31 Best Songs About Roses

Musicians often write about nature and the beautiful things found within it, and one of those pretty things in nature they’ve written about is roses. We’ve assembled a list of the 31 best songs about roses below, so keep on reading to find some great tracks to listen to that’ll make those flowers come to life! 

1. Rose Garden – Lynn Anderson

Lynn Anderson - Rose Garden (Lyric Video) [HQ]

Lynn Anderson is on our list first with Rose Garden, which was released in 1970 on the album of the same name. This track was originally performed by Billy Joe Royal in 1967, and she covered it when she started to look for pop and country material to record after signing with Columbia Records. This became a major hit for her, and it was a huge crossover success, topping the pop and country charts and also becoming her most well-known song worldwide. 

Not only did the track hit number one on the Hot Country Songs chart, but it went to number one in countries including Australia, Finland, Ireland, and Canada. The track is memorable and features the chorus “I never promised you a rose garden,” which touched on emotions and feelings that were happening around that time as the Vietnam War was ending and everyone was trying to move on from that. 

2. Kiss From A Rose – Seal 

Next is Kiss From A Rose by Seal, which is one of his signature songs and was featured in the movie The NeverEnding Story III. It also would be featured in Batman Forever, which is when it really took off on the charts. It hit number one in Australia and the US. He won three Grammy Awards for the track including Song of the Year, Best Male Pop Vocal Performance, and Record of the Year. It went to number one on the Billboard Hot 100, Mainstream Top 40, Adult Top 40, and Adult Contemporary charts. 

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3. Bed Of Roses – Bon Jovi 

Bon Jovi - Bed Of Roses (Official Music Video)

Bon Jovi makes the list with Bed Of Roses, which comes from the 1992 album Keep The Faith. This song is all about how Bon Jovi was feeling during a time in his life when he had a hangover and was in a hotel room, so there’s a lot of emotion in this track that you can hear in the piano and guitar riffs as well as the vocals. 

This song became a huge hit all over the world and hit the Billboard Hot 100 chart at number 10 while making it to 10 on the German chart and 13 on the UK Singles chart. It also helped the band get out of the glam metal scene and showed that they were more mature and could write deep music. In the lyrics, you get the feeling of pain and torture that he feels as he talks about the strong love he has for his significant other.

4. The Rose – Bette Midler 

The Rose by Bette Midler was a song that was in her film of the same name from 1979, and she won a Grammy Award in the Best Female Pop Vocal Performance category for this song. It went to number one on the Adult Contemporary chart and made it to three on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. This track is all about how you need to take care of the love you have so that it will bloom like a rose, and that there is happiness and also sometimes sadness involved in love. 

5. Rose Of My Heart – Johnny Cash 

Next on our list is Johnny Cash with Rose Of My Heart, which was released in 2006 on the album American V: A Hundred Highways. This song is a cover that was originally released by Johnny Rodriguez in 1984. The Cash version of the track is amazing because it talks about the fact that love is one of the most important and best things that a guy can feel and receive from another human being.

He sings this song with a lot of emotion and passion, which helps convey the love and admiration toward the person he’s singing about in the track. In it, he describes how the other person is the rose of his heart and his true love. 

6. A Rose By Any Name – Blondie 

A Rose By Any Name

Blondie makes our list next with A Rose By Any Name, which was released in 2013 on the album Ghosts Of Download. This song was not released in the US, but it still managed great success in Europe. The chorus of the track, talking about whether the baby is a boy or girl, they would be loved the same, is a reference to the keyboardist’s wife, who was expecting a baby, and they didn’t know the gender. It’s an uplifting song that is all about staying true to who you are and knowing what are the most important things in your life. 

7. Love Is A Rose – Neil Young 

Neil Young - Love Is A Rose (Official Audio)

Neil Young makes the list with Love Is A Rose, which is from his compilation album Decade. This song also was featured on Homegrown, which was released in 2020 but actually was recorded in 1974, so the album is where this track first appeared. The song uses roses as a metaphor to talk about love, saying it’s beautiful like a rose, but it can also hurt just like thorns. 

8. A Rose Is Still a Rose – Aretha Franklin 

Aretha Franklin - A Rose Is Still a Rose (Official Music Video)

Aretha Franklin makes the list with A Rose Is Still A Rose, which comes from her 1998 album of the same name. This song is all about how a mature adult woman is trying to give a younger woman advice about love since the younger woman keeps finding herself in horrible relationships.

In the track, she says that the woman is still a rose even though she has thorns on her crown, so she’s using the rose as a metaphor. It went to number one on the Dance Club Songs chart, five on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop chart, and 26 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. 

9. Love Is a Rose – Linda Ronstadt 

Linda Rondstadt had a huge hit with Love Is A Rose, which was her cover of the Neil Young track we just mentioned above. Her version was a huge success and overshadowed his version. It went to number five on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart and 63 on the Billboard Hot 100. This version is the one most people know and remember, and it’s also the most famous. 

10. Spanish Rose – Van Morrison

Van Morrison - Spanish Rose (Official Audio)

Next is Van Morrison with the hit song Spanish Rose, which comes from Blowin’ Your Mind, his album released in 1967. This track is very Latin and features marimbas as well as a Spanish guitar. This song uses a melody done in three chords, so it’s similar in style to Brown Eyed Girl. In the lyrics, you’ll notice he is remembering the past and various locations he’s been to, and it’s all about romance and romantic experiences. While it never charted in America, it did hit 18 on the charts in the Netherlands. 

11. For The Roses – Joni Mitchell 

Joni Mitchell is on the list with For The Roses, which was released in 1972 on her album of the same name. This song is all about the sadness and frustration that one might have about their significant other being famous and all of the challenges that come with that. It’s one of the best tracks on the album, which helped it hit 11 on the Billboard 200 chart. 

12. Roses – The Chainsmokers Feat. ROZES

The Chainsmokers - Roses (Lyric Video) (Official Lyric Video) ft. ROZES

Next on the list is Roses, which is by The Chainsmokers and features ROZES. This song was released in 2015 on the album Bouquet, and it’s one of the most popular tracks on this album. It went to number one on the Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart while hitting three on the Mainstream Top 40, four on the Rhythmic chart, and six on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Much like other tracks on this list, it uses roses as a metaphor for love and the beauty that comes with being in love or falling in love. 

13. Desert Rose – Sting 

Sting - Desert Rose

Desert Rose by Sting was released in 1999 on his album Brand New Day. This track is about longing for a lost love, and it went to number one on the Adult Alternative Songs and Dance Single Sales charts while hitting 17 on the Billboard Hot 100. It also landed at number three in Canada and four in Italy. This track was a duet with Cheb Mami, so it has some Latin influences in it. It sounds much different than other songs from this album, and its Latin beat helps set it apart and makes it feel a little more exotic. 

14. Monarchy Of Roses – Red Hot Chili Peppers 

Red Hot Chili Peppers - Monarchy of Roses [Official Music Video]

Hitting number four on the Alternative Airplay chart and seven on the Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart is Monarchy Of Roses by The Red Hot Chili Peppers. This track was released on the album I’m With You in 2011, and it’s about the good and bad of relationships and compares it to a rose, where there is both beauty and pain. 

15. Smell The Roses – Roger Waters 

Roger Waters - Smell the Roses (Audio)

Roger Waters is on the list with Smell The Roses, which was released on Is This The Life We Really Want from 2017. This song is an anti-war track, and it’s encouraging everyone to be fighting for what’s right and for peace instead of death and destruction. It’s basically saying wake up and smell the roses, which is a popular saying about looking at what’s really going on right in front of you

16. Mother Rose – Patti Smith 

In 2004, Patti Smith released the song Mother Rose, which is a tribute to her mother who had died a couple of years before. There are a lot of themes about mothers in this track, and she calls her Mami and talks about how she was always there for her. It’s a beautiful track that features lyrics describing her mother as a woman who had roses whirling all around her and how she loved roses but was allergic to them. 

17. Run For The Roses – Dan Fogelberg 

Dan Fogelberg - Run for the Roses (from Live: Greetings from the West)

Run For The Roses makes the list by Dan Folgelberg, which was released in 1981 on the album The Innocent Age. This is a song that has become an anthem in horse racing, and it’s all about everything the horse goes through while racing but talks about how strong they are and powerful, so it uses roses as a metaphor. You’ve probably heard this track if you watch the Kentucky Derby as it’s one of the most famous and common songs used during the event. 

18. Rose In Harlem – Teyana Taylor 

Teyana Taylor - "Rose In Harlem" (KTSE Tour)

Teyana Taylor released Rose In Harlem in 2018 from the album K.T.S.E. This song is partially inspired by the 2Pac poem, and it is about the tribulations one might go through in life. There is mention of the music business as well as having friends that are fake and knowing how to manage those situations. In the track, roses are used to describe all of these various experiences that Taylor has had through the years. 

19. Roses – GASHI

GASHI - Roses (Official Video)

Roses by GASHI is on the list, which is from his 2019 self-titled album. In the song, he talks about his relationship and how it’s slowly going downhill, using roses as the metaphor for it. He also compares the woman to a renegade, and he talks about how even though he has lied to her and made several mistakes, he brings her tulips because she is not a fan of roses. He talks about how things were so much easier when they were both younger. 

20. Every Rose Has Its Thorn – Poison 

Poison - Every Rose Has Its Thorn (Official Music Video)

Glam metal band Poison had a huge hit with Every Rose Has Its Thorn, which is thought to be their signature song. This was released in 1988 on the album Open Up And Say Ahh! The track hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and was the only number-one song that they would have. It’s a power ballad that uses roses as the metaphor for a relationship, talking about the good and the bad, while focusing on the bad and how it’s just a part of life just like roses having thorns. 

It specifically is about how he heard another guy in the background when he was calling his girlfriend while he was on tour, which made it clear she was cheating on him. This track also went to 13 on the UK Singles chart and 11 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart, and it’s considered to be one of the best songs of the 1980s.

21. Roses – Outkast 

Outkast - Roses (Official HD Video)

Outkast released Roses in 2004, which was one of their most well-known songs reaching nine on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It was very popular in Australia and hit two on the Australian Singles chart while peaking at four on the UK Singles chart. 

22. Yellow and Rose – James Taylor 

Up next is James Taylor with Yellow And Rose in 1997 from the album Hourglass. This song is a track about how people had been sent to Australia by the British Crown as a form of punishment, but instead, it helped the people become born again. 

23. Roses Are Red (My Love) – Bobby Vinton 

Roses Are Red (My Love)

Bobby Vinton released the tune Roses Are Red (My Love), which went to number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and also hit number one in countries such as Australia, Norway, New Zealand, and South Africa. This was one of the biggest songs of 1962 and is all about how in love he is with a certain woman, using roses to compare his love for her to the beauty of a rose. 

24. white roses – Greyson Chance 

Greyson Chance - white roses

White Roses is a song by Greyson Chance that he released in 2019, and this pop track is all about how a man realizes he is gay and tries to accept that. It’s a very popular song for those who are questioning their sexuality or trying to come to terms with it.

25. La Vie En Rose – Edith Piaf 

Edith Piaf - La vie en rose (Officiel) [Live Version]

Edith Piaf makes the list with La Vie En Rose from the 1940s, and it’s thought of as her signature song. It has been covered numerous times through the years such as by Bing Crosby, Tony Martin, and Harry James. This track is translated to life in pink, which means seeing life through rose-colored glasses. 

26. Roses Will Bloom Again – Jeff & Sheri Easter 

Jeff & Sheri Easter - Roses Will Bloom Again (Live)

Jeff & Sheri Easter released Roses Will Bloom Again in 1999 from the album By Request. This song is a country gospel track that talks about having hope after losing your loved one. Instead of mourning your significant other who passed away, you should look to God to help you get through it and how He will make sure that you’ll find love again, just like how the roses will come back and bloom once the harsh winter is over. 

27. English Rose – Motörhead 

Next up is English Rose by Motörhead, which comes from their 2008 album Motörizer. This song is all about comparing a woman to a rose and how she can inflict pain on a man but also bring him joy and excitement. In the track, the guy is waiting for the girl to show up, saying that she’s been known to keep him waiting but he will wait as long as it takes because he can’t get enough of this woman.

28. A Dozen Roses (You Remind Me) – Monica 

Monica - A Dozen Roses (You Remind Me) (Video)

Monica is next with A Dozen Roses (You Remind Me), which she released on The Makings Of Me in 2006. This song is all about feeling passion for a guy and being in love with him. It hit the Billboard Hot 100 chart and peaked at 37 while also making it to 48 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. 

29. Rose Of Sharon – Mumford & Sons 

Rose Of Sharon by Mumford & Sons makes our list, and this song compares love and losing someone to the Rose of Sharon, which is found in Israel. When Marcus Mumford’s grandmother died, he was there when it happened and that has helped inspire some of the lyrics in this track. He said he’d never been there when someone died and talked about how life-changing it is and how you’ll never forget that type of experience.

30. Rose Tattoo – Dropkick Murphys 

Dropkick Murphys - "Rose Tattoo" (Video)

Next is Rose Tattoo, which was released in 2012 by the Dropkick Murphys. This song is all about the tattoos that the lead singer has and what they all mean, such as sacrifice, pride, and virtue, and the rose symbolizes love. In the track, he talks about how each of his tattoos means something special to him and how he is proud of each one he has. 

31. The Rose Song – Olivia Rodrigo 

Olivia Rodrigo - The Rose Song (HSMTMTS | Disney+)

The last track on our list is The Rose Song, which is by Olivia Rodrigo, and it comes from High School Musical: The Musical: The Series. This track is all about comparing her relationship to a rose and about how she feels a lot of love for herself and that she is powerful and strong.

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