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Good Year For The Roses Lyrics
I can hardly bear the sight of lipstick
on the cigarettes there on the ashtray
lying all the way you left them
but at least your lips caressed them
while you packed
or the lip ring on a half filled cup of coffee
that you poured and didn't drink
but at least you thought you wanted it
that's so much more than I can say for me
what a good year for the roses
many blooms still linger there
lawn could stand another mowing
funny I don't even care
As you turned to walk away
As the door behind you closes
the only thing I have to say
Its been a good year for the roses
After 3 full years of marriage
its the first time that you haven't made the bed
I'll guess the reason we're not talking
is so little left to say we haven't said
While a million thoughts go racing through my mind
I find I haven't said a word
From the bedroom the familiar sound
of young babies crying goes unheard
(Repeat Chorus)
on the cigarettes there on the ashtray
lying all the way you left them
but at least your lips caressed them
while you packed
that you poured and didn't drink
but at least you thought you wanted it
that's so much more than I can say for me
many blooms still linger there
lawn could stand another mowing
funny I don't even care
As the door behind you closes
the only thing I have to say
Its been a good year for the roses
its the first time that you haven't made the bed
I'll guess the reason we're not talking
is so little left to say we haven't said
I find I haven't said a word
From the bedroom the familiar sound
of young babies crying goes unheard
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The lyrics for this are pretty self-explanatory, basically about the break-up of a marriage. I think the title comes from the irony that it's been a good year for the roses but a bad year for the couple in the song.
Yeah it's about the breakdown of a marriage. I think the title is more sort of 'if you cant say anything good dont say anything at all' sort of idea. The singer has nothing good to say about the marriage, so he latches on to the one positive there is about their household at the moment.
It's very self-explanatory as both of you pointed out. The irony behind the title is what makes it. At the end of the marriage, it's all he can bear to say. I love the part about the coffee that she didn't finish - I think that line is so strong, 'at least you thought you wanted it...that's so much more than I can say for me'. Not my fav Costello song, but powerful nonetheless.
cover of a george jones song
You got it originally done by George Jones
Has noone ever thought about the title as more than an irony contrasting the roses to the couple in the song? Since their marriage is on the brink of breaking apart and they got so used to living together ("I guess the reason we're not talkin', there's so little left to say we haven't said") he never buys her roses anymore. In that respect "it's been a good year for the roses" because they haven't been cut for him to give them to her.
It's really simple, roses need lots of crap/fertiliser to bloom well. A good year for the roses means that there's been plenty of crap around
The lyrics don't reflect a breakup. They indicate that both are deeply depressed. They're depressed because their baby died. You don't ignore your baby because you're breaking up the familiar sound of a baby's cryin' goes unheard," Its unheard because the baby died.