Elvis Costello - A Good Year For The Roses

I can hardly bear the sight of lipstick
On the cigarettes there in the ashtray
Lyin' cold the way you left 'em
But at least your lips caressed them while you packed
Or the lip-print 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
The lawn could stand another mowin'
Funny I don't even care
As you turn to walk away
As the door behind you closes
The only thing I have to say
It's been a good year for the roses

After three full years of marriage
It's the first time that you haven't made the bed
I guess the reason we're not talkin'
There's so little left to say we haven't said
While a million thoughts go racin' through my mind
I find I haven't said a word
From the bedroom the familiar sound
Of one baby's cryin' goes unheard

What a good year for the roses
Many blooms still linger there
The lawn could stand another mowin'
Funny I don't even care
As you turn to walk away
As the door behind you closes
The only thing I have to say
It's been a good year for the roses

• Category

  Music

[heartlandrails]

RIP George. and thanks Elvis

[nickbaldeagle01]

Hmmm...The lip print on a a half filled cup of coffee that you poured and didn't drink...then how did the lip print get on the cup if someone didn't drink it? If it was half filled then maybe she drank half of it and left the rest. This needs investigating further if you ask me.

[fr4nk1303]

Maybe she liked 2 spoons of coffee in her drink, but it was Thursday and the coffee was almost out so she put the 1 spoon in and only half filled it ?

[fr4nk1303]

lol



[Hans Moerdijk]

She took a dirty cup from the sink.



[Paul Castillo]

@Grandpa. Although George Jones was both an exceptional and prolific artist, I'm guessing you don't know much about Mr. McManus. Over the course of his career, Elvis Costello has played and recorded just about every genre known to music. Whatesver genre he is recording at the time sounds like his genre of expertise. By the way. I have never used the word genre so many times in one paragraph in my entire life.

[Ukulelelov3r]

Really? that would make Elvis Costello my grandad and im pretty sure he isn't...

[Ukulelelov3r]

the "weird kids" are my mum and auntie, and they are both living happy life's thanks for your concern.

[Maurice Mickelwhite]

as for the lipstick on the coffee that she didn't drink.... stop being so frickin' pedantic... read next line... pretty obvious that "she" tried it but didn't drink it all... get a bloody grip. great tune btw.

[JohnQ1127]

An "unrequited love" refers to a person who is love with somebody but that person does not reciprocate the same feeling back.

You would assume that since this couple has been married, they were "both" in love with each other at some point. This song is about a dissolution of a marriage yet the singer is making an ironic comment contrasting the situation with the nice roses in the yard.

Songs about unrequited love: My Cherrie Amour, Just My Imagination, and Everybody Plays the Fool.

[GeriHew]

Maybe your view of how feelings of "unrequited love" can be experienced is a little narrow. I mean, try googling "unrequited love in a marriage" and you will find lots of stuff about it.