Beginning in 2002, she released two EPs prior to her full-length debut, If You Were for Me, in 2006. The album garnered her a nomination for best solo artist at the Canadian Folk Music Awards. She was also a winner in the 2007 Mountain Stage Newsong Contest, as well as winning best folk recording from both the Nova Scotia Music Awards and the PEI Music Awards, and Female Recording of the Year at the East Coast Music Awards in 2008.
She followed up with The Send Off in 2009. The Send Off was produced by Luke Doucet, and features guest musicians including Kathleen Edwards, Melissa McClelland, David Myles, Jenn Grant and Tom Wilson.
In 2012, Rose released We Have Made a Spark. The album has 9 tracks, including 2 bonus tracks. It was produced by Zachariah Hickman and engineered by Matt Malikowski, Sean Cahalin and Roni Pillischer. The album was released on her own label, Old Farm Pony Records, the same label that houses her last two albums The Send Off and Miles to go.
Cousins has also appeared as a guest musician on albums by Grant, Joel Plaskett, In-Flight Safety, Two Hours Traffic, Matt Mays, Catherine MacLellan, Jill Barber, Matt Epp, Old Man Luedecke, Ruth Minnikin, The Olympic Symphonium and Craig Cardiff, and has performed live with Royal Wood, Daniel Ledwell, Rose Polenzani, Anne Heaton and Laura Cortese.
Official website: www.rosecousins.com
White Daisies
Rose Cousins Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In the likeness of yourself
From a picture I had taken
In the time before hell
But you don't have to remind me
Of when we were so brand new
As I lie here tired and quiet
You sent me flowers when you were strong
You were my baby, a whole year long
All you could tell me is how I'd done wrong
Now I've got white daisies and a lonesome song
Rose Cousins's song "White Daisies" is a melancholic reflection on a love lost. The song opens with the image of a pencil drawing sent to the singer by her former partner, in their likeness. The drawing is from a time "before hell," suggesting that something terrible has happened to the relationship that has left the singer feeling empty and exhausted. Her ex's attempt to remind her of their past only serves to highlight how far removed they are from those happy times.
Cousins's lyrics beautifully capture the complexity of heartbreak, where a person can simultaneously feel the pain of loss and the residual love they have for their former partner. The second verse references the flowers her ex used to send her, a kind gesture that now reads as a reminder of the ways in which the relationship was flawed. The line "you were my baby, a whole year long" is particularly poignant, as it alludes to the way that the relationship has now outgrown its infancy and is no longer viable. In the final lines, Cousins reveals the titular white daisies, presumably sent by her ex, as a symbol of the finality of the split. The singer is left only with a lonesome song.
Overall, "White Daisies" is a beautiful, elegiac reflection on love and loss. The combination of Cousins's emotive lyrics and soulful voice make for a powerful listening experience.
Line by Line Meaning
You sent me a pencil drawing
You sent me a drawing made in pencil
In the likeness of yourself
The drawing looked like you
From a picture I had taken
You drew it from a photo I took
In the time before hell
When things were good between us
But you don't have to remind me
I don't need to be reminded
Of when we were so brand new
Of when our relationship was new
As I lie here tired and quiet
As I rest feeling weary and silent
Empty of the love I had for you
Without the love I once had for you
You sent me flowers when you were strong
You used to send me flowers when you were doing well
You were my baby, a whole year long
You were my partner for a full year
All you could tell me is how I'd done wrong
All you ever did was criticize me
Now I've got white daisies and a lonesome song
Now I have only white daisies and a sad melody
Contributed by Juliana M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.