A Timeless Folk Ballad, Born from Tragedy and Transformed by Love, Finds Its Dual Voice in a Union of Contemporary Soul.
There are songs whose origins are so deep, so entwined with the roots of musical history, that every subsequent version is not just a cover, but a chapter in an ongoing epic. The 1999 duet of “Kisses Sweeter Than Wine” by two of the most soulful voices of their generation, Jackson Browne and Bonnie Raitt, is one such moment—a stunning, tender homage that simultaneously looks backward to the great folk tradition and forward into the heart of mature companionship. This unforgettable pairing was featured on the tribute album, Where Have All the Flowers Gone: The Songs of Pete Seeger – Volume 1, a critically important collection honoring the legacy of the folk movement’s conscience. While the album, a labor of love produced by Jim Musselman of Appleseed Recordings, did not scale the major pop charts, this specific track achieved a highly significant distinction: it earned a nomination for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals at the 41st Annual Grammy Awards in 1999. This recognition cemented its status as one of the definitive interpretations of a song already steeped in legend.
The story of “Kisses Sweeter Than Wine” is a dramatic, almost improbable tale of lyrical metamorphosis. The song’s melody traces its lineage back to an obscure, centuries-old traditional Irish folk ballad, “Drimindown” (Droimeann Donn Dilis), which, surprisingly, was a mournful tale concerning a farmer and his beloved, recently deceased cow. The tune was brought to America and adapted into “If It Wasn’t For Dicky” by the legendary blues and folk artist, Lead Belly, who added his own rhythmic stamp to the original Irish melody. It was from this foundation that the American folk movement’s titans, Pete Seeger and Lee Hays of The Weavers, took up the mantle in 1950. In a masterful stroke of lyrical re-imagination, they completely rewrote the words, shifting the narrative from a dead cow to a timeless chronicle of lifelong love, marriage, family, and the passing of generations. The song quickly became a folk standard, a Top 20 hit for The Weavers in 1951, and a massive pop smash for Jimmie Rodgers in 1957.
The meaning Browne and Raitt bring to the track is one of profound, weathered grace. It’s not the bright-eyed optimism of the original folk boom, but the rich, hard-won wisdom of two artists who have navigated the turbulent waters of fame, loss, and enduring artistic integrity. The song is a deceptively simple narrative of a man and a woman who meet, marry, raise a large family, and grow old together. The chorus, with its evocative title phrase, is a celebration of the lasting, intimate joy that sustains a life well-lived. In this 1999 rendition, Jackson Browne’s gentle, introspective tone and Bonnie Raitt’s husky, world-weary delivery—two voices that have defined the emotional landscape for millions—intertwine with an effortless, blues-tinged warmth. Their duet isn’t about fleeting romance; it’s about the deep, comfortable companionship that feels like coming home.
For those who lived through the counterculture era and watched as these two artists became the voice of their generation’s conscience, hearing them together on a Pete Seeger tribute—an album dedicated to a man who championed social justice and the common song—is deeply moving. It evokes memories of a time when music served a higher purpose, reminding us of the enduring power of simplicity and the truth held within a timeless melody. Browne and Raitt treat the folk classic with a reverence that is palpable, stripping away any unnecessary ornamentation to let the story—the decades-spanning drama of two souls bound together—speak for itself. Their Grammy-nominated performance is less a collaboration and more a benediction, a beautiful, mature reflection on the only thing that truly lasts: the kisses that, indeed, grow sweeter with every passing year.