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.
Tip of My Tongue
The Civil Wars Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A little love letter I carry with me
You're sun light, smoke rings and cigarettes
Old lines and kisses from silver screens
Oh dear, never saw you coming
Oh my, look what you have done
You're my favorite song
You own me with whispers like poetry
Your mouth is a melody that I've memorized
So sweet, I hear it echo
Everywhere I go day and night
Oh dear, never saw you coming
Oh my, look what you have done
You're my favorite song
Always on the tip of my tongue
The tip of my tongue
Oh dear, never saw you coming
Oh my, look what you have done
You're my favorite song
Always on
Oh dear, never saw you coming
Oh my, look what you have done
You're my favorite song
Always on the tip of my tongue
In this song, The Civil Wars describe the feeling of being wholly enraptured by someone else's love. The titular "tip of my tongue" refers to the way in which the subject of the song is always present in the singer's mind and thoughts, just like a word that's always on the tip of their tongue. The first few lines of the song compare this person's influence to a "red string tied to my finger" - some sort of reminder that they carry around with them always. The references to "sun light, smoke rings and cigarettes" and "old lines and kisses from silver screens" suggest a nostalgic sort of love that's built on memories and classic romantic imagery.
The verses go on to describe this person's voice as a type of "melody" that the singer has memorized, something that they hear everywhere they go. They're wholly owned by this person's "whispers like poetry," and it's clear from the way the song is performed that this love is something that's breathtaking and all-consuming. The repetition of the chorus emphasizes just how present this love is in the singer's life, and how they can't seem to think of anything else.
Overall, "Tip of My Tongue" is a deeply romantic love song that explores the all-consuming nature of falling in love with someone. It's performed with deep emotion and feeling, and speaks to that intangible sense of longing and desire that we all feel from time to time.
Line by Line Meaning
You're a red string tied to my finger
You are a symbol of something important that I always want with me.
A little love letter I carry with me
You are a reminder of love that I keep close to me.
You're sun light, smoke rings and cigarettes
You are the essence of warmth, mystery and allure.
Old lines and kisses from silver screens
You are the embodiment of the classic and romantic moments from movies.
Oh dear, never saw you coming
I never expected to find something so special and significant.
Oh my, look what you have done
You have surprised me and changed my life for the better.
You're my favorite song
You are the most beautiful and meaningful thing to me.
Always on the tip of my tongue
You are always on my mind and ready to be expressed.
You own me with whispers like poetry
Your words have a powerful and poetic effect on me.
Your mouth is a melody that I've memorized
Your voice and the way you speak are permanently etched in my memory.
So sweet, I hear it echo
Your voice is so sweet that it reverberates in my mind.
Everywhere I go day and night
Your influence is constantly with me, no matter where I am or what time it is.
The tip of my tongue
You are always ready to be expressed by me.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Anthem Entertainment, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ANDERSON, COTTEN, PRINCE, STEEN, WAYBILL, WELNICK, WHITE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind