After Be-Bop-A-Lula had become a huge hit in 1956 (peaking at #7 and spending 20 weeks in the Billboard Pop Chart), Gene Vincent & His Blue Caps (often mis-named as 'the' Blue Caps) were unable to follow it up with the same level of commercial success, but released critically acclaimed songs like Race With The Devil (#96 in Billboard) and Bluejean Bop (#49).
Following a visit to Europe in 1959, Vincent managed to attract a new huge and discerning audience there, especially in England and France. By that time his career had mostly ended in the US. In 1960, while on tour in Britain, Vincent and songwriter Sharon Sheeley were seriously injured in a high-speed traffic accident. Vincent broke his ribs, collarbone, and added further damage to his already weak leg which he had injured in a motorcycle accident in 1955 and refused to have amputated, and Sheeley suffered a broken pelvis. Both Vincent and Sheeley survived, but the accident killed Vincent's tourmate and Sheeley's fiancé, Eddie Cochran.
Vincent subsequently moved to England in 1963. His stage shows became "must see" events and his bands through those years were to spawn some of the most respected players in the world today. It was during his early tours of Britain that he adopted the trademark leather outfit, at the suggestion of British Rock 'n' Roll impressario, Jack Good.
The Rose of Love
Gene Vincent Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She said a true love you"ll be
If you bring me the Rose of love
And today I must go
Where the wild, wild rivers flow
To bring back the Rose of love
And today I must go
To be a great hero
So the wild rivers flows
And I cross them I must go
To bring back the rose of love, of love
The rose of love, The rose of love
The rose of love.
The rose of love
the rose of love
the rose of love,
In Gene Vincent's song "The Rose of Love," the singer, likely a lover, is asked by his or her love interest to bring back the "Rose of Love" in order to prove their true love. The singer agrees to go on a journey, crossing wild rivers to bring back the rose. The song is a classic example of the romantic quest trope in literature and music, where the singer goes on a journey or quest to prove their devotion or to win the heart of their love interest. In this case, the singer must overcome obstacles in order to bring back the symbol of his love, the Rose of Love.
The use of the rose as a symbol of love is a common literary device that dates back centuries. Roses have long been associated with romance and love, and the color of the rose can also symbolize different aspects of love, such as purity (white) or passion (red). In this song, the Rose of Love is presented as the ultimate symbol of true love that the singer must retrieve to prove his or her devotion.
The theme of going on a journey to prove love or win the heart of a love interest is a common trope in many genres, including literature, music, and film. The journey is often seen as a test of the singer's devotion or their ability to endure hardships for the sake of their loved one. The use of the wild rivers in this song adds to the sense of danger and adventure that the singer must overcome to retrieve the Rose of Love.
Line by Line Meaning
My love said to me
My beloved advised me
She said a true love you'll be
She said I would be a genuine lover
If you bring me the Rose of love
If I bring her the symbolic flower of love
And today I must go
Today I have to depart
Where the wild, wild rivers flow
I must head towards the untamed streams
To bring back the Rose of love
To retrieve the emblematic flower of love
And today I must go
I have to leave today
Where the wild, wild the rivers flow
Towards the tumultuous watercourses
To be a great hero
In order to become an illustrious hero
So the wild rivers flows
The rowdy rivers flow
And I cross them I must go
And I have to traverse them
To bring back the rose of love, of love
To fetch the emblem of love, love
The rose of love, The rose of love
The flower of love, the flower of love
The rose of love.
The emblem of love.
The rose of love
The flower of love
the rose of love
The emblem of love
the rose of love,
The flower of love
Contributed by Nathan H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Stephen Stone
to my knowledge this song was the last song Gene vincent recorded before his untimely death. Just proves he still had a beautiful voice and could still sound fab, he never lost it brilliant song.
Bachi Bouzouk
he recorded few songs in the Ray Campi living room with a guitar on backing, the other instruments were added a long time after Gene's death
Grandpa Ramone
I can only imagine the great music he had in store for us, R.I.P sweet Gene Vincent 🎤
Jason Hallam
gene could sing anything with perfection be rock n roll or belting ballads like this ,thats why he was the greatest, 5/5
willpn100
Gene Vincent recorded more than 200 songs including many of the finest and best loved Rock ‘n’ Roll classics such as Bluejean Bop, Lotta Lovin’ and Dance To The Bop. He became an enormously influential figure known for his black leather image, hell-raising lifestyle and the sheer brilliance of his wild stage act.
David Dennin
Another magical melody from our beloved Gene Vincent ! Thank you mate for all of your valuable posts.
Spartan Greek
Fantastic , even right to the end , beautiful song ,and music . Now he's singing in heaven with his buddies ,Eddie Cochran, and buddy Holly ,🎸🎸🎸💖
blondegretsch
qui peut toucher de cette façon sinon GeneVincent.Personne ne chante comme cela et c'est bouleversant comme si il savait qu'il était arrivé au bout du chemin.Repose Gene Vincent.Tu étais parfois diable mais si dieu existe tu ne peux être qu'au près de lui car quand tu chantes dans ce registre, ta voix fait pleurer les anges.
Irène Szymczak
C'est bien vrai ce que vous dites. Il avait une voix tellement pure, magnifique, il était et reste un des plus grands avec Eddie COCHRAN et Buddy HOLLY et maintenant, ils chantent tous ensemble pour les anges 😍
Colin Purssey
After listening to this masterpiece, I know that this cat, Gene Vincent, is the real deal....