This is a cover of a song that was originally a US chart-topper for Rock gr… Read Full Bio ↴This is a cover of a song that was originally a US chart-topper for Rock group Poison in 1988-89. The first concert Miley ever attended was by Poison, which introduced her to Rock and Roll. Cyrus explained in a blog that she decided to cover the track after hearing a bunch of people around her singing along to it. She decided that she wanted to give a whole new generation of music lovers the chance to hear the song. "It's a song that everyone knows and loves," she said. "I feel like the way the music industry is today really shelters kids and they aren't exposed to songs as honest and real as this one."

Cyrus got together with the lead singer and songwriter of Poison, Bret Michaels, to consult him. He guided her through the song, played guitar on the hook and sung back-up harmonies while John Shanks contributed behind the production desk. Michaels noted to MTV News that Cyrus "nailed the song. She really knew what she was doing." He added, "She got in there and picked the guitar up. It was one of those nights that just worked. It was fun. It's gotta be her taking 'Every Rose' and making it all hers."

Miley recalled: "Bret and I had a great time in the studio together just hanging out and making music. It was so surreal to have him sit down with his acoustic guitar and walk me through 'Every Rose' and then give me the opportunity to add my own flare and edge to it. Bret is so passionate about music and it shows."

Every Rose Has Its Thorn
miley cyrus Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

We both lie silent, still
In the dead of the night
Although we both lie close together
We feel miles apart inside

Was it something I said or something I did
Did my words not come out right
Though I tried not to hurt you

Though I tried
But I guess that's why they say

Every rose has it's thorn
Just like every night has it's dawn
Just like every cowboy sings his sad, sad song
Every rose has it's thorn
Yeah it does

I listen to our favorite song
Playing on the radio
Hear the DJ say loves a game of easy come and easy go
But I wonder does he know
Has he ever felt like this
And I know that you'd be here right now
If I could let you know somehow

Every rose has it's thorn
Just like every night has it's dawn
Just like every cowboy sings his sad, sad song
Every rose has it's thorn
Yeah it does

Though it's been a while now
I can still feel so much pain
Like a knife that cuts you, the wound heals
But the scar, that scar will remain

Every rose, every rose
Every rose, has its thorn

I know I could saved a love that night
If I'd known what to say
Instead of makin' love
We both made our separate ways

And now I hear you found somebody new
And that I never meant that much to you
And to hear that tears me up inside
And to see you cuts me like a knife

Every rose has it's thorn
Just like every night has it's dawn
Just like every cowboy sings his sad, sad song

Every rose has it's thorn
Yeah it does

Overall Meaning

Miley Cyrus's song "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" is a power ballad that speaks to the universal human experience of regret and heartbreak. The lyrics describe a relationship that has soured, leaving both partners feeling distant and disconnected from one another. The first verse sets the tone for the song, as the singer and their partner lie together in silence, despite being physically close. The singer wonders if something they said or did is responsible for the tension between them, and they lament that their attempts to avoid hurting their partner may have backfired.

The chorus centers around the idea that every beautiful thing, like a rose or a night without a dawn, has a dark side or thorn. The comparison of love to a rose with its thorn shows the lyricist's view on how love and relationships are both beautiful and painful at the same. In the second verse, the lyrics address the idea that love is often unpredictable and uncertain. The singer wonders if the DJ playing their favorite song truly understands the complexity of love and heartbreak.

The final verses are filled with somber reflections on what was lost in the relationship. The lyrics suggest that the singer and their partner missed an opportunity to save their love when they made the decision to part ways after a passionate encounter. The final lines reveal that the singer's ex-partner has moved on with someone new, leaving them to confront the painful truth that they never meant as much to their partner as their partner did to them.

Line by Line Meaning

We both lie silent, still
Both of us are lying still without uttering a word

In the dead of the night
This is happening late night

Although we both lie close together
We may be physically close but emotionally we are far apart

We feel miles apart inside
Our emotional distance is pretty wide

Was it something I said or something I did
I am not sure if I am at fault here or not

Did my words not come out right
I doubt if I messed up with what I said

Though I tried not to hurt you
My intention was never to hurt you

Though I tried
Even though I made an effort

But I guess that's why they say
I think this is what people refer to when they say

Every rose has it's thorn
Every beautiful thing comes with its faults

Just like every night has it's dawn
Each day has a beginning and an end

Just like every cowboy sings his sad, sad song
Just like how cowboys have a sad story to tell in their songs

Every rose has it's thorn
Similarly, every beautiful thing has its flaws

Yeah it does
That's how it is

I listen to our favorite song
I am listening to the song we both like

Playing on the radio
It's playing on the radio right now

Hear the DJ say loves a game of easy come and easy go
The DJ says love is unpredictable

But I wonder does he know
I wonder if he himself knows this

Has he ever felt like this
Did he ever experience emotional pain like mine?

And I know that you'd be here right now
I know you would have been here if I conveyed my feelings

If I could let you know somehow
If only I had the means to express myself

Though it's been a while now
Though it's been a long time

I can still feel so much pain
The pain is still deep inside me

Like a knife that cuts you, the wound heals
Like a cut from a knife that eventually heals

But the scar, that scar will remain
But the scar of the emotional pain remains forever

Every rose, every rose
Every beautiful thing, every beautiful thing

Every rose, has its thorn
No matter how beautiful something is, it has its drawbacks

I know I could saved a love that night
I realize I could have saved our love that night

If I'd known what to say
If I'd known the right words to say

Instead of makin' love
Instead of continuing our relationship

We both made our separate ways
We both decided to go our separate ways

And now I hear you found somebody new
I heard that you have found someone else now

And that I never meant that much to you
And that I was never that important to you

And to hear that tears me up inside
Hearing that really hurts me emotionally

And to see you cuts me like a knife
Seeing you with someone else is painful

Every rose has it's thorn
Just like how every beautiful thing has its flaws

Just like every night has it's dawn
Like how every day has its ups and downs

Just like every cowboy sings his sad, sad song
Like how every person has a sad story or experience

Every rose has it's thorn
Just like how every beautiful thing has its problems

Yeah it does
That's the reality of it

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Bobby Dall, Bret Michaels, Bruce Anthony Johannesson, Rikki Rockett

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS