“The Rose” was written and first recorded by Amanda McBroom, but it became famous when Bette Midler performed it for the 1979 film The Rose. Released as a single in 1980, the song helped define Midler’s career. The song’s meaning centers on how people experience love, including the ways fear and pain can get in the way.
Below is a breakdown of the lyrics in “The Rose,” with a closer look at the ideas behind each line and what they reveal about love, pain, and hope.
“The Rose” Lyrics Meaning: Line by Line
Verse 1: What Love Is and Isn’t
Some say love, it is a river
That drowns the tender reed
These lines describe love as something powerful enough to destroy the weak. A river can give life, but it can also overwhelm and crush.
A reed is a delicate plant that grows near water, easily bent or broken by a strong current. Calling someone a “tender reed” suggests vulnerability.
Love, in this case, is seen as a force that can drown those who aren’t strong enough to stay afloat.
Some say love, it is a razor
That leaves your soul to bleed
Here, love is compared to a blade. It cuts deep, not just physically but emotionally.
This idea sees love as something that causes lasting pain, even trauma, leaving wounds that may not heal easily.
Some say love, it is a hunger
An endless aching need
This presents love as a craving that never goes away.
It’s not about connection but about longing, emptiness, and the constant feeling that something’s missing.
Love becomes an addiction or obsession here.
I say love, it is a flower
And you, its only seed
After listing all the painful views of love, this line offers something gentler.
It’s saying that love is life-giving. It starts small, like a seed, and it depends on someone to grow.
This view focuses on possibility and personal responsibility. Love needs care, time, and belief to flourish.
Verse 2: Fear That Holds Us Back
It’s the heart, afraid of breaking
That never learns to dance
This part shows how fear can stop people from even trying. If someone is too scared of getting hurt, they’ll miss out on joy.
“Dancing” here stands in for freedom, love, and connection. It’s about people who avoid risks and stay stuck.
It’s the dream, afraid of waking
That never takes the chance
Some people would rather stay in fantasy than risk real-life disappointment.
These lines speak to how fear of reality can keep someone from chasing what they really want.
Dreams only mean something when they’re followed.
It’s the one who won’t be taken
Who cannot seem to give
This part suggests that someone who refuses to be vulnerable or chosen by someone else may also be unable to truly give love.
There’s a need to be open, not just guarded. Love requires trust and letting go of control.
And the soul, afraid of dying
That never learns to live
Here, she’s saying that if someone is too afraid of loss, change, or death, they might never fully live.
Love is part of life, and fear can keep someone from ever really feeling it.
Verse 3: Hope Beneath the Pain
When the night has been too lonely
And the road has been too long
This is about exhaustion. Nights feel empty, and life feels like a long, hard journey.
It describes those moments when everything feels too difficult and love feels far away or impossible.
And you think that love is only
For the lucky and the strong
This is about people who feel broken or left out.
If someone believes love is only for certain types of people, like the confident, good-looking, or successful, they might give up on finding it themselves.
Just remember in the winter
Far beneath the bitter snows
Lies the seed that with the sun’s love
In the spring becomes the rose
This section sets up a strong contrast.
Winter feels cold and harsh, a time when nothing seems to grow. But beneath the frozen ground, a seed lies hidden, waiting for warmth.
Nurtured by the sun, it eventually grows into a rose, a symbol of hope and new life.
The message is that even during tough, painful times, love and healing can still take root and bloom with patience.
“The Rose” Song Meaning: Love Grows When You Let It
“The Rose” is mainly about the many ways people view love and how fear can keep them from finding it. It shows how pain, past trauma, and insecurity can make someone guard themselves so tightly that they miss out on a big part of life.
But the song doesn’t stay stuck in fear. It ends with a gentle but powerful message: love is a process. It starts small, often hidden, and it needs care to grow.
“The Rose” says that no matter how much pain someone has gone through, love can still bloom if they give it a chance.
Songs Like “The Rose”
If you’re a fan of “The Rose,” here are other songs with a similar message:
1. “Both Sides Now” by Joni Mitchell
“Both Sides Now” looks at love from different angles, from its beauty to its disappointments. The lyrics are honest about the confusion and change that come with growing older.
Related: “Both Sides Now” Song Meaning
2. “Landslide” by Fleetwood Mac
“Landslide” deals with fear of change and the passage of time. Like “The Rose,” it wrestles with vulnerability and the desire to grow through pain.
Related: What is “Landslide” About?
3. “Let It Be” by The Beatles
“Let It Be” offers comfort in hard times, reminding listeners to surrender to life’s challenges with faith. Its message of quiet resilience matches the hopeful tone of “The Rose.”
Related: “Let It Be” Lyrics Meaning
4. “I Will Always Love You” by Dolly Parton
“I Will Always Love You” is about the heartbreak of letting someone go while still holding love for them. It echoes the tender honesty found in “The Rose.”
Related: Great Karaoke Songs for Women
5. “The Dance” by Garth Brooks
“The Dance” is about the beauty of experiences, even when they end in pain. It shares the same belief that love is worth the risk, no matter how it ends.
Conclusion: The Quiet Power of Believing in Love
“The Rose” doesn’t sugarcoat the pain that can come with love. It acknowledges fear, loss, and the ways people protect themselves from being hurt.
But the heart of the song is simple: love is still worth it. It takes time, courage, and faith, but when it grows, it becomes something beautiful.
You can listen to “The Rose” on Spotify and Amazon.
Check out more of our 1980s Song Meanings!