Roses
Cherry Ghost Lyrics

The song "Roses" by Cherry Ghost is a melancholic reflection on the fragility of life and the ways we try to shield ourselves from its harsh realities. The lyrics suggest that we often use distractions and illusions to avoid facing the truth about our mortality, but ultimately we cannot escape the inevitability of death and loss. The opening lines - "Blind me with distraction, build a frontier 'cross the void" - evoke a sense of someone deliberately trying to avoid confronting their fears and anxieties, using whatever means necessary to create a barrier between themselves and the unknown.

The second verse paints a vivid picture of a rural landscape that is being torn apart by some sort of violent event - "the scenery shake[s]" and "a summer parade meets its death." This imagery suggests that even the natural world, which seems to be so peaceful and eternal, is not immune to the forces of destruction and chaos. The singer then reflects on his own relationships, noting that even the people he has loved have been subject to the same fate as the parade - "travel lightly suck their blood before they go." This line is particularly striking in its use of the metaphor of vampirism to describe the way we take from others in order to sustain ourselves, even when it means causing them harm or pain.

The chorus of the song, with its repeated refrain of "roses help me to pretend," underscores the idea that we often use symbols and rituals to shield ourselves from the harsh realities of life. The singer imagines a world where he can escape the pain of loss and death, where "blushing brides and cosmonauts don't meet their bitter end." But this is only a fantasy, a way of coping with the inevitability of loss rather than truly confronting it. The final line of the song, "roses, roses, cannot do this any more," suggests a weariness with the charade of pretending that everything is okay, a recognition that we must eventually face the truth head-on.