Freedy Johnston (born 1961) is a New York City-based singer-songwriter orig… Read Full Bio ↴Freedy Johnston (born 1961) is a New York City-based singer-songwriter originally from Kinsley, Kansas. Johnston's first album, "The Trouble Tree" was released in 1990, and features the guitar playing of the roots musician and author, David Hamburger. Johnston sold some of his family's farmland to finance the recording of his second album, Can You Fly (an event he wrote about in a song on that album, "Trying To Tell You I Don't Know"). Johnston followed up with his 1994 major label debut This Perfect World, which received rave reviews and led to Rolling Stone Magazine naming him "songwriter of the year". That album also spawned a minor alternative hit with the song "Bad Reputation".

Johnston's songs are often about troubled loners, and cover topics like heartbreak, alienation and disappointment. Known for the craftsmanship of his songs, he has sometimes been called a "songwriter's songwriter".

He has contributed songs to the soundtracks for movies including Kingpin and Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead. Johnston and fellow musicians Jay Moran, James "Pie" Cowan, Duke Erikson, and Butch Vig perform occasional shows as a covers band called "The Know-It-All Boyfriends."

Johnston latest release is a covers album titled "Rain on the City", It includes selections from Tom Petty, Paul McCartney, Matthew Sweet and The Hollies.

Love Grows
Freedy Johnston Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

She ain't got no money
Clothes are kinda funny
Hair is kinda wild and free
Oh, but love grows where my Rosemary goes
And nobody knows like me

She talks kinda lazy
People say she's crazy

And her life's a mystery
Oh, but love grows where my Rosemary goes
And nobody knows like me

There's something about her hand holding mine
It's a feeling so fine
That I just gotta say
She's really got a magical spell
And it's working so well
That I can't get away

I'm a lucky fella
And I just gotta tell her
That I love her endlessly
Oh, cause love grows where my Rosemary goes
And nobody knows like me

Yeah, I'm a lucky fella
And I just gotta tell her
That I love her endlessly

Oh, cause love grows where my Rosemary goes
And nobody knows like me

Overall Meaning

The song is about a man who is in love with Rosemary, a woman who is different from what society considers conventional or normal. She doesn't have any money, her clothes are funny, and her hair is wild and free. However, the singer knows that love grows where Rosemary goes, and he is the only one who understands and appreciates her for who she is.

People talk about Rosemary being lazy and crazy, but the singer believes that there is something magical about her. Whenever she holds his hand, he experiences a feeling of bliss that he can't resist. He considers himself a lucky man to have found someone like Rosemary, who makes him feel loved and accepted.

The song has a simple yet catchy melody that goes well with its playful and romantic lyrics. It reflects the innocence and optimism of a new love and the excitement that comes with discovering someone who is unique and special.

Line by Line Meaning

She ain't got no money
My Rosemary doesn't have much money

Clothes are kinda funny
Her clothing style is unusual

Hair is kinda wild and free
Her hair is messy and untamed

Oh, but love grows where my Rosemary goes
Despite her flaws, my love for Rosemary only grows stronger

And nobody knows like me
No one else can understand the depth of my love for her

She talks kinda lazy
Rosemary speaks in a slow, relaxed way

People say she's crazy
Others view Rosemary as strange or eccentric

And her life's a mystery
I don't know much about her past or personal life

There's something about her hand holding mine
The feeling of holding Rosemary's hand is indescribable

It's a feeling so fine
The sensation is incredibly pleasant

That I just gotta say
I can't help but express my emotions