This post contains spoilers for Back to Black

Back to Black’s ending sees Amy Winehouse moving into a new house, and saying goodbye to her father, Mitch, for the last time before heading upstairs. Directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson, Back to Black is a new biopic about Winehouse — her music and tumultuous relationship with ex-husband Blake Fielder-Civil (Jack O’Connell). Starring Marisa Abela as Amy Winehouse, Back to Black is set over the course of several years, documenting the singer’s first album success to the recording of her Back to Black studio album (released in 2006), and her struggle with alcoholism and drugs, which, in part, led to her death.

Back to Black is based on a true story, and ends with Winehouse having been sober for a while. She’s divorced Blake and has left her old home. After bidding Mitch farewell, Amy steps outside, where she’s harassed by paparazzi, who ask her how she feels about Blake having a baby with another woman. Amy steps back inside, grabs a bottle of alcohol and sings “Tears Dry on Their Own” as she goes up the stairs to her empty room. Thereafter, the film reveals information about her death. She was 27 years old when she died on July 23, 2011.

What The Canary Symbolizes At The End Of Back To Black

The canary is seen outside the cage at the end of the film

Amy Winehouse had a beloved canary, Ava, that died. She wrote a song about the bird afterward called “October Song,” which appeared on her studio album Frank (2003). At the end of Back to Black, Ava appears perched on a ladder with an all-white background. The canary is outside its cage, too. The scene is likely meant to symbolize Amy joining her pet bird in death. The imagery of Ava sitting on a ladder while Amy walks up the stairs mirrors each other, as Amy ascends the stairway to heaven, as the Led Zeppelin song goes.

The canary being out of a cage symbolizes freedom, as Winehouse leaves the earthly plane behind. It’s also a poignant moment because canaries can sing, and Winehouse was especially known for her singing voice. That she goes up the stairs while singing one of her songs and Ava sits on the ladder at the same time signifies the power and joy of her voice. Canaries are also a symbol of fragility. And while Winehouse was doing better at the end of Back to Black, she was still in a fragile place.

Why Amy Winehouse Sings “Tears Dry On Their Own” At The End Of Back To Black

The song “Tears Dry on Their Own” appears on the Back to Black album. The song was written during Amy Winehouse and Blake Fielder-Civil’s on-again/off-again relationship, which inspired the whole album. The lyrics detail the singer’s pain over their breakup, as well as trying to move forward after having her heart broken. Amy likely sings the song because she hears that Blake’s moved on with someone else and has a baby with his girlfriend. Just as it did when it was first written, “Tears Dry on Their Own” symbolizes the heartache Amy feels about not being with Blake.

It’s about trying to move on from a relationship that heavily influenced her life and her music. Even if the singer knew it wouldn’t have worked between them, Amy was likely hurt that Blake had a baby with someone else, especially after they tried to have a family of their own and didn’t succeed in making that happen. Amy singing the song is also her way of consoling herself, as she tries to cope with everything she could have had but didn’t. At least, that’s what Back to Black implies.

Amy Winehouse’s Cause Of Death Explained

The singer died from alcohol poisoning. Following her death, the coroner reported that her blood alcohol content was five times over the legal drink-drive limit (via The Guardian). Amy Winehouse’s death was ruled an accident and not a suicide. Winehouse’s death occurred after she’d not had a drink for weeks, and was seemingly on the upswing. However, Winehouse’s performance in Belgrade in June, only a month prior to her death, saw her extremely intoxicated.

It was her final performance before her death, and it was clear to see she wasn’t doing very well. Upon her death, police found three vodka bottles in her home. It was ultimately her bodyguard who found the singer unresponsive. Years later, her brother Alex Winehouse claimed that the singer’s bulimia was to blame for her death, believing it left her body weaker to combat the alcohol intake.

The Reason Amy Winehouse’s Death Is Not Shown In Back To Black’s Ending

The biopic ends with Winehouse climbing the stairs to her room

Telegraphing Amy Winehouse’s death rather than actually showing it onscreen at the end of Back to Black was likely out of respect for the late singer. Plus, watching Abela’s Winehouse walk up the stairs singing is more powerful than focusing on her while she drank. Hours before her death, Winehouse was reportedly watching television, and the filmmakers likely wanted to dramatize the moment a bit more. Death scenes in movies hit harder when the films are based on a true story, and Back to Black’s final moment avoids sensationalizing Winehouse’s actual death, regardless of what it implies about it beforehand.

What Happened To Blake Fielder-Civil After Amy Winehouse’s Death

Amy Winehouse’s ex is still alive

A year after Amy Winehouse’s death, Fielder-Civil overdosed and was placed in a medically-induced coma (via Digital Spy). He also returned to jail in 2011, and that’s where he was when he found out Winehouse had died. Blake was released from jail in 2013. In the years since, however, Winehouse’s ex-husband has stated that he’s sober and has been clean for many years (via Biography). With ex-wife Sarah Aspin, Fielder-Civil had two children, Jack and Lola.

While he’s moved on with his life, Fielder-Civil has expressed culpability for Winehouse’s death, admitting that he introduced her to heroin. What’s more, he’s not been on speaking terms with Winehouse’s family, her father Mitch especially, for years. Blake was reportedly engaged to Bay Wright in 2021 (via The Mirror), and has done a few interviews here and there over the years, but has typically kept to himself for the most part.

The Real Meaning Of Back To Black’s Ending

Back to Black’s ending underscores the danger of alcohol addiction, and the ways in which the various aspects of Amy Winehouse’s life affected her mental and physical health. From the paparazzi constantly hounding her to her chaotic, toxic relationship with Blake and to drugs, the film’s ending shows the toll it took on Winehouse, who struggled with these things and with fame. At the same time, Back to Black’s ending depicts the impact of the two men who were some of the most important to her in her life, often without any real criticism of their actions.