The Rose
Ron Shepard Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

"The Rose"

Some say love is like a river
And that drowns the tender reed.
Some say love is a like a razor
That leaves your soul to bleed.
Some say love, it is a hunger,
An endless aching need.
I I say love, it is a flower,
And you its only seed.

It's the heart afraid of breaking
That never learns to dance.
It's the dream afraid of waking
That never takes the chance.
It's the one who won't be taken,
Who cannot seem to give,
And the soul afraid of dyin'
That never learns to live.

When the night has been too lonely
And the road has been too long,
And you think that love is only
For the lucky and the strong,
Just remember in the winter
Far beneath the bitter snows




Lies the seed that with the sun's love
In the spring becomes the rose.

Overall Meaning

The song "The Rose" by Bette Midler is a timeless classic about the different aspects of love. The song begins by exploring different opinions about what love is – like a river that drowns, a razor that cuts deep, an endless hunger, or a beautiful flower whose seed grows within you. The song suggests that love is more of a beautiful flower that blooms with the right sunlight, care, and nurturing. "And you its only seed" - implies that love is something we can cultivate within ourselves.


The second verse talks about fear - fear of breaking, fear of waking and fear of dying. Love, the song suggests, is something that heals these fears and teaches us to live our life to the fullest. The song is a beautiful reminder to all of us that love is a powerful force, and we should take risks, be vulnerable, and allow ourselves to experience the beautiful transformation that love can bring. The metaphor of a seed that lies beneath the bitter snows is hopeful and inspiring, reminding us that love can take root, blossom, and change our lives, even when things may seem hopeless.


Line by Line Meaning

Some say love is like a river
Love can be compared to a river.


And that drowns the tender reed.
But, love can hurt the weak and fragile.


Some say love is a like a razor
Love can also be compared to a sharp razor.


That leaves your soul to bleed.
And can make you feel wounded inside.


Some say love, it is a hunger,
For some, love is a source of hunger and endless longing.


An endless aching need.
It's something that they desire and want more of all the time.


I say love, it is a flower,
But, for the writer, love is a beautiful flower.


And you its only seed.
And that person you are longing for is the only one who can nourish it.


It's the heart afraid of breaking
Sometimes, we are too scared of getting hurt.


That never learns to dance.
And we miss out on the beautiful experiences life has to offer.


It's the dream afraid of waking
Sometimes, we are too scared to wake up from our dreams.


That never takes the chance.
And never take a step towards turning their dreams into reality.


It's the one who won't be taken,
Some people refuse to accept or receive love.


Who cannot seem to give,
And they are unable to give love to anyone else.


And the soul afraid of dyin'
Sometimes, we are too scared of death.


That never learns to live.
And we miss out on all the amazing things life has to offer us.


When the night has been too lonely
During the dark moments in life,


And the road has been too long,
When we feel like we have been wandering for too long,


And you think that love is only
We might start to think that love is not for us,


For the lucky and the strong,
And it's only meant for those who are fortunate and brave enough.


Just remember in the winter
But, we need to remember that,


Far beneath the bitter snows
Even beneath the cold, icy surface


Lies the seed that with the sun's love
Lies a tiny seed that needs the warmth of the sun's love


In the spring becomes the rose.
To bloom and grow into a beautiful rose in the spring.




Contributed by Alyssa J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found

More Versions