A Dozen Roses
Braid Lyrics


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A dozen roses in the car
And I don't know where you are
Maybe I don't know what I'm doing
You're moving like a movie
You still move me
Among the other ones
And twos and threes and twenty-threes
Got to keep my conscience clean
But that hurricane what's-her-name
Mentality was not for me
And never could be
Cause it surely brings bitter things
And misery

And I say
Heaven hits me hard
In with the new
Heaven hits me hardly

In with the news
Whatever gets me started
In with the noose
Have you ever had a heaven here
And was it clear?

Cause I just wrote a letter
A confession down the ladder
That things could be so much better
And through follow the leader
I met her and then another end
And usually a grudge
But I loved so much
The way we touched and psuedo-kissed
Oh I already miss you singing like this
Over the phone
Every now and every then I tend to pretend
I'm not alone

Static made old radio
Now I know
Static made old radio

Heaven hits me hard
In with the new
Heaven hits me hardly
In with the news
Whatever gets me started
In with the noose




Have you ever had a heaven here
And was it clearly better?

Overall Meaning

In Braid's song "A Dozen Roses," the lyrics serve as a reflection on a failed relationship from the singer's perspective. The singer starts the song by admitting to having a dozen roses in the car, but they have no idea where their ex-partner is. The singer seems to be caught up in the memories of their past relationship, as they still feel emotional about the situation. Despite the ups and downs of the relationship, the singer seems to hold onto the positive aspects, saying that their ex still moves them among the other people they have briefly dated.


The singer then reflects on the idea of keeping their conscience clean, hinting at the possibility that they may have hurt their ex in some way. They then express how they do not want to be around the 'hurricane-what's-her-name mentality.' It was not something they could see themselves accepting in their own lives as it leads to nothing but heartache and bitter feelings. The song's chorus, "Heaven hits me hard, in with the new, in with the noose, have you ever had a heaven here, and was it clear?" seems to be a reflection on the idea of how things can change so suddenly in relationships, from feeling so much love to feeling like they are living in a noose.


Nevertheless, the singer sounds nostalgic and longing for their ex-partner when they say that they often pretend around them as they are not alone anymore, leading to them missing the way their ex used to sing over the phone. The final lines of the song repeat the idea of "static made old radio," hinting at their relationship turning into white noise, and the emotional turmoil that left the singer feeling lost.


Line by Line Meaning

A dozen roses in the car
I have twelve roses in the car


And I don't know where you are
I don't know your current location


Maybe I don't know what I'm doing
Perhaps I am unsure of my actions


You're moving like a movie
Your actions resemble those seen in a film


You still move me
I'm still emotionally affected by you


Among the other ones And twos and threes and twenty-threes
I see you among many other people


Got to keep my conscience clean
I have to make sure I am doing the right thing


But that hurricane what's-her-name Mentality was not for me And never could be Cause it surely brings bitter things And misery
Being involved with someone with that type of chaotic personality causes negativity and unhappiness.


Heaven hits me hard In with the new Heaven hits me hardly
My emotions hit me strongly when something new comes along


In with the news Whatever gets me started In with the noose Have you ever had a heaven here And was it clear?
I find solace in distraction, and wonder if you've ever experienced something that made you feel whole.


Cause I just wrote a letter A confession down the ladder That things could be so much better And through follow the leader I met her and then another end And usually a grudge But I loved so much The way we touched and psuedo-kissed Oh I already miss you singing like this Over the phone Every now and every then I tend to pretend I'm not alone
I wrote a letter confessing that things could be better, and I met someone new. I normally hold a grudge, but I enjoyed the physical interaction we had. I miss hearing you sing over the phone, and sometimes I pretend I'm not alone.


Static made old radio Now I know Static made old radio
A static noise has made me reflect on something I didn't previously realize.




Lyrics © ROUGH TRADE PUBLISHING

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@gotikantonio

a dozen roses in the car
and i don't know where you are
maybe i don't know what i'm doing
you're moving like a movie
you still move me
among the other ones
and twos and threes and twenty-threes
got to keep my conscience clean
but that hurricane what's-her-name
mentality was not for me
and never could be
cause it surely brings bitter things
and misery

and i say
heaven hits me hard
in with the new
heaven hits me hardly
in with the news
whatever gets me started
in with the noose
have you ever had a heaven here
and was it clear?

cause i just wrote a letter
a confession down the ladder
that things could be so much better
and through follow the leader
i met her and then another end
and usually a grudge
but i loved so much
the way we touched and psuedo-kissed
oh i already miss you singing like this
over the phone
every now and every then i tend to pretend
i'm not alone

i'm not alone
i'm not so alone

static made old radio

now i know
static made old radio

heaven hits me hard
in with the new
heaven hits me hardly
in with the news
whatever gets me started
in with the noose
have you ever had a heaven here
and was it clearly better?



All comments from YouTube:

@emilyramirez2132

This still hits hard 23 years later

@the1juan2

Yup. Takes me back to high school and first year at community college, first bad break up and weekends drinking away shit.

@rpmac121

Such a good song. Thank you, Peter Nickle, you devil!

@Sl33pyS3ven

Holy moly man, I remember this song from high school. I used to listen to bands like No Knife, Q and Not U and of course Braid. Sadly no one knew who these guys were because my school was full of mainstreamers. Good times!!

@jessicabarnhill

Q and Not U is still 🔥🔥🔥

@slowbloodmusic

No Knife and Q still kick ass

@retrogamereaper

No beep beep for you! Sorry.

@ThePlotToBlowUpTheEiffelTower

Holy shit I was just recently thinking about how I got into Q and not U but it's because of this comment that I discovered them. Thank you

@Toughguysdontdance12

One of the best emo anthems ever.

@daveyboring

I totally love this drumbeat. perfect

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