Born in 1989 in Long Island, Rose grew up in Center Moriches, New York. The daughter of two artists, Rose began writing songs and poems at age 13. Rose attended Wellesley College in Massachusetts, where she graduated in 2011 with a bachelor's degree in architecture.
In 2012, Rose and producer/multi-instrumentalist Jer Coons launched a Kickstarter to fund the production of Rose's first album America Religious. The album, blending American folk music, country, and rockabilly styles was self-published later that year. Two years later, Rose released her first nationally distributed album, I Will Not Be Afraid on Little Hi! Records. Like the first album, it was produced with Jer Coons and featured music in a variety of Americana musical styles, including two songs previously released on America Religious.
Following the release of I Will Not Be Afraid, Rose took an extended hiatus from touring and releasing new material, while she explored new musical directions that would broaden her sound. After three years, numerous personnel changes, a signing to mother + Pop Music, and a switch to New West Records, Rose released her third album. The new album, Loner, was co-produced by Rose and Paul Butler of The Bees, and represented a radical shift away from the musical style of her previous work, blending pop and alternative rock elements, and incorporating prominent synthesizers throughout. Notably, this album also saw a change in lyrical tone, incorporating a number of overtly humorous, sarcastic, and satirical songs. Although Rose played most of the instruments on the album, she formed a new band to perform on tour.
Prior to Loner's release, Rose released "Money" and "Soul No. 5" with accompanying music videos. Rose released a music video for "Jeannie Becomes a Mom" on October 17, 2018. The video, which was directed by Amanda Speva, features Abby Pierce as the titular character, depicting Jeannie moving into a new home, performing a dance routine with the movers, and preparing a rainbow Jell-O cake. The song was ranked the fifteenth-best single of the year by National Public Radio.
On January 7, 2020, Rose announced a new album called Superstar, releasing a single and a music video for the song "Feel The Way I Want". The video was shot on an iPhone over the course of an 11-day roadtrip from Hollywood, California to Hollywood, Florida, documenting the protagonist's journey after she travels to the wrong Hollywood for an audition. According to Rose, the album is a "cinematic pop album that tells a story of someone who leaves behind everything she knows and loves in search for something bigger and more glamorous. It's a story about losing yourself but also finding the brazen self-confidence to follow a dream." The album Superstar was released on March 6, 2020, and Caroline Rose made her television debut on February 24, 2020, performing "Feel The Way I Want" on Late Night with Seth Meyers.
This Is What Livin' Feels Like
Caroline Rose Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sippin' on a Stoli nip
Stocked up on Mohawk cigarettes
A carton to New York City
The rest a dollar a piece
Pay my way on down the Natchez Trace to New Orleans
I ain't getting any younger
I pay a smile to the prettiest sight
In my rearview the backlit city skyline
Baby, this is what livin feels like!
Coming up on Houston
I think I'll bypass this town
Johnny's got a spliff with my name on it
In Austin where everybody's hip
Honey, I guess so am I
All I want's a cowboy to lead me in some honky tonk dive
A juke joint jive like Po' Monkey's
Through corn husks, red mud
Making two lefts turns off Highway 61
Keeping this road hot until she drops
Black top, in the back my finest bottle of Scotch
Top down in the valley
"Feeling Alright" on stereo
Feeling like I could dance all night
Baby, this is what livin feels like!
I fall asleep on a misty white sand beach
Wisps of cloudy hair and sun golden teeth
I feel the pulse of everything from my head down to my feet
Every heart left in the world beating within me!
Hey hi I'm in love with this life!
I flirt with Time to buy more of what's mine
So rightfully mine
Just my little piece of the pie
Well if I'm going out then I'm going out in style
Say what you will, say what you'd like
Just another broke down beat in the heart of Big Sky
This is what livin feels like!
Caroline Rose's song "This Is What Livin' Feels Like" is about the joy of living life on the road, having no specific plan, and enjoying every moment. The song opens with the singer, strawberry lips sipping on Stoli nip, and stocked up on Mohawk cigarettes as she sets off on a road trip. She wants to pay her way down a popular highway by the name of Natchez Trace to New Orleans as she feels she's getting older and tired of feeling alone. She pays a smile to the prettiest sight behind her, which is the city skyline.
As the journey progresses, Caroline comes up on Houston, but she decides to bypass this city, heading instead to Austin, where everyone is hip, including her. She's hoping to find a cowboy to lead her in a honky-tonk dive while sipping on her finest bottle of Scotch, dancing all night to her favorite song "Feeling Alright" on the stereo. In the end, she falls asleep on a misty white sand beach and feels blessed to be alive, enjoying the pulse of everything from her head down to her feet. She is in love with this life, and she flirts with Time to buy more of what's hers.
Line by Line Meaning
Strawberry lips
The singer is wearing lipstick that tastes like strawberries.
Sippin' on a Stoli nip
The singer is drinking Stolichnaya vodka.
Stocked up on Mohawk cigarettes
The singer has purchased several Mohawk brand cigarettes.
A carton to New York City
The artist is bringing one carton of Mohawk cigarettes to New York City.
The rest a dollar a piece
The artist is selling the remainder of their cigarettes for one dollar each.
Pay my way on down the Natchez Trace to New Orleans
The singer is traveling from Natchez Trace to New Orleans.
I ain't getting any younger
The singer feels that they are getting older.
I'm tired of feeling alone
The artist is tired of being lonely.
I pay a smile to the prettiest sight
The artist is happy to see something beautiful.
In my rearview the backlit city skyline
The artist is looking at the city skyline in their rearview mirror.
Baby, this is what livin feels like!
The singer is experiencing the joys of living.
Coming up on Houston
The artist is approaching Houston, Texas.
I think I'll bypass this town
The singer decides not to stop in Houston.
Johnny's got a spliff with my name on it
The singer's friend Johnny has rolled a marijuana cigarette for them.
In Austin where everybody's hip
The singer is going to Austin, Texas, where they feel like they fit in.
Honey, I guess so am I
The artist thinks of themselves as hip too.
All I want's a cowboy to lead me in some honky tonk dive
The artist is hoping to find a cowboy to dance with at a country bar.
A juke joint jive like Po' Monkey's
The singer is looking for a lively music venue similar to Po' Monkey's.
Through corn husks, red mud
The singer is driving through rural areas with fields of corn and red dirt.
Making two lefts turns off Highway 61
The artist is taking specified turns off of Highway 61.
Keeping this road hot until she drops
The artist plans to drive until their car breaks down.
Black top, in the back my finest bottle of Scotch
The artist has a bottle of their best Scotch whisky in the car.
Top down in the valley
The singer has the top of their convertible down while driving in a valley.
"Feeling Alright" on stereo
The song "Feeling Alright" is playing on the car's stereo.
Feeling like I could dance all night
The singer is in a good mood and feels like dancing.
Baby, this is what livin feels like!
The singer is still enjoying life.
I fall asleep on a misty white sand beach
The singer falls asleep on a misty white sand beach.
Wisps of cloudy hair and sun golden teeth
The artist has messy hair and yellow teeth due to sun exposure.
I feel the pulse of everything from my head down to my feet
The artist feels alive and energized.
Every heart left in the world beating within me!
The singer feels connected and empathetic to everyone in the world.
Hey hi I'm in love with this life!
The singer is in love with their life.
I flirt with Time to buy more of what's mine
The artist tries to buy more of the things they want before they run out of time.
So rightfully mine
The things the artist wants are rightly theirs.
Just my little piece of the pie
The artist just wants a small portion of success.
Well if I'm going out then I'm going out in style
The singer wants to live life to the fullest.
Say what you will, say what you'd like
The artist acknowledges that people may have negative thoughts about them.
Just another broke down beat in the heart of Big Sky
The singer sees themselves as just another person living in Montana.
This is what livin feels like!
The singer is still enjoying life.
Contributed by Sebastian K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Lucas Non
I have her first album on my old ipod I bought awhile back. I can't find it anywhere else. That album is one of my favorite albums ever. Wish she stayed on that roots path tho man!
Funny Little Frog
@Lucas Non oh yes, id also love to have access to Caroline's self named 2010 EP (if thats what u are speaking of). Please feel free to share it on google drive if you dont mind of course 🙏🏼
Kailee Walden
@Lucas Non Happy to see the praise! And if you ever change your mind about uploading, please reach out! I know a lot of folks who'd be very thankful for the opportunity to hear it.
Lucas Non
@Kailee Walden don't normally care about the law too too much but idk she should re release it whole album is fire
Kailee Walden
Would you be willing to throw it up somewhere Dropbox or Google Drive? To my knowledge, Caroline has expressed that she's fine with people seeking out bootlegs, although understand if you're concerned about the legality.
jsbenami
Need more millennials like this one 😍🤟
M. Furtak Music
How does this have no comments yet? Impossible! Saw you guys at Passim and am so glad I did! Thanks for the good tunes and we'll be keeping an eye out for you all next time you swing through.
Filip Hudak
Thank you for the Music
SingingCin
This is what you call "pure talent"......NO autotune!