Amy Winehouse’s short and tragic life story has overshadowed her actual music in public consciousness. With her biopic coming out, though, it’s worth listening to that music with fresh ears. Today, we're looking at what is perhaps her best-known song: the third single and title track from her second and final studio album, Back to Black.
Winehouse wrote the song in a single night. The retro-minded DJ and producer Mark Ronson came up with the chords and drum part. Ronson says that all of his songs with Winehouse came together quickly; so quickly, in fact, that he wishes they had taken longer so he could “have more memories.” The song tells the story of Winehouse’s breakup with her then-boyfriend and future husband, Blake Fielder-Civil. The chorus doesn’t rhyme, which is a highly unconventional choice for a pop song.
