After taking a brief recording hiatus in the mid-1990s to start a family with her husband, songwriter Doug Crider, Bogguss returned to the country music scene to find that her charting power had already faded. Although she last appeared on the Billboard Hot Country Singles Chart in 1999, Bogguss continues to record and perform around the country to a loyal following.
Her most recent recordings have ventured into swing and jazz variations of country. These albums really showcase the tremendous talent in her voice. Suzy is a true singer, and her voice has so much versatility.
In 2014, Suzy added an album of Merle Haggard songs entitled "Lucky". The country & western flavor dominates this album, unlike some of her other recent work. To promote this new album, Suzy has embarked on a nationwide tour.
Wildwood Flower
Suzy Bogguss Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The lilies so pale and the roses so fair
And the myrtle so bright with an emerald hue
The pale amaryllis and violets of blue
I will dance, I will sing and my life will be gay
I′ll cease this wild weeping, drive sorrow away
Tho' my heart is now breaking, he'll never know
He told me he loved me and promis′d to love
Through ill and misfortune, all others above
Now another has won him, oh misery to tell
He left me in silence, no word of farewell
He taught me to love him, he call′d me his flower
That blossom'd for him all the brighter each hour
But I woke from my dreaming, my idol was clay
My visions of love have all faded away
I′ll think of him never, I'll be wildly gay
I′ll charm ev'ry heart and the crowd I will sway
And I′ll live yet to see him, regret the dark hour
He won, then neglected, the frail wildwood flower
The song "Wildwood Flower" by Suzy Bogguss tells the story of a woman who has lost the love of her life to another woman. The first stanza describes her putting flowers in her hair, including lilies, roses, myrtle, amaryllis, and violets. These flowers symbolize purity, love, faithfulness, and devotion, which all contrast with the second stanza's depressing tone. The second stanza discusses how despite being heartbroken, she will dance and sing to forget her sorrows. She reflects on the fact that her love never truly knew how much he meant to her, and now he has left her with no goodbye. In the third and fourth stanzas, she recalls how her love promised to always be there for her, but he has chosen someone else over her. She remembers how he taught her to love and how she bloomed like a flower under his guidance. Sadly, her idealized version of him turned out to be an illusion, and she is left to pick up the pieces.
The song's overall theme is about moving on from a lost love and finding happiness after heartbreak. The woman in the song decides to focus on the positive aspects of her life, and though she has lost her love, she will move forward and eventually forget him. It's a bittersweet song that acknowledges the pain of heartbreak but offers hope for a brighter future.
Line by Line Meaning
I'll twine 'mid the ringlets of raven black hair
I will weave together the lilies, roses, myrtle, amaryllis, and violets into a beautiful floral arrangement that will adorn my raven black hair.
The lilies so pale and the roses so fair
The pale lilies and fair roses are some of the flowers that will be woven into my hair.
And the myrtle so bright with an emerald hue
I will also include the bright emerald-hued myrtle in my floral arrangement.
The pale amaryllis and violets of blue
The pale amaryllis and blue violets are the remaining flowers that will be included in my hair.
I will dance, I will sing and my life will be gay
I will dance, sing and lead a joyful life, leaving behind my sorrow and pain.
I'll cease this wild weeping, drive sorrow away
I will stop my wild weeping and drive away my sorrow, leading a happier life.
Tho' my heart is now breaking, he'll never know
Even though my heart is broken, the one who broke it will never know the pain he caused me.
His name made me tremble, my pale cheeks to glow
I used to tremble at the sound of his name and my pale cheeks would turn red with excitement.
He told me he loved me and promis'd to love
He promised me that he loved me and would always love me.
Through ill and misfortune, all others above
He promised to love me more than anyone else, through any kind of hardship or misfortune.
Now another has won him, oh misery to tell
Now another woman has won his love, it is a painful truth to bear.
He left me in silence, no word of farewell
He left me without saying a word or even bidding me farewell.
He taught me to love him, he call'd me his flower
He taught me how to love him and referred to me as his flower.
That blossom'd for him all the brighter each hour
My love for him grew stronger each hour, making me shine even brighter in his eyes.
But I woke from my dreaming, my idol was clay
I finally realized that the person I idolized was only human and had flaws like anyone else.
My visions of love have all faded away
My sweet visions of love have been shattered and no longer exist.
I'll think of him never, I'll be wildly gay
I will never think of him again and I will live a carefree and joyful life.
I'll charm ev'ry heart and the crowd I will sway
I will charm everyone's heart and sway crowds of people.
And I'll live yet to see him, regret the dark hour
Someday I will see him again and he will regret leaving me alone in that dark hour.
He won, then neglected, the frail wildwood flower
He won my heart but then neglected me, leaving me feeling like a fragile and forgotten wildwood flower.
Contributed by Gabriella V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.