The lyrics form a narrative of heartache at losing a lover and taking solace from wine made from a lilac tree.

Its inspiration was a line in the 1925 novel Sorrow in Sunlight by Ronald Firbank, in which the main character, Miami Mouth, circulates through a party "offering a light, lilac wine, sweet and heady".

Elkie Brooks released a cover in 1978, and it eventually featured on her Pearls album, produced by Mike Batt.

Jeff Beck played a solo in the version included on Emotion & Commotion (2010) with vocals by Imelda May.

[1] Miley Cyrus released it as a video in 2012, as part of her YouTube series, Backyard Sessions.