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 Want You Back
The Civil Wars Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I didn't want you around
Those pretty faces always made you stand out in a crowd
But someone picked you from the bunch
One glance was all it took
Now it's much too late for me to go and take a second look
Oh baby give me one more chance
Oh darling I was blind to let you go
Now that I see you in his arms
I want you back
I want you back
I want you back
Trying to live without your love
Is like one long sleepless night
Let me show you boy
That I really know, I know wrong from right
Cause every street you're walking on
You leave tear stains on the ground
Follow boy, I didn't even want
Didn't even want you around
Oh baby give me one more chance
To show you I love you
Won't you please let me in your heart
Oh darling I was blind to let you go
Let you go baby
Now that I see you in his arms
Oh now that I see you in his arms
I want you back
I want you back
I want you back
The Civil Wars' "I Want You Back" is a melancholic piece about trying to win back the love of someone who has already moved on. The singer admits to pushing the person away when they were together, lamenting that they let the "pretty faces" surrounding the person make them blind to their love. But now that they see them "in his arms," they want them back desperately. They offer to prove their love and loyalty and promise to do right by them this time.
The song's somber tone is underscored by its slow, acoustic melody and the plaintive harmonies of Joy Williams and John Paul White. The lyrics tap into feelings of regret and desperation, as the singer tries to come to terms with their mistakes and win back the person they pushed away. The song's spare instrumentation and haunting vocals create a sense of intimacy, as if the singer is whispering their confession directly to the listener.
Overall, the song is a moving exploration of the complexities of love and the pain of loss. Its emotional depth and musical sophistication make it a standout track in The Civil Wars' discography and cement its status as a modern-day classic.
Line by Line Meaning
When I had you to myself
I had you exclusively before and didn't have to share you with anyone else
I didn't want you around
I pushed you away because I was afraid of losing my own identity by being associated with someone so unique and special
Those pretty faces always made you stand out in a crowd
Your appearance was so captivating that I felt overshadowed and intimidated by others' attention toward you
But someone picked you from the bunch
Someone else saw and appreciated your worth and chose you for themselves
One glance was all it took
They quickly recognized your beauty and value without hesitation
Now it's much too late for me to go and take a second look
I realize now that I made a mistake by not valuing you, but it's too late to turn back time and fix it
Oh baby give me one more chance
I am asking for another opportunity to make things right with you
Won't you please let me in your heart
I am hoping you will give me the chance to earn your love and trust again
Oh darling I was blind to let you go
I didn't appreciate your worth until after I let you slip away from me
Now that I see you in his arms
Seeing someone else cherish you makes me realize how much I lost
I want you back
I regret losing you and desire to have you as my own again
Trying to live without your love
My life feels incomplete and painful without having your love in it
Is like one long sleepless night
I am constantly restless and unable to find peace without you
Let me show you boy
I want to prove to you that I am better now and capable of treating you right
That I really know, I know wrong from right
I have learned from my past mistakes and am committed to making things work with you
Cause every street you're walking on
Everywhere you go reminds me of you and the pain of losing you
You leave tear stains on the ground
Your absence has caused me immense emotional pain and suffering
Follow boy, I didn't even want
I didn't even want you to follow me in the first place because I didn't appreciate your value
Oh baby give me one more chance
I am pleading for another opportunity to make amends with you
To show you I love you
I want to demonstrate my love for you through my actions and words
Let you go baby
I regret letting you go and want to make it right
Oh now that I see you in his arms
Seeing someone else hold and love you makes me realize how much I have lost
I want you back
I regret losing you and desire to have a second chance to make things right with you
Contributed by Ryan P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Vicki Fourie
When I had you to myself
I didn't want you around
Those pretty faces always made you stand out in a crowd
But someone picked you from the bunch
One glance was all it took
Now it's much too late for me to go and take a second look
Oh baby give me one more chance
Won't you please let me in your heart
Oh darling I was blind to let you go
Now that I see you in his arms
I want you back
I want you back
I want you back
Trying to live without your love
Is like one long sleepless night
Let me show you boy
That I really know, I know wrong from right
Cause every street you're walking on
You leave tear stains on the ground
Follow boy, I didn't even want
Didn't even want you around
Oh baby give me one more chance
To show you I love you
Won't you please let me in your heart
Oh darling I was blind to let you go
Let you go baby
Now that I see you in his arms
Oh now that I see you in his arms
I want you back
I want you back
I want you back
Jeffrey Denger-Huff
God it’s so effing interesting watching all their live videos knowing ( or at least thinking you know) what they went through during these years. This band had so many layers and I think a century from now they will be seen for how brilliant they were, but also with a hint of lore.
The best thing is that no matter what the story actually is, In the end they will be together. Their music will still be played on YouTube 100 years from now when we are all dead, and they’ll have outlasted us all. 💜
(I swear I’m not stoned)
Nina Adam
just so you know. we're here if you wanna make up and make music together again
Psycho Slayer
Im here tooo
Bob Leach
1 million percent.
Shannon Byrd
Still here as well... waiting ❤️❤️❤️
Rhonda Brammann
Agreed!
goodsababu
We want you back. Together.
Glenn F
It is heartbreaking that they broke up a few months after this recording. They shared an amazing chemistry that is so rare in music (or in the real world honestly) After being their fan for years, this is by far my favorite recording of them. Espero....
Richard Dover
i often just laugh to myself at just how good these two are together,their voices & harmonies are mind blowing.even though music is subjective,if their were 40 million views,i'd still be surprised that their were 17 people who gave it the thumbs down.
Jolee G
This still breaks my heart. We want you back.