Black Rose
Icon & the Black Roses Lyrics


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Some black roses on the floor
And gliding petals on the river
Your tears are so cold
They're twisting streams on your pale skin

But once you had a red rose on your hands
And spread its seeds away while hoping they'd blossom red
Sound and safe from that tainted soul of yours

Because your soul is black you fear the sun, wind and rain
And would never let them to shine, blow or fall on your grave
So the red roses are black for you today

Some black roses on the floor
And drips of blood on your fingers
With every thorn you hurt so deep
While harvesting on your death field

With honesty justice and dignity you can't turn your roses red





Roses are black roses for you today

Overall Meaning

The opening lines of Icon & the Black Roses's song Black Rose introduce us to a scene of desolation and despair. The black roses on the floor and gliding petals on the river set a melancholic tone, which is reinforced by the imagery of tears twisting streams on the pale skin. The lyrics are perhaps addressing a person with a tormented soul and past, who has seen better days but is now dealing with the consequences of their actions. The contrast between the black roses and the red rose that the person once held highlights the idea of lost innocence and missed opportunities. The hope of spreading the seeds and seeing them blossom into something beautiful is now gone, and light cannot penetrate the darkness that surrounds the persona.


The second part of the song continues with the metaphor of the roses, but this time it is connected to the person's actions. The image of harvesting on the death field evokes death and destruction, and the thorns that hurt so deep serve as a reminder of the painful consequences of their actions. However, the lyrics also suggest that with honesty, justice, and dignity, one can turn their black roses into red. This line implies that even though the persona has done wrong, there is still a chance for redemption and a way to make amends. Overall, the song speaks to the idea of inner turmoil and fear, but also the possibility of growth and change.


Line by Line Meaning

Some black roses on the floor
There are black roses lying on the ground.


And gliding petals on the river
The petals are floating on the river.


Your tears are so cold
Your tears feel cold.


They're twisting streams on your pale skin
Your tears are like twisting streams on your pale skin.


But once you had a red rose on your hands
You used to hold a red rose in your hands.


And spread its seeds away while hoping they'd blossom red
You scattered the seeds of the rose, hoping they would grow into more red roses.


Sound and safe from that tainted soul of yours
You wanted the red roses to grow safe and sound away from your corrupt soul.


Because your soul is black you fear the sun, wind and rain
You fear the natural elements of the sun, wind, and rain because your soul is black and corrupted.


And would never let them to shine, blow or fall on your grave
You would never allow the sun, wind, or rain to touch your grave when you die.


So the red roses are black for you today
The red roses you once held are now black in your eyes because of your corrupted soul.


And drips of blood on your fingers
There is blood dripping from your fingers.


With every thorn you hurt so deep
With each thorn you touch, you feel a deep pain.


While harvesting on your death field
You are harvesting the roses on your death field.


With honesty justice and dignity you can't turn your roses red
No matter how honest, just, or dignified you are, you cannot turn your black roses red.


Roses are black roses for you today
To you, all roses are black because of your corrupted soul.




Contributed by Sophia I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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