Bed of Rose's

Last updated
"Bed of Rose's"
StatlersBedofRoses.jpg
Single by the Statler Brothers
from the album Bed of Rose's
B-side "Last Goodbye"
ReleasedOctober 1970
Recorded1970
Genre Country
Length2:28
Label Mercury 73141
Songwriter(s) Harold Reid
Producer(s) Jerry Kennedy
The Statler Brothers singles chronology
"I'm the Boy"
(1969)
"Bed of Rose's"
(1970)
"New York City"
(1971)

"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. Tanya Tucker also recorded a slightly modified version of it, included on her 1974 Columbia album, Would You Lay with Me (In a Field of Stone), and again for The Best Of Tanya Tucker, released in 1982 under MCA records.

Contents

Content

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. The song is both a challenge of narrow-minded religion and moralism, and a gentle celebration of love.

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 but left 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.

Chart performance

Chart (1970–1971)Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report) [2] 33
US Hot Country Songs ( Billboard ) [3] 9
US Billboard Hot 100 [4] 58
Canadian RPM Country Tracks3
Canadian RPM Top Singles86

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Me and Bobby McGee</span> Song by Kris Kristofferson and Fred Foster

"Me and Bobby McGee" is a song written by American singer-songwriter Kris Kristofferson and originally performed by Roger Miller. Kristofferson and Miller are distant cousins in the Chenoweth family tree surname. Fred Foster shares the writing credit, as Kristofferson wrote the song based on a suggestion from Foster. A posthumously released version by Janis Joplin topped the U.S. singles chart in 1971, making the song the second posthumously released No. 1 single in U.S. chart history after "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" by Otis Redding. Gordon Lightfoot released a version that reached number 1 on the Canadian country charts in 1970. Jerry Lee Lewis released a version that was number 1 on the country charts in December 1971/January 1972 as the "B" side of "Would You Take Another Chance On Me." Billboard ranked Joplin's version as the No. 11 song for 1971.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tanya Tucker</span> American singer and songwriter

Tanya Denise Tucker is an American country music singer and songwriter who had her first hit, "Delta Dawn", in 1972 at the age of 13. During her career Tucker became one of the few child performers to mature into adulthood without losing her audience; she had a streak of top-10 and top-40 hits. She has had several successful albums, several Country Music Association award nominations, and hit songs including 1973's "What's Your Mama's Name?" and "Blood Red and Goin' Down", 1975's "Lizzie and the Rainman", 1988's "Strong Enough to Bend", and 1992's "Two Sparrows in a Hurricane". Tucker's 2019 album While I'm Livin' won the Grammy Award for Best Country Album, and "Bring My Flowers Now" from that same album won Tucker a shared songwriting Grammy for Best Country Song.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Delta Dawn</span> 1972 song written by Collins & Harvey

"Delta Dawn" is a song written by musician Larry Collins and country songwriter Alex Harvey. The first notable recording of the song was in 1971 by American singer and actress Bette Midler for her debut album. However it is best known as a 1972 top ten country hit for Tanya Tucker and a 1973 US number one hit for Helen Reddy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul Davis (singer)</span> Musical artist

Paul Lavon Davis was an American singer and songwriter, best known for his radio hits and solo career that started worldwide in 1970. His career encompassed soul, country, and pop. His most successful songs are 1977's "I Go Crazy", a No. 7 pop hit that once held the record for the longest chart run on the Billboard Hot 100, and 1982's "'65 Love Affair", which at No. 6 is his highest-charting single. Another pop hit, "Cool Night", was released in 1981. In the mid-1980s, he also had two No. 1 country hits as a guest vocalist on songs by Marie Osmond and Tanya Tucker.

"Almost Persuaded" is a song written by Glenn Sutton and Epic Records producer Billy Sherrill and first recorded by David Houston in 1966. It is not to be confused with the Christian hymn of the same name.

"The Happiest Girl in the Whole USA" is a country and pop music song written, composed, and recorded by Donna Fargo. It is written in the voice of a newlywed girl, sung to her new husband. It has since become her signature song.

"All I Have to Offer You " is a song written by Dallas Frazier and A.L. "Doodle" Owens, and recorded by American country music artist Charley Pride. It was released in June 1969 as the first single from his compilation album The Best of Charley Pride.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">She's All I Got</span>

"She's All I Got" is a song written by Gary U.S. Bonds and Jerry Williams Jr. It has been recorded by several artists. The first version, released in 1971 by Freddie North, was a Top 40 U.S. pop hit, and a version by Johnny Paycheck was a number 2 U.S. country hit that same year. A second country music version was released on Conway Twitty's 1972 Decca LP I Can't See Me Without You. There was also a version titled "He's All I Got" that was on Tanya Tucker's 1972 album Delta Dawn. Yet another cover titled "Don't Take Her She's All I've Got" was released by Tracy Byrd, whose version reached number 4 on the U.S. and Canadian country singles charts. Co-author Jerry Williams Jr., aka Swamp Dogg, released his own version on his 2020 album Sorry You Couldn’t Make It.

"Fifteen Years Ago" is a song written by Raymond Smith, and recorded by American country music artist Conway Twitty. It was released in September 1970 as the first single and title track from the album Fifteen Years Ago. The song was Twitty's fifth number one on the U.S. country singles chart. The single stayed at number one for a single week and spent a total of 16 weeks on the chart.

"Would You Lay with Me (In a Field of Stone)" is a song written by David Allan Coe and recorded by American country music artist Tanya Tucker. It was released in December 1973 as the first single and title track from the album Would You Lay with Me (In a Field of Stone). It topped the U.S. country chart on March 30, 1974, for one week and was Tucker's third number-one song on the chart. On the Billboard Hot 100, the song peaked at number 46. Only her 1975 number-one country hit, "Lizzie and the Rainman", performed better on the pop chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Just Another Love</span> 1986 single by Tanya Tucker

"Just Another Love" is a song written by Paul Davis, and recorded by American country music artist Tanya Tucker. It was released in June 1986 as the second single from the album Girls Like Me. Paul first recorded it and released it in 1978 on his Singer of Songs - Teller of Tales album on Bang Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">It's Only Over for You</span> 1987 single by Tanya Tucker

"It's Only Over for You" is a song written by Mike Reid and Rory Bourke, and recorded by American country music artist Tammy Wynette for her 1985 album Sometimes When We Touch. In 1986, the song was recorded by Michael Johnson for his album Wings and Tanya Tucker for her album Girls Like Me. Tucker's version was released in March 1987 as the fourth single from Girls Like Me. It reached number eight on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart.

<i>Bed of Roses</i> (album) 1970 studio album by The Statler Brothers

Bed of Rose's is the fourth studio album by the Statler Brothers and the first one recorded for Mercury Records. One of two singles from the album, "Bed of Rose's" reached #9 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tanya Tucker singles discography</span>

The singles discography of American country artist, Tanya Tucker, contains 89 lead singles, six featured singles, two promotional singles, one additional charting song, 18 lead music videos and three featured music videos. Tucker's career was launched in 1972 when she was 13 years old. That year, her debut single called "Delta Dawn" was released. It went to number six on the America's Billboard Hot Country Songs chart and number 72 on the Hot 100. It was followed by three consecutive number one Billboard singles in 1973: "What's Your Mama's Name", "Blood Red and Goin' Down" and "Would You Lay with Me ".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Loretta Lynn singles discography</span> Single discography of American singer-songwriter Loretta Lynn

American country artist Loretta Lynn released 86 singles, two B-sides and 14 music videos. Her debut single was "I'm a Honky Tonk Girl" (1960) via Zero Records. Promoting the song with her husband by driving to each radio station, the effort paid off when it peaked at number fourteen on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. Arriving in Nashville, Tennessee, that year, she signed a recording contract with Decca Records. In 1962, "Success" reached the sixth position on the country songs chart, starting a series of top ten hits including "Wine Women and Song" and "Blue Kentucky Girl". She began collaborating with Ernest Tubb in 1964 and recorded four hit singles with him, including "Mr. and Mrs. Used to Be". Lynn's popularity greatly increased in 1966 when she began releasing her own compositions as singles. Among the first was "You Ain't Woman Enough " which reached the second position on the country songs list. She then reached the number one spot with "Don't Come Home A-Drinkin' " (1967). This was followed by "Fist City" (1968) and "Woman of the World " (1969).

"Find Out What's Happenin'" is a song written by Jerry Crutchfield and recorded by Bobby Bare for his 1968 album The English Country Side, which he recorded with a group from England called The Hillsiders. The song peaked at number 15 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart.

"Should I Do It" is the title of a song composed by Layng Martine Jr. which in 1981 was a minor C&W hit for Tanya Tucker, becoming a Top 40 hit in 1982 for the Pointer Sisters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lynn Anderson singles discography</span>

The singles discography of American country music artist Lynn Anderson contains 72 singles, three promotional singles, one charting B-side, two music videos and nine other song appearances. She signed her first recording contract with Chart Records in 1966. The following year, her single "Ride, Ride, Ride" debuted on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart. Also in 1967, her single "If I Kiss You " became her first major hit when it reached number five on the country singles chart. Anderson had a series of hits that reached the top ten and 20 during the 1960s including "Promises, Promises" (1969), "No Another Time" (1968), "Big Girls Don't Cry" (1968) and "That's a No No" (1969).

"Spring" is a song written by John Tipton, recorded by American country music artist, Tanya Tucker. It was released in May 1975 and reached the top 20 of the American and Canadian country songs charts. It was among Tucker's final singles released by the Columbia label. It was the first single from her compilation album You Are Beautiful.

"Daddy and Home" is a song originally recorded by American country singer-songwriter, Jimmie Rodgers. It was composed by Rodgers, along with Elsie McWilliams. Rodgers first cut the song himself in 1929 and had since been recorded by a series of artists since its original composition. It was notably covered by Tanya Tucker, who released it as a single in 1989. It was also included on her studio album titled, Strong Enough to Bend

References

  1. Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944-2006, Second edition. Record Research. p. 330.
  2. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 291. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
  3. "The Statler Brothers Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
  4. "The Statler Brothers Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.