"Buy Me a Rose" is a song written by Jim Funk and Erik Hickenlooper, and recorded by American

country music Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, ...

artist

Kenny Rogers Kenneth Ray Rogers (August 21, 1938 – March 20, 2020) was an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2013. Rogers was particularly popular with country audiences but also charted mo ...

. It was released in October 1999 as the third single from his album ''

She Rides Wild Horses ''She Rides Wild Horses'' is the twenty-third studio album by American country music singer Kenny Rogers. It was released in 1999 on his own Dreamcatcher Records label. The album includes the singles "The Greatest," "Slow Dance More" and "Buy Me a ...

''. Upon reaching Number One on the ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'' Hot Country Singles & Tracks (now

Hot Country Songs Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States. This 50-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly by collecting airplay data from Nielsen BDS along with digital sal ...

) charts in May 2000, the song made Rogers (who was 61 years old at the time) the oldest country singer to have a Number One hit. "Buy Me a Rose" was not only his first Number One single since 1987's " Make No Mistake, She's Mine" (a duet with

Ronnie Milsap Ronnie Lee Milsap (born Ronald Lee Millsaps; January 16, 1943) is an American country music singer and pianist. He was one of country music's most popular and influential performers of the 1970s and 1980s. Nearly completely blind from birth, ...

), but also the only Number One for both

Alison Krauss Alison Maria Krauss (born July 23, 1971) is an American bluegrass-country singer and musician. She entered the music industry at an early age, competing in local contests by the age of 8 and recording for the first time at 14. She signed with ...

and

Billy Dean William Harold Dean Jr. (born April 2, 1962) is an American country music singer and songwriter. He first gained national attention after appearing on the television talent competition ''Star Search''. Active as a recording artist since 1990, h ...

, both of whom received chart credit for performing background vocals on the song. It was also Rogers' only Number One for his personal label, Dreamcatcher Records. The song also hit #13 on the

Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks The Adult Contemporary chart is published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine and lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary radio stations in the United States. The chart is compiled based on airplay data submitted to ''Billboard'' by stat ...

chart in 2004 for

Luther Vandross Luther Ronzoni Vandross Jr. (April 20, 1951 – July 1, 2005) was an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. Known for his sweet and soulful vocals, Vandross has sold over 40 million records worldwide. He achieved eleven consecutive P ...

Content

"Buy Me a Rose" is a ballad, telling of a husband who attempts to please his wife with material objects, such as a "three-car garage and her own credit cards." The wife remains unsatisfied, however, as she prefers simpler gestures, such as the husband purchasing her a rose from a

florist Floristry is the production, commerce, and trade in flowers. It encompasses flower care and handling, floral design and arrangement, merchandising, production, display and flower delivery. Wholesale florists sell bulk flowers and related sup ...

, or having a door held open for her, implying that he should also mind his manners. By the third verse, the singer reveals that he is actually the husband in the story; in addition, he states that he has finally realized what his wife desires. The song ends with him finally making that realization ("So I bought you a rose on the way home from work...").

Chart performance

"Buy Me a Rose" entered the ''Billboard''

Hot Country Singles & Tracks Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States. This 50-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly by collecting airplay data from Nielsen BDS along with digital sal ...

chart at number 62 on the chart dated October 30, 1999, reaching Number One in May 2000, and spending a total of 37 weeks on the charts. It is also the only Number One single for

and

, both of whom received chart credit for their backing vocals. Rogers, who was 61 at the time the song peaked, also set a record for the oldest singer to have a No. 1 hit on the country charts. Rogers held this record for three years until it was broken by

Willie Nelson Willie Hugh Nelson (born April 29, 1933) is an American country musician. The critical success of the album ''Shotgun Willie'' (1973), combined with the critical and commercial success of ''Red Headed Stranger'' (1975) and '' Stardust'' (197 ...

who, at age 70, reached Number One as a duet partner on

Toby Keith Toby Keith Covel (born July 8, 1961), known professionally as Toby Keith, is an American country music singer, songwriter, actor, and record producer. He released his first four studio albums—1993's ''Toby Keith'', 1994's ''Boomtown'', 1996' ...

's 2003 single "

Beer for My Horses "Beer for My Horses" is a song recorded by American country music artists Toby Keith and Willie Nelson. It was written by Keith and Scotty Emerick for Keith's seventh studio album, '' Unleashed''. The song was released as the album's fourth and f ...

". It is Rogers' final charting top 40 hit on the Billboard Pop chart. "Buy Me a Rose" was also the first independently-released song to top the country charts since "

Baby's Got a New Baby "Baby's Got a New Baby" is a song written by J. Fred Knobloch and Dan Tyler, and recorded by American country music Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern Unit ...

" by

S-K-O S-K-O, originally known as Schuyler, Knobloch and Overstreet, was an American country music vocal group consisting of Thom Schuyler, J. Fred Knobloch, and Paul Overstreet. The original line-up recorded one album for MTM Records and charted three c ...

(Schuyler, Knoblock, and Overstreet) did so in 1987.

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Luther Vandross version

R&B/

soul In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun ''soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest attes ...

singer-songwriter

covered the song for his 2003 album '' Dance with My Father''. Vandross' version peaked at number 13 on the U.S. ''Billboard''

chart in 2004.

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

References

{{authority control 1999 singles 2004 singles Kenny Rogers songs Alison Krauss songs Billy Dean songs Vocal collaborations Luther Vandross songs J Records singles 1999 songs Country ballads Pop ballads