After the usual career-beginning playing in local clubs and pubs, in 1987 Fairground Attraction were signed to RCA, and released their first single, "Perfect", in April 1988. It was an immediate success, reaching number one on the UK singles chart. Their album The First of a Million Kisses was a characteristic blend of folk, jazz, country, and cajun elements (all but one of its songs being written by Mark Nevin). Released in May 1988, it followed the success of "Perfect" by entering the album chart at number three, and rising to number two; it was eventually certified platinum. Three other singles were released from the same album: "Find My Love" (which reached number seven on the UK chart), "A Smile in a Whisper", and "Clare".
At the 1989 Brit Awards "Perfect" won the award for best single, and The First of a Million Kisses won best album.
Although they were popular in European countries, and toured the United States, their main success outside the UK was in Japan, where they toured in 1989 (a tour that produced their only live album, Kawasaki Live in Japan 02.07.89).
In September 1989, however, during the recording of a second album, rumours of arguments circulated, and in January 1990 the rumours were confirmed when the band split up. The album Ay Fond Kiss was released in 1990, and one of its songs, "Walking after Midnight", became their last single.
Winter Rose
Fairground Attraction Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Beautiful and rare
Precious winter rose
In the garden there
Now there's only thorns
In the garden there
All of the petals are tattered and torn
And the hand that crushed
The winter rose was mine
Yes, the hand that crushed
The winter rose was mine
Yes, the hand that crushed
The winter rose was mine, was mine
Yes, the hand that crushed
The winter rose was mine, was mine
Was mine
The hand that crushed
The winter rose was mine
So beautiful and rare
The lyrics of "Winter Rose" by Fairground Attraction tells the story of a rare and beautiful rose that symbolizes love and beauty. The winter season is usually associated with barrenness and gloom, but this rose stands out, in contrast, representing light and warmth that blooms even in the midst of winter. The first stanza speaks about the rareness and beauty of the winter rose, calling it, "precious," and highlighting its uniqueness among the other flowers in the garden.
The second stanza, however, takes on a darker tone, as the beauty of the winter rose is now a thing of the past. Instead of being admired, it is now surrounded by thorns, and its petals are tattered and torn, indicating that something or someone has inflicted harm on the rose. The third stanza then reveals who the culprit is, and it turns out to be the singer's own hand that crushed the winter rose. The final line repeats the somber truth: "The hand that crushed the winter rose was mine."
Line by Line Meaning
Precious winter rose
A valuable flower symbolizing winter
Beautiful and rare
Exquisite and unusual
Precious winter rose
A valuable flower symbolizing winter
In the garden there
Found in a garden
Now there's only thorns
The rose has wilted and died, leaving only the prickly thorns
In the garden there
Still present in the garden, but in a different form
All of the petals are tattered and torn
The once-beautiful petals of the rose are now torn and crumpled
Scattered everywhere
Littered all over the ground
And the hand that crushed
The destructive force
The winter rose was mine
The person responsible for destroying the rose
Yes, the hand that crushed
Clearly and emphatically stating that the person responsible for destroying the rose is the singer
The winter rose was mine
The person responsible for destroying the rose
Yes, the hand that crushed
Clearly and emphatically stating that the person responsible for destroying the rose is the singer
The winter rose was mine
The person responsible for destroying the rose
Was mine
Repeating the fact that the person responsible for destroying the rose is the singer
The hand that crushed
The destructive force
The winter rose was mine
The person responsible for destroying the rose
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BERNARD EDWARDS, EDDI READER, MARK EDWARD CASCIAN NEVIN, ROY DODDS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind