The Last Rose of Summer
Chloë Lyrics
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Left blooming alone,
All her lovely companions
Are faded and gone.
No flower of her kindred
No rosebud is nigh
To reflect back her blushes,
Or give sigh for sigh.I'll not leave thee, thou lone one,
To pine on the stem,
Since the lovely are sleeping,
Go, sleep thou with them
Thy leaves o'er the bed,
Where thy mates of the garden
Lie scentless and dead.
So soon may I follow
When friendships decay;
And from love's shining circle
The gems drop away
When true hearts lie wither'd
And fond ones are flow'n
Oh! Who would inhabit
This bleak world alone?
The opening lines of Chloe's song "The Last Rose of Summer" provide the image of a flower, the last of her kind still standing, surrounded by a field of wilted companions. The lack of other flowers nearby reflects the rose's isolation and sets the tone for a melancholic refrain. The subsequent lines portray a sense of sympathy for the lonely flower as the singer decides to not abandon her to despair but instead, joins her in her misery, like two kindred spirits united by their shared sorrow. The final lines of the song paint a bleak picture of a world where all that is lovely eventually fades into obscurity, leaving one to wonder who would want to live in such a place.
The song seems to capture the feeling of isolation and loneliness brought on by the decay of the natural world during the fall and winter months, with the symbol of the fading rose serving as a metaphor for the passage of time and the inevitability of change. Chloe's interpretation of this classic Irish song captures the essence of the lyrics while adding a layer of emotional depth to the performance, creating a haunting version that resonates with the human experience of loss and the sadness that accompanies it.
Line by Line Meaning
Tis the last rose of summer,
This is the last rose that bloomed during the summer season
Left blooming alone,
The rose is still blooming, but it is the only one left
All her lovely companions
All of the other flowers from the garden
Are faded and gone.
Have died and are now gone
No flower of her kindred
There isn't another rose like her
No rosebud is nigh
There are no other roses nearby
To reflect back her blushes,
To share its beauty with her
Or give sigh for sigh.
To share her sorrow and sadness
I'll not leave thee, thou lone one,
I won't leave you alone
To pine on the stem,
To suffer alone on the plant
Since the lovely are sleeping,
Since the other flowers are dead and no longer able to bloom
Go, sleep thou with them
You should also rest
Thy leaves o'er the bed,
Your leaves on top of where the other flowers are buried
Where thy mates of the garden
Where the other flowers she was with
Lie scentless and dead.
Are now dead and without a fragrance
So soon may I follow
I hope to die soon as well
When friendships decay;
When friendships fall apart or deteriorate
And from love's shining circle
And when relationships no longer work out
The gems drop away
Those special relationships are lost
When true hearts lie wither'd
When even those with pure hearts are tired and unable to keep going
And fond ones are flow'n
And those we loved have passed away
Oh! Who would inhabit
Who would live in
This bleak world alone?
This world by oneself, without any love or companionship?
Writer(s): Traditional, Andy Richardson
Contributed by Adeline L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.