Songs about flowers aren’t hard to come by. They run the gamut in style from heavy metal to folksy ballads, as well as broach themes like love, death, empowerment, and family. Check out some of the greatest flower songs from the last 60 years.
Kiss From a Rose by Seal
Some of this song’s many interpretations suggest it could be a song about a trippy drug experience or purely an expression of love. While Seal has never explained its cryptic lyrics, we can all agree that if you think of songs about flowers, Seal’s Kiss From a Rose quickly comes to mind.
Every Rose Has Its Thorn by Poison
This song reveals the softer side of the 80s metal band Poison, and ironically, it’s the only one to top the Billboards. The lyrics of this breakup song suggest that for every good, there is a bad.
Daisies by Katy Perry
Not every song about flowers is about failed relationships; it can also be about overcoming obstacles, just like Katy Perry’s 2020 song called Daisies. In this uplifting pop, Perry sings, “I’ll never let ’em change me till they cover me in daisies.”
Wildflowers by Tom Petty
This song’s simple chords and lyrics deliver a sweet yet powerful sentiment, with Petty singing, “You belong among the wildflowers…you belong somewhere you feel free.”
Supermarket Flowers by Ed Sheeran
Sheeran wrote this tune to commemorate his late grandmother, who left him with the best memories. Some of those memories include the “supermarket flowers on the windowsill” as well as a life full of love.
Dead Flowers by The Rolling Stones
One of the darkest songs about flowers on this list, The Rolling Stones’ 1971 hit Dead Flowers is about losing the love of your life and turning to substances to drown the pain.
Bed of Roses by Bon Jovi
One of the most popular 90s songs about flowers, this ballad by glam metal band Bon Jovi made girls weak in the knees. Little did they know the lyrics were about all the unfaithful mistakes the lead singer made as a rocker on the road; he realizes, however, that his wife is the only one he wants.
The Rose by Bette Midler
Many songs also use “flowers” as a symbol of innocence and fragility, as demonstrated in Bette Midler’s The Rose. In this 1979 hit song, the lyrics encourage listeners to take a chance on love even if “you think that love is only for the lucky and the strong.”
Lotus Flower by Radiohead
This 2011 hit from Radiohead is a must-listen. Aside from the dancey beat paired with Thom Yorke’s falsetto creating a distinct eery sound, the lyrics are poetic, using the lotus’ slow flowering as a symbol for two persons taking their time to open up to each other.
You Don’t Bring Me Flowers by Barbra Streisand and Neil Diamond
This legendary duet song from Barbra Streisand and Neil Diamond is about lovers who recall how easy their love used to be. He used to bring her flowers and “couldn’t wait to love [her],” but even though it’s not the same, it’s still hard to say goodbye.
Dead Flowers by Miranda Lambert
This 2009 country song from Miranda Lambert compares dead flowers to a love fizzling out. Lambert makes other vivid analogies to love dying, like Christmas lights in January and like the tires on a car that eventually wear out.
Blue Orchid by The White Stripes
In Blue Orchid, The White Stripes are speaking out against child abuse by using the blue orchid as a metaphor for the purity of a child being tainted, or in this case turned blue, by abuse.
Lilac Wine by Jeff Buckley
Jeff Buckley’s cover of Lilac Wine has a more haunting vibe than Nina Simone’s original version, though the message remains the same. The singer is despondent over the loss of a lover, so to cope, he drowns his troubles in lilac wine.
I Never Promised You a Rose Garden by Lynn Anderson
This 1967 country song might be upbeat and catchy, but don’t be fooled! It’s not your typical feel-good song. Once you hear the verse, you’ll soon realize that this song is about a person reminding their lover that they’ve never promised a rose garden, along with the sunshine.
Cherry Blossom Girl by Air
Air’s 2004 Cherry Blossom Girl song can sound a little bit trippy with its guitar plucks paired with sci-fi reverberations, but you’ll appreciate its lyrics, which is about a cherry blossom girl whom the singer can’t seem to impress.
Plastic Roses by Jessica Sanchez
Plastic Roses is a soulful pop song about the feeling that someone’s love is fake, like plastic roses. The singer reminds herself that, “Don’t you dare fall for it. That’s what I tell myself as I lie here on the floor.”
Marigold by Nirvana
Written by legendary songwriter and drummer David Grohl, Marigold, which was released in 1993, is about the difficulty of coming to terms with, owning, and sharing one’s truth.
Flowers by Miley Cyrus
We’re ending our list of songs about flowers that dominated the 2023 airwaves – Miley Cyrus’ Flowers. This feminist anthem asserts that she can do all the things for herself that a man might otherwise do. Does it sound familiar? Well, the chorus of the song is a paraphrased version of Bruno Mars’ When I Was Your Man.
Other Songs About Flowers
- Where Have All the Flowers Gone by Pete Seeger
- Tiptoe Through the Tulips by Tiny Tim
- Push Th’ Little Daisies by Ween
- Two Dozen Roses by Shenandoah
- Paper Roses by Marie Osmond
- For The Roses by Joni Mitchell
- Virginia Bluebell by Miranda Lambert
- Dozen Roses and Six-Pack by Cole Swindell
- Wildwood Flower by The Carter Family
- Run For The Roses by Dan Fogelberg
- Black Roses Red by Alana Grace
- Sunflower by Post Malone feat. Swae Lee
- Sugar Magnolia by Grateful Dead
- Eighteen Yellow Roses by Bobby Darin
- Yellow Roses by Dolly Parton