Donny Osmond's biggest hit came from the 1998 Walt Disney Pictures movie "Mulan." Osmond sang the hugely inspirational song "I'll Make A Man Out Of You."
At the age of five, he stepped out onto the Andy Williams Show soundstage, and instantly won the hearts of viewers. He went on to teen superstardom as a solo act and as part of The Osmonds scoring a string of hits with "One Bad Apple", "Puppy Love", "Sweet and Innocent" and "Go Away Little Girl".
He's enjoyed success as a Smooth Jazz artist with the single "Breeze On By", from his 54th album "What I Meant To Say."
His latest release is a collection of love songs from the 1970s era entitled "Love Songs of the '70s". It includes covers of classic songs like "Will It Go 'Round In Circles" and "Oh Girl".
The Rose
Donny Osmond Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With tender looks that I mistook for love
So take away the flowers that you gave me
And send the kind that you remind me of
Paper roses, paper roses,
Oh how real those roses seem to me
But they're only imitation
I thought that you would be a perfect lover
You seemed so full of sweetness at the start
But like a big red rose that's made of paper
There isn't any sweetness in your heart
Paper roses, paper roses
Oh how real those roses seem to me
But they're only imitation
Like your imitation love for me
The song "Paper Roses" by Donny Osmond is a heartbreaking ballad about the realization of being deceived in love. In the first verse, the singer confesses to having been misled by their lover's eyes and tender looks, which they had mistaken for love. However, the second verse is where the heartbreak truly hits home. The singer reflects on their wanting to believe that their lover was everything they wanted, sweet and perfect. Instead, they were like a red rose made of paper, beautiful on the outside, but lacking any true sweetness inside. The chorus repeats the symbol of the paper rose, stating how real they had seemed, but ultimately conceding that they, like the lover's supposed love, were just imitations.
The use of the paper rose as a symbol of love is particularly poignant in this song. A paper rose looks beautiful at first, but time and use show that it has no substance, no lasting appeal. That the singer requests the kind of flowers that remind them of their lover speaks to a yearning for something genuine that they know they will never receive. The use of imagery throughout the song perfectly captures the conflicting emotions of wanting to believe in something wonderful but being forced to confront the painful truth of deceit.
Line by Line Meaning
I realise the way your eyes deceive me
I have come to understand that your eyes mislead me
With tender looks that I mistook for love
Your affectionate gaze led me to assume your love for me
So take away the flowers that you gave me
Please remove the flowers you gifted me
And send the kind that you remind me of
Instead, send me the type of flowers that reflect your true nature
Paper roses, paper roses,
These artificial roses made of paper,
Oh how real those roses seem to me
Appear so realistic to my vision
But they're only imitation
Though they are not genuine
Like your imitation love for me
Similar to your fake affection towards me
I thought that you would be a perfect lover
Initially, I had faith in your potential as an ideal partner
You seemed so full of sweetness at the start
You appeared warm and loving in our early days
But like a big red rose that's made of paper
Alas, like a large paper rose that is not real
There isn't any sweetness in your heart
There is no real or authentic love in your heart
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: F. SPIELMAN, J. TORRE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind