Bed of Rose's
| "Bed of Rose's" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by The Statler Brothers | ||||
| from the album Bed of Rose's | ||||
| B-side | "Last Goodbye" | |||
| Released | October 1970 | |||
| Genre | Country | |||
| Length | 2:28 | |||
| Label | Mercury 73141 | |||
| Writer(s) | Harold Reid | |||
| Producer(s) | Jerry Kennedy | |||
| The Statler Brothers singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"Bed of Rose's" is a song written by Harold Reid, and recorded by American country music group The Statler Brothers. It was released in October 1970 as the first single and title track from the album Bed of Rose's. The song reached its popularity peak in the winter of 1971, eventually reaching the Top 10 of the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart, peaking at number nine.[1] It also reached #58 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #51 on the Australian Singles Chart (Go-Set). A cover version by Irish singer/songwriter Daniel O'Donnell was also recorded for his 1990 album Daniel O'Donnell - Favourites.
Content
A young orphaned man in a small town (possibly modeled after the Statlers' hometown of Staunton, Virginia) has for some reason become shunned by the "polite" members of society, and is forced to beg in the streets. His life improves when a streetwalker named Rose, nearly twice his age, takes him in; he becomes her lover. The song juxtaposes the hypocrisy of the nominally Christian townspeople who would "go to church and leave me in the street" and their envy of Rose who "managed a late evening business / like most of the town wished they could do", with the care and tender love that evolves between the two outcasts. The song is both a challenge of narrowminded religion and moralism, and a gentle celebration of love, in some ways not unlike the theme of Luke 7:36-50.[2] The title of "Bed of Rose's" is, like some of the other Statler Brothers' works, a play on words - in this case on the common English idiom "bed of roses", which means an easy and pleasant life.
In popular culture
The song is featured on the soundtrack of the game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, and is on the K-Rose radio station in the game.
Chart performance
| Chart (1970–1971) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles | 9 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 58 |
| Canadian RPM Country Tracks | 3 |
| Canadian RPM Top Singles | 86 |
References
- ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944-2006, Second edition. Record Research. p. 330.
- ↑ "And one of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him. And he went into the Pharisee’s house, and sat down to meat. And, behold, a woman in the city, who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster box of ointment, and stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment. Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner. And Jesus answering said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he saith, Master, say on. 'There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty. And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most?' Simon answered and said, 'I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most'. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged. And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, 'Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head. Thou gavest me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet. My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment. Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.' And he said unto her, 'Thy sins are forgiven'. And they that sat at meat with him began to say within themselves, Who is this that forgiveth sins also? And he said to the woman, 'Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace'."