationship, though they could have been much worse. He’s having trouble moving on (“A life at best left half-behind” is a reference to “A life left half behind” from “Nice and Blue”) from his actions, has tried to run from them to no avail.

——————-

Then I saw a mountain and I saw a city   
(I was once the wine)   
Steadily sinking but suspiciously calm   
(I was once the wine)   
It wasn’t an end, it wasn’t a beginning   
(I was once the wine)   
But a ceaseless stumbling on    

(And you were the wine glass)

There, strapped like a watch on my wrist   
(I was once alive)   
That’s finished with gold but can’t tell time   
(I was once alive)   
Was all or what little pleasure exists   
(I was once alive)   
Seductively sold and uselessly mine   
(When you held me)    

The chorus is all about perspective. He has a negative view and sees only fleeting and cheap worldly pleasures. He looks out at the world, sees a mountain and a city sinking though nobody else seems to notice or care. He remarks on the hollow satisfaction in having a gold watch, but at the end of the day it’s useless because it can’t tell time.

——————-

Our horse was fast and first from the gate   
With the lead of a length at the sound of the gun   
And the last of our cash laid down to fate (at 17 to 1)   
But by the final stretch in the rear of the pack   
That nag limping bad in the back   
We reluctantly gave all the money we’d saved   
A fifth to the commonwealth and the rest to the track!

Based on the rest of the song, I assume this verse is back to describing the relationship, which they bet everything they had on despite low odds of winning. They got along amazingly at first but toward the end it was clear they weren’t going to make it so they cut their losses, giving up one-fifth in taxes (to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania) and the rest to the track.

——————-

Then I saw a forest grow in the city   
(I was once the wine)   
And a driftwood wall of birdhouse gourds   
(I was once the wine)   
And I’m still waiting to meet a girl like my mom   
(I was once the wine)   
(who’s closer to my age)   
(I was once the wine)   

The true light of my eyes is a Pearl   
(I was once alive)   
Equally emptied to equally shine   
(I was once alive)   
And all or what little joy in the world   
(I was once alive)   
Seemed suddenly simple and endlessly mine   
(When you held me)   

In contrast to the first chorus, he has fully given up the relationship. The city that had been steadily sinking grows a forest and a driftwood wall of birdhouse gourds. New possibilities out of nowhere. 

Whereas the worldly pleasures of the first chorus were empty, now he’s talking about joy that is simple and endless, which brings to mind the “peace that passeth all understanding” St. Paul talks about in Philippians 4:7.

——————-

I was once the wine   
I was once the wine   
I was once the wine   
And you were the wineglass

I was once alive   
I was once alive   
I was once alive   
When you held me   

But God became the glass   
All things left are emptiness   
Oh, little girl…   
You’re just a little girl   
If you look out and see a trace   
Of a dark bed was once my face   
In the clarity of such grace   
Forget all about me

The ending is similar to “Nice and Blue” except he doesn’t call her “my” little girl, and at the end he says “forget all about me” instead of “remember me”. He used to live his life for her, there was a time where he felt alive when she held him, but now he has turned to God instead.