Roses
Suckers Lyrics
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I don't ride in, yes, I dove below your skin
I'm resilient, I bounce off of the words
I fear they're the words you force me to hear
I'm not angry, I'm not sad about the girl you are
You're the girl who dug this far
You go drift and you go drifting across the floor
Come back roses and leave the foul poses
Just come back roses and leave the foul poses
I'm not old and I'm not crazy, I lift you off
Yes, I lift you off the ground
I'm so sorry you're not happy, I thought you were
I would do it all for her
We're not feeling the same way that we have before
I'll apologize some more
I'm so thankful, I adore everything you did
In my head is where you live
Come back roses and leave the foul poses
Just come back roses and leave the foul poses
The opening lines of “Roses” by Suckers, introduces a speaker who is fearless and not cautious, diving below someone’s skin where they can observe and study them carefully. The singer shows resilience, bouncing off of the words they hear, which they fear are words that the other person forces them to hear. Perhaps trying to make sense of a troublesome relationship or communication breakdown that can’t be fixed, they remain focused on the relationship and try to keep things afloat, even though the person they’re addressing is changing and drifting. They want the roses back, symbolising the good times or the love they shared before the relationship turned sour, and plead for them to leave these foul poses in the past that have complicated things now.
The second verse describes how the singer is not old or crazy, but actually quite rational and lifts the other person up, off the ground, perhaps trying to give them a different perspective or trying to reconcile with them. They also acknowledge that they’re sorry the other person isn’t happy, and would do anything for them. However, they seem to recognise that they’ve reached a point where they’re not feeling the same way they once did, but they’re still thankful for everything that has happened and feel a deep affection for the other person. The conclusion is a combination of a plea and an affirmation, as the singer implores the roses to come back and leave the foul poses behind, possibly indicating a desire to return to a simpler time in the relationship or just wanting to move on entirely.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm not scared and I'm not careful
I am not afraid and I am not cautious
I don't ride in, yes, I dove below your skin
I do not enter cautiously, I dive deep under your exterior
I'm resilient, I bounce off of the words
I am strong, able to deflect the words you use to hurt me
I fear they're the words you force me to hear
I am afraid of the words you use to control me
I'm not angry, I'm not sad about the girl you are
I do not feel angry or sad about the person you are
You're the girl who dug this far
You are the one who has gone this deep into our relationship
You go drift and you go drifting across the floor
You are wandering and lost, aimlessly roaming around
I will stay 'til there's no more
I will stay with you until the end, no matter what
Come back roses and leave the foul poses
Return to the beauty and leave behind the ugliness
I'm not old and I'm not crazy, I lift you off
I am not aged or insane, I lift you up
Yes, I lift you off the ground
I raise you up from your lowest point
I'm so sorry you're not happy, I thought you were
I am sorry you are unhappy, I believed you were content
I would do it all for her
I would do anything for you
We're not feeling the same way that we have before
We no longer have the same feelings that we previously shared
I'll apologize some more
I will continue to say sorry
I'm so thankful, I adore everything you did
I am grateful and love everything you have done
In my head is where you live
You reside in my thoughts
Come back roses and leave the foul poses
Return to the beauty and leave behind the ugliness
Contributed by Anthony H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
shocklett
Thanks for the video! I was wondering why the color looked different in my tea rose. I am going to air layer it into its own root so I don’t have to worry about the stock root anymore.
The Rose Geek
Great idea!!
shocklett
@The Rose Geek yes definitely! I got all of the tools cleaned and ready from last week when I used them for grafting a rose that I got from Costco. Btw,I just had an idea, and this might sound crazy, but what if the next time you a big root sucker, maybe use it to your advantage and graft a cut rose from the store that you like on to it? Or if you don’t want a Frankenstein rose bush, you can simply graft the same rose on to the stem? I’ll keep you updated once I get roots! Good luck!
The Rose Geek
Great idea! Let me know if you are successful. I am going to try this in the next season.
Jel77 L
Thank you for the video Kimberley! helpful as always. This is why i am hesitating to buy grafted DA roses. I don't want to deal with the suckers, but some of the DA roses i really like only come in grafted form. Don't know if i should buy them ...😓
The Rose Geek
I would buy the roses that bring you joy, even if they are grafted. You just need to keep an eye on them and if you see Dr Huey on a bloom, take that cake off. The rest of the shrub will be ok.
SingingCrowie
Thank you for the video! Is it critical to remove the sucker ASAP for a young plant (planted this winter)? I have some groundcover plants around the base of my rose and I don't want to mess them up just to check the cane. Can I let it grow out until it blooms?
The Rose Geek
@SingingCrowie typically the sucker branch will look different- cane, leaves, bud. The easiest way to tell is to scoot the soil away from the union and feel around to see if it is coming from the crown or beneath.
SingingCrowie
@The Rose Geek thank you so much for your help! May I ask you once again? I have been observing this branch and it looks quite similar to the other new branches coming up that are definitely not suckers. They have the same leaves and thorns. In your experience, are suckers often drastically different in appearance from the grafted plant? Thanks again for your help and your interesting channel with beautiful roses <3
The Rose Geek
I agree. There are so many conflicting recommendations on how deep to plant. If you are colder than 7, it is probably a good idea to plant deeper. Let me know what you find out in a few months.