DEAD FLOWERS
New Riders Of The Purple Sage Lyrics
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Talkin' to some rich folk that you know
I hope you won't see me in my ragged company
Well, you know I could never be alone
Take me down, little Susie, take me down
I know you think you're the queen of the underground
And you can send me dead flowers every morning
Send me dead flowers at my wedding
And I won't forget to put roses on your grave
And when you're sitting back in your rose pink Cadillac
Making bets on Kentucky Derby Day
I'll be in my basement room with a needle and a spoon
And another girl to take my pain away
Take me down, little Susie, take me down
I know you think you're the queen of the underground
You can send me dead flowers every morning
Send me dead flowers by the mail
Send me dead flowers at my wedding
And I won't forget to put roses on your grave
Take me down, little Susie, take me down
I know you think you're the queen of the underground
You can send me dead flowers every morning
Send me dead flowers by the mail
Send me dead flowers at my wedding
And I won't forget to put roses on your grave
And I won't forget to put roses on your grave
The New Riders of the Purple Sage's "Dead Flowers" is a melancholic tune about a down-on-his-luck narrator and his bitter address to a former lover, known as Little Susie. The lyrics refer to the stark contrast in their lifestyles, with Susie enjoying luxuries and the singer struggling to make ends meet. The singer acknowledges that he could never be a part of Susie's affluent world as she socializes with the rich folk he could never know. He then implores Susie to take him down, underscoring his sense of hopelessness and powerlessness.
The second verse is more introspective, with the singer referring to himself as a drug addict in a basement room with a needle and spoon, looking to numb the pain of his existence. While Susie is betting on Kentucky Derby day, the singer is struggling to escape his misery. However, the third verse is almost a resigned acceptance of the situation. The singer acknowledges that Susie can continue to send him dead flowers every day, and he promises to put roses on her grave after she dies. Through the song, the singer is bitter and full of resentment, directing his anger towards Susie, whose lifestyle he can never attain.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, when you're sitting there in your silk upholstered chair
When you are comfortably sitting in your wealthy status, surrounded by luxury.
Talkin' to some rich folk that you know
Engaging in conversation with other wealthy individuals.
I hope you won't see me in my ragged company
I hope you won't notice me in my destitute state and associate with me as a result.
Well, you know I could never be alone
Despite my rough exterior, I am always surrounded by friends and like-minded individuals.
Take me down, little Susie, take me down
Lead me away from this lifestyle.
I know you think you're the queen of the underground
Addressing someone who believes they are above the rest of society and deemed 'cool.'
And you can send me dead flowers every morning
The only affection I will receive from you in this life is in the form of flowers, though they are dead which represents our dying relationship.
Send me dead flowers by the mail
Mail the decaying flowers to me, so that I am further reminded of our relationship's doom.
Send me dead flowers at my wedding
Even on the day I am supposedly at my happiest, you will still send me reminders of our downfall.
And I won't forget to put roses on your grave
I will return the favor in the afterlife.
And when you're sitting back in your rose pink Cadillac
Addressing the same individual as in the first verse; when you are enjoying your expensive car.
Making bets on Kentucky Derby Day
Enjoying gambling on horse racing.
I'll be in my basement room with a needle and a spoon
Expressing addiction to drugs.
And another girl to take my pain away
Finding solace in someone else, even if it's not a healthy solution.
And I won't forget to put roses on your grave
Repeating the earlier promise of revenge from the grave to drive home the importance of the message.
Contributed by Landon T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
MrChelsidy
The only bad thing about this song is that it ends
Harold Harwell
That would be right...
thomas campbell
kick-ass country rock!
darrin lewis
Continous Loop
kimberly mann
MrChelsidy yes! Greatest version IMO
Dan Maltby
great version, shame that country music did not take this direction instead of rapping cowboys
Buster Jangle
Big and Rich are clowns.
Robert Allen
@Tez Howes ..and I thought Dan's comment was great...
Tez Howes
'Bro country', THE worst thing that ever happened to country music. No, worst thing that ever happened to music, period, since the cavemen started banging on rocks with sticks.
john iorio
riders were too cool to get bought out by country, plus the record labels disliked them - they were trippin cowboys!!