The rose
Common Holly Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Well I know I was the rose
But now I feel like I'm the thorn
And I can't get enough distance
Just to see that I am worn

And if it's evidence enough
Or if it's all been overblown
I'm gonna need some distance
On my own
I'm gonna need some distance
Time alone

It's a shame, it's a shame
My foundation isn't solid
Always cracking underneath me

It's so hard, so unnatural to be
Two people at once
Does it ever run smoothly?

It's a shame, it's a shame
My foundation isn't solid
Always cracking underneath me

It's so hard, so unnatural to be
Two people at once
Does it ever end truly?




Does it ever end truly?
Does it ever end truly? Hm hm

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Common Holly's song "The Rose" convey feelings of confusion, identity crisis, and the need for distance and alone time. The singer reflects on how she used to feel like a rose, symbolizing beauty and grace, but now she feels like a thorn, representing pain and discomfort. She is unable to distance herself enough to see that she is worn out and needs time alone. She questions whether her struggle is real or just overblown, indicating a sense of self-doubt.


Throughout the song, the singer talks about the cracks in her foundation, suggesting that she lacks a solid base or identity, leading to a struggle to be two people at once. The lines "It's so hard, so unnatural to be two people at once, does it ever run smoothly?" highlights her confusion and the difficulty of trying to be someone she is not.


The chorus "It's a shame, it's a shame, my foundation isn't solid, always cracking underneath me" is a powerful line that summarizes the whole song's theme. The repetition of this line emphasizes the constant struggle that the singer faces in trying to reconcile her two identities and in finding an end to the constant inner conflict.


Overall, "The Rose" by Common Holly is a powerful and emotional song that speaks about identity crisis, self-doubt, and the need for distance and time alone to regroup and find one's sense of self.


Line by Line Meaning

Well I know I was the rose
I was once beautiful and admired like a rose


But now I feel like I'm the thorn
But now I feel like I'm the pain and trouble instead of the beauty


And I can't get enough distance
I can't distance myself enough from the situation to see clearly


Just to see that I am worn
Just to realize that I am tired and drained


And if it's evidence enough
If it's obvious


Or if it's all been overblown
Or if it's been exaggerated


I'm gonna need some distance
I need some space


On my own
Alone


Time alone
I need time by myself to reflect and heal


It's a shame, it's a shame
It's unfortunate


My foundation isn't solid
My stability is not strong


Always cracking underneath me
It's always breaking down when I need it the most


It's so hard, so unnatural to be
It's difficult and awkward to be


Two people at once
Two different personas at the same time


Does it ever run smoothly?
Does it ever work out perfectly?


Does it ever end truly?
Does it ever truly come to an end?


Does it ever end truly? Hm hm
Does it really ever end? I'm not sure




Contributed by Aaron R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found

More Versions