For many years, the group presented a ragamuffin image and a vagabonding lifestyle, travelling around Europe in a double-decker bus and houseboat. Their image was enhanced by their eclectic and often homemade clothing, and the very long hair worn by both male and female members of the band. The Kelly Family began to break up in 2000 and afterwards they performed mostly as individuals or sub-sets of the whole group and took on a more mainstream look.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Kelly_Family
Discography
The Kelly Family Tours Europe (1977)
The Kelly Family (1979)
Lieder der Welt (1979)
Ein Vogel kann im Käfig nicht fliegen (1980)
Wonderful World (1981)
Une famille c'est une chanson (1984)
Keep on Singing... (1989)
New World (1990)
Honest Workers (1991)
Wow (1993)
Over the Hump (1994)
Almost Heaven (1996)
Growin' Up (1997)
From Their Hearts (1998)
La Patata (2002)
Homerun (2004)
We Got Love (2017)
25 Years Later (2019)
The Rose
The Kelly Family Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Some say love, it is a river that drowns the tender reed
Some say love, it is a razor that leaves your soul to bleed
Some say love, it is a hunger, an endless aching need
I say love, it is a flower, and you it's only seed
It's the heart, afraid of breaking, that never learns to dance
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
The Kelly Family's song, "The Rose" is a powerful and emotional ballad that speaks intricately about the myriad interpretations of love. The lyrics of the song so poetically illustrate the complicated forms love can take, that it instantly strikes a chord with anyone who has ever been in love or has experienced its pain. The first stanza of the song suggests the different forms of love that people believe in. Some view love as a river that can overpower and drown you, while others see it as a sharp razor that can leave one's soul bleeding. It further emphasizes that love is an endless need that can never be fulfilled, but ultimately points out that it is like a flower that starts as a small seed that needs to be nurtured.
The second stanza tries to showcase the different fears that people have concerning love. People are afraid of getting their hearts broken, and hence, they never dance or experience the joys of love, while some are terrified of waking up from their dreams and never take the chance of experiencing love. Similarly, some people are afraid to show love, and as a result, it is difficult for them to receive it. The final lines of the stanza speak of the soul that is afraid of dying, but unfortunately, it never learns to live.
The final stanza of "The Rose" speaks of hope and perseverance. The lyrics beautifully describe how the winter, with all its cold and harshness, cannot kill the rose seed, which lies dormant beneath the bitter snow. The sun's love enables the seed to bloom into a beautiful rose in the spring. In other words, the seed is symbolic of hope, and the love of the sun stands for perseverance. The song's ultimate message speaks of the immense power of love that can conquer all battles and bring new life, just as the sun does to the rose.
Line by Line Meaning
Some say love, it is a river that drowns the tender reed
Love can be so overpowering that it can destroy the most delicate of things, like a tender reed plant that can't survive a raging river.
Some say love, it is a razor that leaves your soul to bleed
Some people think that love can be so painful that it hurts your soul, like a sharp razor that leaves a cut that bleeds.
Some say love, it is a hunger, an endless aching need
Some believe that love is a constant craving that never goes away, like a never-ending hunger that gives an aching need.
I say love, it is a flower, and you it's only seed
To me, love is like a beautiful flower that needs to be nurtured and cared for. And you are only the beginning or the seed of this beautiful plant.
It's the heart, afraid of breaking, that never learns to dance
A heart that is afraid of getting hurt will never take risks or enjoy life to the fullest, like a person who's too scared to dance.
It's the dream, afraid of waking, that never takes the chance
People who are too scared to wake up from a dream and face reality will never take chances or pursue their goals.
It's the one who won't be taken, who cannot seem to give
People who refuse to accept love or kindness from others are often those who struggle to show love and kindness themselves.
And the soul, afraid of dyin', that never learns to live
A soul that's too scared of dying will never embrace life and enjoy its wonders.
When the night has been too lonely
In those moments when you feel the most lonely and isolated.
And the road has been too long
When you've been traveling on a hard and challenging journey for too long.
And you think that love is only for the lucky and the strong
During moments of despair, you might think that love is something that only comes to those who are lucky or strong enough to deserve it.
Just remember in the winter far beneath the bitter snows
During the coldest, darkest moments (the winter), when everything appears hopeless and buried under a layer of snow or sadness.
Lies the seed, that with the sun's love, in the spring
But underneath the surface, there's still hope, like a seed buried in the ground, waiting for the warmth of spring to blossom into something beautiful.
Becomes The Rose
That seed grows into a beautiful rose – a symbol of love and beauty that flourishes even in the face of adversity.
Contributed by Gabriella S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
gogomanica
Some say love, it is a river that drowns the tender reed
Some say love, it is a razor that leaves your soul to bleed
Some say love, it is a hunger, an endless aching need
I say love, it is a flower, and you it's 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 liveWhen 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
pieceofmecute
the BEST concert ever!!!!! i love the kellys!!!
Geert Guillemijn
Ik ben hardrock fan, zoals deep purple en led zepplin, maar de kelly family staat toch bovenaan mijn lijst, heb ze ook 2 maal live mogen zien. Respect 👍👌👍
Anna-Kristin Sumpf
My God. I love the song ,,The Rose" since 2016, and I catch many hearts with Cover this. But: In the Vision of the Kelly Family- It melts my heart and give me a Power, I've never felt before
Christine Schmeh
Genial, genial, genial...
jwmcmac
Individually . . . the Kelly Family . . . they each . . . all sing so beautifully . . . Together . . . singing as one . . . they are even better . . . complimenting each other so wonderfully . . . A tapestry of many colors making as one very lovely garment. This concert is an example . . . My Thanks to GOD for the Blessing of the Kelly Family to us all . . . at a time we needed them. May HE protect the Kellys in years to come . . . preserving their Love for one another . . .
hunt4fish
That's some talent there for sure! Excellent!!!!!!! Have alyways loved their music! Amazing Grace is another great song ;which they do a wonderful version, was my sisters favorite song; it was played at her funeral after she was tragically killed in a car accident.
Marteena007
I LOVE IT...this is simply brilliant... no more comments needed... Thank you so much for sharing!
martka wasz
Brak słów, by opisać co czuję kiedy słucham tego utworu. Wszystkie kocham ale szczególnie!
Małgorzata Kowalik
Doskonale Cię rozumiem ❤
ChouetteThe85
I don't understand the power of their unity,when they used to perform 2gether,but it was massive!it makes me goosebumbps all over my body.I just wanna say big THANK YOU for their music because what they've made(or some of them are still making)wasn't just a music....something so powerful,beautiful,words can't even describe...there's no artist in this world who can makes me feel this way...they've made my childhood happier and their music has been still making me happy.I LOVE YOU guys,godBlessYou