They released three albums to considerable acclaim: Made In Cape Breton (2002), On Fire (2004), and Forerunner (2006). In 2006, they toured extensively with the well-known Irish band The Chieftains. However, the founding members of the band split up in 2006, either because of artistic differences, or health problems, according to different reports.
The band began to appear without the Mackenzie siblings, and after experimenting with various fill-ins, settled upon fiddler Claire Pettit and fellow Cape Bretoner Bruce Timmons on guitar. They are currently working on a new studio album for release in Summer 2008.
Official website: http://www.thecottars.ca
The Briar & The Rose
The Cottars Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And there I had the strangest dream
And down by Brennan's Glenn there grows
A briar and a rose
There's a tree in the forest
But I don't know where
I built a nest out of your hair
A briar and a rose
I don't know how long it has been
But I was born in Brennan's Glenn
And near the end of spring there grows
A briar and a rose
Picked the rose one early morn
I pricked my finger on a thorn
It had grown so high
It's winding wove the briar around the rose
I tried to tear them both apart
I felt a bullet in my heart
And all dressed up in springs and clothes
The briar and the rose
And when I'm buried in my grave
Tell me so I will know
Your tears will fall
To make love grow
The briar and the rose
The Briar & The Rose is a hauntingly beautiful song that draws heavily on the ancient mythology of Celtic Britain. The lyrics speak of a dream and of the singer's birthplace in Brennan's Glenn, a location shrouded in history and myth. The song speaks of a Briar and a Rose that grow in this mystical place. There is a sense of foreboding and sorrow in the song as he sings of pricking his finger on a thorn while picking the rose. There is also a sense of entwining or binding, as the Briar winds around the Rose. The Briar and the Rose can be seen as a metaphor for the duality of life, of beauty, and thorns, of pain and pleasure, of love and heartbreak.
Throughout the song, there is a sense of ambiguity and uncertainty of what the Briar and the Rose represent. It could be interpreted as a metaphor for love and loss, with the Briar representing the hardships of love while the Rose symbolizes the beauty and hope that love brings. However, it could also be interpreted as a symbol of life and death, with the Briar representing the thorny path we all have to navigate in our journey through life, while the Rose symbolizes the beauty and joy of that journey.
Line by Line Meaning
I fell asleep down by the stream
The singer fell asleep near the stream
And there I had the strangest dream
The singer had a strange dream while sleeping
And down by Brennan's Glenn there grows
There is a place called Brennan's Glenn where plants grow
A briar and a rose
There are two types of plants growing together in that place
There's a tree in the forest
There is a tree in the forest
But I don't know where
The singer is unaware of the location of the tree
I built a nest out of your hair
The singer made a nest using someone's hair
And climbing up into the air
The artist climbed up in the air
A briar and a rose
The briar and the rose are still there
I don't know how long it has been
The artist is unsure about the duration of time
But I was born in Brennan's Glenn
The singer was born in Brennan's Glenn
And near the end of spring there grows
During the end of spring, plants grow in that area
A briar and a rose
The briar and the rose are still there
Picked the rose one early morn
The singer picked the rose early in the morning
I pricked my finger on a thorn
The singer got hurt by a thorn while picking the rose
It had grown so high
The rose had grown higher than expected
It's winding wove the briar around the rose
The winding of the briar had wrapped around the rose
I tried to tear them both apart
The singer tried to separate the plants
I felt a bullet in my heart
The singer got hurt by something like a bullet
And all dressed up in springs and clothes
The plants were looking good during the spring season
The briar and the rose
The briar and the rose are still there
And when I'm buried in my grave
In the future, when the artist is no more
Tell me so I will know
The singer wants someone to inform about what happened
Your tears will fall
The artist's loved ones will cry
To make love grow
Their tears will help love to grow
The briar and the rose
The briar and the rose are still there
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: THOMAS A. WAITS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@JimHopkins-mh6pt
I saw The Cottars perform in Oakland, California while visiting San Francisco. We stayed bat the same hotel. One of greatest thrills. To this day I still love to see them perform on YouTube. Also saw them perform in my hometown of Sackville, NB. Always wish they would get together again.
Thank you Cottars
@tkaultopbd1
Gorgeous. Brings a tear to me wrinkled Irish eyes. Thank you for posting.
@JW-km3by
Might be the best thing I"ve ever heard...
@carlosm.devasconcelllos3939
Fiona and his Brother are simply amazing !
@user-wh6ir2xl4h
Love the Cottars, this girl can sing like a Bird!! Thanks Ed.
@hellhoundbaby3071
My grandpa loved this song 🥲
@joec2078
I remember watching this live. Such an amazing voice.
@danielmiller9925
Absolutely amazing!! Normally I prefer to take my Tom Waits straight, but this cover is worthy, and perhaps even more beautiful than the original. I had to sit & absorb every moment!
@tristonho451
If you liked this performance, I recommend you to check out the version from the black rider musical. You won't be disappointed ;^)
@marcvpraet
Incredibly beautiful.