Flower's Grave

Tom Waits

Someday the silver moon and I will go to dreamland
I will close my eyes and wake up there in dreamland
And Tell me who will put flowers on a flower's grave?
Who will say a prayer?

Will I meet a China rose there in dreamland?
Or does love lie bleeding in dreamland?
Are these days forever and always?

And if we are to die tonight
Is there a moonlight up ahead?
And if we are to die tonight
Another rose will bloom

For a faded rose
Will I be the one that you save?
I love when it showers
But no one puts flowers
On a flower's grave

As one rose blooms and another will die
It's always been that way
I remember the showers
But no one puts flowers
On a flower's grave

And if we are to die tonight
Is there a moonlight up ahead?
I remember the showers
But no one puts flowers
On a flower's grave


Lyrics submitted by merchantpierce

Flower's Grave Lyrics as written by Thomas Alan Waits Kathleen Brennan

Lyrics © JALMA MUSIC

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

Flower's Grave song meanings
Add Your Thoughts

15 Comments

sort form View by:
  • +2
    General CommentI love this song so much that I've planted love lies bleeding in my garden since I first heard it.
    fletchermaineon January 06, 2011   Link
  • +1
    General CommentEvery time you open the newspaper or turn on the news theres some tragedy, some conflict, some hopeless struggle to be informed about somewhere in the world. I think Waits is dreaming of happier times, perhaps the joy in hope. "No one puts flowers on a flowers grave," meaning that no one will remember and reflect on happier moments in time.
    mrfilmon January 30, 2005   Link
  • +1
    General CommentThis song being from the album Alice, consider the scene in Alice In Wonderland where Alice meets the live flowers.
    laurelinwyntreon September 07, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General CommentThis is my favorite song by Tom Waits. I'm not really sure what it means but I think it's slightly amusing that when people die we put flowers on their grave, in this act we are killing a flower. But when a flower dies nobody goes out and kills a person to place them over a dead flower. I don't think thats what Waits is trying to get at but thats what it made me think of. Besides that I think this song is just so beautiful, one of my all time favorites.
    Remingtonmareon May 07, 2004   Link
  • 0
    General CommentThis is my favorite song by Tom Waits. I'm not really sure what it means but I think it's slightly amusing that when people die we put flowers on their grave, in this act we are killing a flower. But when a flower dies nobody goes out and kills a person to place them over a dead flower. I don't think thats what Waits is trying to get at but thats what it made me think of. Besides that I think this song is just so beautiful, one of my all time favorites.
    Remingtonmareon May 07, 2004   Link
  • 0
    General CommentThis is my favorite song by Tom Waits. I'm not really sure what it means but I think it's slightly amusing that when people die we put flowers on their grave, in this act we are killing a flower. But when a flower dies nobody goes out and kills a person to place them over a dead flower. I don't think thats what Waits is trying to get at but thats what it made me think of. Besides that I think this song is just so beautiful, one of my all time favorites.
    Remingtonmareon May 07, 2004   Link
  • 0
    General CommentSry it sent that 3 times...
    Remingtonmareon May 07, 2004   Link
  • 0
    General CommentA flower's job is to make people happy. I think this song is about Tom's mortality and his place in the world. When another rose blooms to take his place I think he is reflecting on the world after he is gone. Questioning if he will be the one she saves (puts in a scrapbook or dries out etc) he asks if he was special or if he will be forgotten.
    armorgnomeon April 18, 2009   Link
  • 0
    My InterpretationI think this song is simply about an old man pondering death.

    And also, it's incredibly beautiful.
    TheEmilon August 15, 2009   Link
  • 0
    My InterpretationJust listened to this song again and felt overwhelmed at the relevance it had to where I personally am right now.
    I feel like Tom's flowers are a signifier of his empathy/sympathy/sorrow/ capacity to mourn. Perhaps he or the subject of the song was dealing with a lot of other people's problems, family, friends, whoever...I feel like it might be an outcry in that sense. If the subject is focusing all his energy into others, who is there for him/her at the end of it all. Be interested to know if that is incredibly solipsistic or if anyone else feels the same?
    Lovely lovely song either way.
    kitesurfkiton January 05, 2011   Link

Add your thoughts

Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.

Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!

Back to top