More rose songs... (Updated!)

Yesterday's post on For The Sake Of The Song told the unfortunate story of a man under a court order to buy 124,000 roses for his wife. After reading the post I was surprised to find 47 different rose songs on my i-pod. No other flower comes close, not even "flower" itself.

Flower = 24
Daisy = 5
Lily = 4
Blossom = 4
Orchid = 3
Tulip = 1
Dandelion = 1
Violet = 1

Obviously the rose is a popular symbol--especially in country songs. Maybe it has something to do with the thorn? Anyway, here are eight more "rose" songs with a country flavor:

Waylon Jennings - Black Rose (buy album).
Here's one from my all time favorite country LP. Waylon sings Shaver.

George Jones - Wine Colored Roses (buy album).
A classic George Jones weeper. "When she sees the wine-colored roses, they'll tell her I'm still on the wine." Do ya think?

Merle Haggard - I Threw Away The Rose (buy album).
Hag's cautionary tale about the perils of social drinking.

Bob Wills - San Antonio Rose (buy album).
This version comes from Bob Wills last album, a feel-good reunion with the old Playboys in the early 1970s.

Bill Monroe - My Little Georgia Rose (buy album).
Here's a good one from the father of bluegrass.

Patsy Cline - A Poor Man's Roses (Or A Rich Man's Gold) (buy album).
Patsy faces a tough choice: Love or money.

Emmylou Harris - Roses In The Snow (buy album).
I just love Emmylou.

Lucinda Williams - Like A Rose (out of print).
Here's one from Lucinda's superb (and out-of-print) self-titled album. If you are a fan of songwriting, this one's a must have.

UPDATE! – Thanks to suggestions from Brendan, Cato, and Robert, here are three more great rose songs:

The Kinks – Rosemary Rose (buy album).
This one comes from the deluxe three-disc version of The Village Green Preservation Society, which is probably one of my top five albums of all time. GET IT!

Neil Young – Love Is A Rose (buy album).
Linda Ronstadt had a hit with a cover version of this tune.

Nick Lowe – The Rose Of England (buy album).
I just love this song. Nick Lowe knows how to write a catchy pop tune.

[Check sidebar for more mp3s.]

Pocahontas, Marlon Brando, and Me

Listen: Johnny Cash - Pocahontas (buy album)

Wasn't that good? It really works for me. Powerful images, understated yet dramatic delivery, bold and intersting instrumentation (cello, flute). Epic. American.

It's rare for a popular musician to produce such compelling music so late in their career. So this song, a Neil Young cover available on the excellent Unchained box set, stands as a real testament to the abilities of both Cash and producer Rick Rubin.

Pitchfork's reviewer didn't agree. He objected to Rubin's decision to add the cello and flute, a la Eleanor Rigby, and wished that Johnny could have just stuck to his old "tunk-tukka-tunk" style of the 1950s: Pitchfork review.

I give it "two thumbs up": One for Cash's intense delivery and one for Young's striking, if somewhat unusual, lyrics. Each part compliments the other.

Let me know what you think (and I won't be offended if you agree with Pitchfork).

Here's Neil Young's original version of the same song:

Neil Young - Pocahontas (buy album).


Question: Is Johnny doing his best Marlon Brando impersonation in that photo above?