Red Roses

Erica Neely

I wrote Red Roses in 1997 after breaking up with a very sweet man who just wasn't right for me. It tells the tale of a woman who gives up a relationship that almost works in order to find something perfect - and twenty years later, hasn't done any better. She is bitter, disillusioned, and sings only of loss and longing. Cheerful stuff, huh?

It seems to strike a chord with people, perhaps because so many of us have a fear of being alone; in Red Roses she brings that fate upon herself by giving up something "almost good." There is a fear of loss in it, and a fear of failure as well - she tried to find something better and could not. Should she have settled for something less? Or was he, in fact, perfect after all and she simply unable to see it? There are no answers, only silence. - Erica Neely

Erica's website is at http://home.att.net/~elneely/.

Red Roses

Copyright ©1997 by Erica Neely
Lyrics posted by permission of the author

They said please sing a happy song -
T'would make a kind of change,
She looked at them with smile bitter,
Her voice was harsh and strange.
I cannot grant this request for you,
Though I surely wish I could,
But I will sing the cynic's love song -
Listen if you would.

Chorus:
And there are no red roses at my feet,
No white knights at my door,
No gold ring upon my finger yet,
Just silence I can't ignore.

I thought that I could have it all,
I thought at least I'd try,
I thought that I could find someone,
To be with till I die,
So I gave up something almost good,
That almost had a chance,
Went in search of my perfection,
Daring and romance.

I signed up with the Bardic Corps
And went out into space,
Searching for the dreams and promise,
Behind each stranger's face,
But the certainty and hope I started with,
Well, they both now have dimmed,
Maybe there never was perfection...
Or maybe it was him.

Chorus

I went out searching for this man,
And gave up what we had,
And now I am left with nothing,
And all my songs are sad,
So do not ask for a happy song,
For I have none to sing,
Ask for anger, pain, or sorrow -
For all those I can bring.

Chorus

I gave up something almost good,
That almost had a chance,
Turned love into my rejection,
Lost all my romance...

And there are no red roses at my feet,
No white knights at my door,
No gold ring upon my finger yet,
Just silence...