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.
When You Go
Caroline Rose Lyrics
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You smell of liquor and a sweet perfume
You're usin' words, I'd hope, in truth
You pray somone will find you
When you go, honey, don't look back
Throw on your coat, and light a cigarette
When you go, don't bother to tip your cap
'Cause it's your God-given right to be free
You find peace between the cemetary walls
And when you walk, you walk alone
Prayin' no one will find you
When you go, honey, don't look back
Throw on your coat, and light a cigarette
When you go, don't bother to tip your cap
'Cause it's your God-given right to be free
You can reap from the life you chose
Bury your heart between the cracks and the road
Watch it spring up when the ground is froze
Buried is your soul
When you go, oh honey, don't look back
Throw on your coat, and light a cigarette
And when you go, don't bother to tip your cap
'Cause it's your God-given right to be free
Yes, it's your God-given right to be free
Yes, it's your God-given right
"When You Go" by Caroline Rose is a song that speaks about freedom and the consequences that come with it. The singer opens the song to an individual who is stumbling through the door to their room, smelling of liquor and sweet perfume. They are lost in the hallways of their heart and find solace in-between the cemetery walls.
The chorus encourages this person to leave, to not look back, and to experience the freedom that is one's God-given right. The singer tells the person to throw on their coat, light up a cigarette, and not to bother tipping their cap. This freedom the song talks about is symbolic of an individual's quest to find their true selves; it is not necessarily tied to physical movement but rather a mental kind of escape.
The second verse speaks of the things an individual can do when they have been set free. They can bury their heart between the cracks and the road, and watch it spring up when the ground is frozen. They can reap from the life they have chosen, but they must be prepared for the consequences that come with it.
Line by Line Meaning
You're stumblin' through the door to your room
You are walking unsteadily through the door of your room
You smell of liquor and a sweet perfume
You have a mixture of alcohol and a pleasant aroma on you
You're usin' words, I'd hope, in truth
You are speaking honestly or candidly, or so I would hope
You pray somone will find you
You hope someone will discover you
When you go, honey, don't look back
When you leave, my dear, do not turn around
Throw on your coat, and light a cigarette
Put on your coat and light a cigarette
When you go, don't bother to tip your cap
When you leave, do not bother to tip your hat
'Cause it's your God-given right to be free
Because it is your inherent right to be free as a human being
You've been lost in the halls of your heart
You have been wandering aimlessly through your emotions
You find peace between the cemetery walls
You discover serenity in the area around the gravesites
And when you walk, you walk alone
And when you travel, you are doing so by yourself
Prayin' no one will find you
Hoping that no one will come across you
You can reap from the life you chose
You can benefit from the path you have selected in life
Bury your heart between the cracks and the road
Place your heart in a crevice or a rut on the roadway
Watch it spring up when the ground is froze
Observe it rise out from the soil when it has frozen
Buried is your soul
Your spirit is hidden away
When you go, oh honey, don't look back
When you depart, do not glance backward, my dear
And when you go, don't bother to tip your cap
And when you leave, do not go through the hassle of tipping your hat
'Cause it's your God-given right to be free
Because it is your inherent right to be free as a human being
Yes, it's your God-given right to be free
Yes, as a human being, you indeed have the God-given right to be free
Writer(s): Caroline Rose
Contributed by Christian A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.