Williams and White met in 2008, during a song-writing session or "writing camp" at a music studio in Nashville, Tennessee. According to Williams, the idea for the band's name came as she "was driving around town looking at all the Civil War monuments." Their first recording was of a 2009 performance at Eddie's Attic in Georgia which they released as a free Internet download called Live at Eddie's Attic. Later that year, they released a digital extended-play album, called Poison & Wine, produced by Charlie Peacock, and the title song appeared on the TV show Grey's Anatomy.
In 2011, The Civil Wars released the album Barton Hollow; which reached No. 12 on the Billboard 200 chart, No. 54 on the UK Albums Chart and received Grammy nominations in the Best Folk Album and Best Country Duo/Group Performance categories. The album was included on several critics' Best Albums of 2011 lists, including NPR Music, Paste, Time, Associated Press, AllMusic.com The Wall Street Journal, Rolling Stone, Entertainment Weekly and USA Today. They released the singles "Tracks in the Snow" and "Safe & Sound".
In 2012, The Civil Wars partnered with T-Bone Burnett on the film score for the documentary A Place At The Table (previously known as Finding North) and collaborated on the song "Lily Love" with The Chieftains. They released a 7" vinyl album with cover versions of Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean" and Portishead's "Sour Times" in April. The duo was featured in American Way magazine, USA Today, on the cover of Billboard, and released a photo book called To Whom It May Concern.
In November 2012, the duo went on hiatus, citing "internal discord and irreconcilable differences of ambition". In August 2014, The Civil Wars announced an official break-up through press release.
I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day
The Civil Wars Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day
Their old familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet the words repeat
Of peace on earth, good will to men
I thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Of peace on earth, good will to men
And in despair I bowed my head:
"There is no peace on earth," I said,
"For hate is strong and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men"
Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
"God is not dead, nor doth he sleep,
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail,
With peace on earth, good will to men"
Till, ringing singing, on it's way,
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime, a chant sublime,
Of peace on earth, good will to men!
The Civil Wars's song "I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day" is a poignant representation of the hope and despair of Christmas. The song opens with the singer listening to the bells ringing on Christmas day, playing the familiar tunes of carols, and emphasizing the uplifting message of peace and goodwill for everyone. The singer initially reflects upon the universality of the song of peace for all Christendom, but his reflection slowly transforms as he contemplates the hate-filled world he witnesses around him. In a moment of despair, the singer expresses his realization that hate still exists in the world and it mocks the message of peace and goodwill.
However, the bells ring louder and deeper as a reminder that God is not dead but is alive and is watching over everyone. The singer is reminded that the wrongs will fail, and the right will always prevail, creating a new dawn of peace and a better future. The song ends with the bells ringing joyously, affirming the hope of the singer and the world that the voice of new beginnings is just around the corner.
Line by Line Meaning
I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day
The singer heard the sound of church bells ringing on Christmas Day.
Their old familiar carols play,
The familiar Christmas songs were playing along with the bells.
And wild and sweet the words repeat
The words of the songs were both joyful and heartfelt.
Of peace on earth, good will to men
The main message of the song lyrics was one of peace and goodwill towards everyone.
I thought how, as the day had come,
The artist reflects on how the Christmas day had arrived.
The belfries of all Christendom
The bells of all churches in Christendom (the Christian world) were ringing.
Had rolled along the unbroken song
The sound of the bells created an uninterrupted melody.
Of peace on earth, good will to men
The same message of peace and goodwill was communicated through the bells.
And in despair I bowed my head:
The artist became sad and hopeless upon thinking about the state of the world.
"There is no peace on earth," I said,
The artist voices their realization that there is no peace in the world.
"For hate is strong and mocks the song
The hatred present in the world contradicts the message of the Christmas song.
Of peace on earth, good will to men"
The song of peace and goodwill seemed ironic in the face of so much hatred.
Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
The bells suddenly grew louder and deeper.
"God is not dead, nor doth he sleep,
The singer hears the bells suggesting that God is still alive and awake.
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail,
The message of the song is that eventually what is right will triumph over what is wrong.
With peace on earth, goodwill to men"
This message of peace and goodwill will eventually be true for all people.
Till, ringing singing, on its way,
The bell's sound continued to resonate as they kept ringing.
The world revolved from night to day,
As the bells rang, the world continued its rotation from night to day.
A voice, a chime, a chant sublime,
The sound of the bells was powerful and uplifting.
Of peace on earth, good will to men!
The song ends on the same message of peace and goodwill as it began.
Lyrics © Songtrust Ave, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: . DP, CAROL TORNQUIST
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Poodle Strudel
Absolutely hauntingly beautiful.
Charles Garza
This is the Christmas music I want to hear. This is f**king beautiful.
Olivia G. C.
I DIDN'T REALIZE THIS EXISTED. I'm not a fan of holidays but The Civil Wars sure do sing a lovely tune ♥
Leah Christine
"I DIDN'T REALIZE THIS EXISTED." SAME!!! XD
Redsun1950
Added to my Christmas song list. I have this CD.
Emily Anschultz
And I thought I've heard every song by them.. I was wrong!
Leah Christine
I know right!
Mikayla Hoffman
Listening 2021
Gee Buttersnaps
Too much breathing in this audio..
Leah Christine
I love their breathing lol but I can see why you my not like it