Where the Wild Roses Grow
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds Lyrics
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But my name was Elisa Day
Why they call me it I do not know
For my name was Elisa Day
From the first day I saw her I knew she was the one
She stared in my eyes and smiled
For her lips were the colour of the roses
That grew down the river, all bloody and wild
When he knocked on my door and entered the room
My trembling subsided in his sure embrace
He would be my first man, and with a careful hand
He wiped at the tears that ran down my face
They call me The Wild Rose
But my name was Elisa Day
Why they call me that I do not know
For my name was Elisa Day
On the second day I brought her a flower
She was more beautiful than any woman I'd seen
I said, "Do you know where the wild roses grow
So sweet and scarlet and free?"
On the second day he came with a single red rose
He said "Will you give me your loss and your sorrow"
I nodded my head, as I lay on the bed
"If I show you the roses, will you follow?"
They call me The Wild Rose
But my name was Elisa Day
Why they call me that I do not know
For my name was Elisa Day
On the third day he took me to the river
He showed me the roses and we kissed
And the last thing I heard was a muttered word
As he knelt above me with a rock in his fist
On the last day I took her where the wild roses grow
And she lay on the bank, the wind light as a thief
And I kissed her goodbye, said, "All beauty must die"
And I lent down and planted a rose 'tween her teeth
They call me The Wild Rose
But my name was Elisa Day
Why they call me that I do not know
For my name was Elisa Day
My name was Elisa Day
For my name was Elisa Day
The lyrics of this song, "Where The Wild Roses Grow" by Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds, tell the story of a man who is infatuated with a woman named Elisa Day, who he sees as a wild rose. The singer seems to be obsessed with her, even though the woman is unaware of why she is called "The Wild Rose." The juxtaposition of the beautiful wild roses and the bloody river they grow by adds a disturbing element to the lyrics.
The second verse of the song shows that the singer is trying to woo Elisa by bringing her a flower. He tries to find wild roses to impress her and convince her to follow him to his dark desires. The third verse of the song implies that the singer wants to show Elisa his wild roses and is willing to share everything with her, including his losses and sorrows.
The song takes a dark turn when the singer brings Elisa to the river and kills her by hitting her with a rock. The lyrics suggest that he plants a rose in her mouth as a symbol of her beauty, which must die. The sad and haunting lyrics are made even more powerful by the beautiful melody and vocals by Nick Cave and guest vocalist Kylie Minogue.
Line by Line Meaning
They call me The Wild Rose
I am known by this nickname
But my name was Elisa Day
Although my real name is Elisa Day
Why they call me it I do not know
I am uncertain about the reason behind my nickname
For my name was Elisa Day
My real name is Elisa Day
From the first day I saw her I knew she was the one
I knew immediately that she was the one for me
She stared in my eyes and smiled
She looked into my eyes and smiled
For her lips were the colour of the roses
Her lips were the same color as the roses
That grew down the river, all bloody and wild
The roses that grew by the river were vibrant and untamed
When he knocked on my door and entered the room
When he came to my door and walked into the room
My trembling subsided in his sure embrace
His embrace made me feel safe and calm
He would be my first man, and with a careful hand
He would be the first man I had been with, and he was gentle
He wiped at the tears that ran down my face
He wiped away my tears with tenderness
On the second day I brought her a flower
I brought her a flower on the second day
She was more beautiful than any woman I'd seen
She was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen
I said, "Do you know where the wild roses grow
I asked her if she knew where the wild roses grew
So sweet and scarlet and free?"
The roses were fragrant, red, and untamed
On the second day he came with a single red rose
He came with a single red rose on the second day
He said "Will you give me your loss and your sorrow"
He asked if I would share my pain and sadness with him
I nodded my head, as I lay on the bed
I agreed as I lay in bed
"If I show you the roses, will you follow?"
He asked me if I would follow him to see the roses
On the third day he took me to the river
He took me to the river on the third day
He showed me the roses and we kissed
We kissed as he showed me the roses
And the last thing I heard was a muttered word
The last thing I heard was a mumbled word
As he knelt above me with a rock in his fist
He knelt above me with a rock in his hand
On the last day I took her where the wild roses grow
I took her to see the wild roses on the last day
And she lay on the bank, the wind light as a thief
She lay on the bank with the gentle wind
And I kissed her goodbye, said, "All beauty must die"
I kissed her goodbye and said that all beauty fades
And I lent down and planted a rose 'tween her teeth
I placed a rose between her teeth by leaning down
My name was Elisa Day
My real name is Elisa Day
Lyrics © PREMIERE MUSIC GROUP, BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Nicholas Cave
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind