Rose Garden (Lynn Anderson Song)
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"Rose Garden" (sometimes titled "(I Never Promised You A) Rose Garden") is a song written in 1967 by American singer-songwriter
Joe South Joe South (born Joseph Alfred Souter; February 28, 1940 – September 5, 2012) was an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. Best known for his songwriting, South won the Grammy Award for Song of the Year in 1970 for " Ga ...
. It was first recorded by
Billy Joe Royal Billy Joe Royal (April 3, 1942 – October 6, 2015) was an American country soul singer. His most successful record was " Down in the Boondocks" in 1965. Life and career Born in Valdosta, Georgia, to Clarence and Mary Sue Smith Royal, and rai ...
on his 1967 studio album ''Billy Joe Royal Featuring "Hush"''. Versions by South himself and
Dobie Gray Dobie Gray (born Lawrence Darrow Brown; July 26, 1940 – December 6, 2011) was an American singer and songwriter whose musical career spanned soul, country, pop, and musical theater. His hit songs included " The 'In' Crowd" in 1965 and "Dr ...
appeared shortly after the original. Gray's version became a minor hit in North America in 1969. In 1970,
Lynn Anderson Lynn Renée Anderson (September 26, 1947 – July 30, 2015) was an American country singer and television personality. Her crossover signature recording, "Rose Garden," was a number one hit in the United States and internationally. She charte ...
recorded "Rose Garden" after hearing Joe South's version. However, Anderson's producer rejected the song's recording because he did not consider it to be a female tune. After much convincing, the song was eventually recorded and released as a single by
Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music, Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of Japanese Conglomerate (company), conglomerate Sony. It was founded on Janua ...
. The song became a
crossover Crossover may refer to: Entertainment Albums and songs * ''Cross Over'' (Dan Peek album) * ''Crossover'' (Dirty Rotten Imbeciles album), 1987 * ''Crossover'' (Intrigue album) * ''Crossover'' (Hitomi Shimatani album) * ''Crossover'' (Yoshino ...
hit after it reached both the American ''Billboard'' country and pop charts. "Rose Garden" also became a major hit worldwide, reaching the number one spot in multiple countries. "Rose Garden" has since been recorded by artists of various styles and musical genres. Notable covers include those by
k.d. Lang Kathryn Dawn Lang (born November 2, 1961), known by her stage name k.d. lang, is a Canadian pop and country singer-songwriter and occasional actress. Lang has won Juno Awards and Grammy Awards for her musical performances. Hits include the s ...
in 1985 and
Martina McBride Martina Mariea McBride (née Schiff, born July 29, 1966) is an American country music singer-songwriter and record producer. She is known for her soprano singing range and her country pop material. McBride was born in Sharon, Kansas, and relocat ...
in 2005. Yet it is Anderson's version that has been considered a
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, ...
standard and signature
country pop Country pop (also known as pop country or urban cowboy) is a fusion genre of country music and pop music that was developed by members of the country genre out of a desire to reach a larger, mainstream audience. Country pop music blends genres ...
recording. In recent years, the song has appeared in various music publications.


Background, composition and early versions

According to South, he drew inspiration for "Rose Garden" from the confidence he obtained as a songwriter. In the years before the song's composition, South had collaborated with
Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...
and was inspired by his songwriting technique. "Before him, there was this idea that you could only use certain words or images in pop songs, but he started putting in words that you’d expect to just find in books and in poetry. He opened everything up," he recalled in 1994. After working with Dylan, South's writing style shifted and his songs became more successful. His 1965 composition " Down in the Boondocks" became a hit for
Billy Joe Royal Billy Joe Royal (April 3, 1942 – October 6, 2015) was an American country soul singer. His most successful record was " Down in the Boondocks" in 1965. Life and career Born in Valdosta, Georgia, to Clarence and Mary Sue Smith Royal, and rai ...
, as did "
Hush Hush may refer to: Film and television * ''Hush'' (1921 film), starring Clara Kimball Young * ''Hush'' (1998 film), starring Gwyneth Paltrow * ''Hush!'' (film), a 2001 Japanese film directed by Ryosuke Hashiguchi * ''Hush'' (2005 film), starring ...
" for
Deep Purple Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in London in 1968. They are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal music, heavy metal and modern hard rock music, but their musical style has changed over the course of its existence. Ori ...
in 1968. Although South recorded his own version, Billy Joe Royal had cut "Rose Garden" first. The song first appeared on Royal's 1967 studio album ''Billy Joe Royal featuring Hush''. The song and its corresponding album were recorded in July 1967 in
Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
, Georgia. The album was later released in November 1967, but the song was not issued as a single. South's version was first released as an album track on his 1968 debut studio release, ''Introspect''. It was cut at the Positive Record Production Studio in 1968. The session for the song was produced by South himself. The album was released on
Capitol Records Capitol Records, LLC (known legally as Capitol Records, Inc. until 2007) is an American record label distributed by Universal Music Group through its Capitol Music Group imprint. It was founded as the first West Coast-based record label of note ...
and appeared as the second track on the project. Bruce Eder of
Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
praised "Rose Garden" in his review of ''Introspect'', commenting that South's version was "worth hearing". In 1969, American
rhythm and blues Rhythm and blues, frequently abbreviated as R&B or R'n'B, is a genre of popular music that originated in African-American communities in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly ...
artist
Dobie Gray Dobie Gray (born Lawrence Darrow Brown; July 26, 1940 – December 6, 2011) was an American singer and songwriter whose musical career spanned soul, country, pop, and musical theater. His hit songs included " The 'In' Crowd" in 1965 and "Dr ...
recorded "Rose Garden". Gray's version was the first to be released as a single to mainstream radio. "Rose Garden" was released on
White Whale Records White Whale Records was an American independent record label, founded in 1965 by Ted Feigin and Lee Lasseff in Los Angeles, California, and probably best known as the record label of The Turtles and a handful of one-hit wonder bands. White Whale, i ...
in 1969. The recording was a collaborative production effort among several producers including
Brent Maher Brent Maher is a producer, engineer, and songwriter currently residing in Nashville, Tennessee. He has produced and engineered six Grammy-winning records and received awards from the CMA, ACM, CCMA, ASCAP, SOCAN and NSAI. Maher engineered cl ...
. Gray's version reached low charting positions on the American and Canadian pop music charts following its release. In the United States, "Rose Garden" peaked at number 19 on the ''Billboard''
Bubbling Under Hot 100 Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (also known as Bubbling Under the Hot 100) is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States. The chart lists the top songs that have not yet charted on the main ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Chart ...
singles chart. In Canada, the single peaked at number 89 on the RPM Top Singles list.


Dobie Gray version


7-inch vinyl single

* "Rose Garden" – 2:57 * "Where's the Girl Gone" – 2:15 ;Chart performance


Lynn Anderson version


Background and recording

In 1970,
Lynn Anderson Lynn Renée Anderson (September 26, 1947 – July 30, 2015) was an American country singer and television personality. Her crossover signature recording, "Rose Garden," was a number one hit in the United States and internationally. She charte ...
's exposure on the ''
Lawrence Welk Show ''The Lawrence Welk Show'' is an American televised musical variety show hosted by big band leader Lawrence Welk. The series aired locally in Los Angeles for four years, from 1951 to 1955, then nationally for another 16 years on ABC from 1955 ...
'' led to the major label
Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music, Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of Japanese Conglomerate (company), conglomerate Sony. It was founded on Janua ...
signing her to their country roster. She had previously recorded for an independent label and had several country hits there, including "
If I Kiss You (Will You Go Away) "If I Kiss You (Will You Go Away)" is a popular 1967 song by country singer Lynn Anderson. Summary "If I Kiss You" became Anderson's first top-ten single, paving the way for eight number ones and 18 top tens to come. Anderson's first single "Rid ...
" (1967). After switching to Columbia, Anderson moved to
Nashville, Tennessee Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the List of muni ...
, to further elevate her country music career. Under Columbia, Anderson worked with her husband (and producer)
Glenn Sutton Royce Glenn Sutton (September 28, 1937 – April 17, 2007) was an American country music songwriter, record producer, and one of the architects of the ''countrypolitan'' sound. Biography Sutton wrote or co-wrote many of Tammy Wynette's early h ...
. Anderson's style shifted towards
country pop Country pop (also known as pop country or urban cowboy) is a fusion genre of country music and pop music that was developed by members of the country genre out of a desire to reach a larger, mainstream audience. Country pop music blends genres ...
once collaborating with Sutton and she began looking for songs that suited this style. Her first country-pop hit released on the label was 1970's "
Stay There, Till I Get There "Stay There, Till I Get There" is a song written by Glenn Sutton. It was recorded by American country music artist Lynn Anderson and released as a single in February 1970 via Columbia Records. Background and release "Stay There, Till I Get There ...
," which Sutton wrote and produced. The pair began looking for new country pop material following her first Columbia single success. Anderson brought in Joe South's version of "Rose Garden" to record. However, Sutton originally refused to record it. "Glenn told me that I could not record the song because it was not a girl's song — that the song had some lines in it that a girl just would not sing! Like the line 'I could promise you things like big diamond rings' that a girl would not sing," Anderson recalled. According to Sutton, after she continued to bring in the song, he decided to record it. "I had objected to it because it was a man's song and I didn't wanna do it, but she kept bringin' it in with her – she loved it," Sutton recounted. "Rose Garden" was cut in August 1970 at the Columbia Recording Studio, located in Nashville. Sutton produced the track. Sutton recalled that a first version was recorded with a "straight, boring beat." However, when guitarist
Ray Edenton Ray Quarles Edenton (November 3, 1926 – September 21, 2022) was an American guitar player and country music session musician. Early life Ray Edenton was born into a musical family on November 3, 1926, and grew up near Mineral, Virginia. His f ...
reworked the introduction, it was re-recorded in 20 minutes. Strings were also added to the second recording after
Billy Sherrill Billy Norris Sherrill (November 5, 1936 – August 4, 2015) was an American record producer, songwriter, and arranger best known for his association with country artists, notably Tammy Wynette and George Jones. Sherrill and business partner Gle ...
had offered his string musicians to Sutton. He agreed and had arranger Cam Mullins write the string section for the track.


Release and reception

"Rose Garden" was not intended to be released as a single. The decision was changed after Sutton had met with Columbia Records president,
Clive Davis Clive Jay Davis (born April 4, 1932) is an American record producer, A&R executive, record executive, and lawyer. He has won five Grammy Awards and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a non-performer, in 2000. From 1967 to 1 ...
. Sutton recalled that Davis had been in Nashville attending a disc jockey convention. The pair were spending time during the convention while Sutton was mixing "Rose Garden." Davis heard the song and said to Sutton, "I'll talk to you in a little while, we got a meeting right now. That's her next single. Get that mixed. That's great, that's a smash." The song was officially released as a single in October 1970. It peaked at number one on the ''Billboard''
Hot Country Singles 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, spending five weeks at the top of the survey between 1970 and 1971. "Rose Garden" also crossed over to the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 where it became a major hit, peaking at number three in February 1971. It also became a top ten hit on the Easy Listening Singles chart, reaching the number five position. Internationally, "Rose Garden" became a major hit in 16 other countries. In the
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
for example, the single reached number three in 1971. The song's popularity was also evident in sales. After selling 500,000 copies, "Rose Garden" was certified gold from the
Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
. "Rose Garden" became Anderson's biggest hit and signature song in her career. Anderson's version has been reviewed positively since its release. David Cantwell and Bill Friskics-Warren included her 1970 recording in their 2003 book ''Heartaches by the Number: Country Music's 500 Greatest Singles'', highlighting its arrangement. "The opening strings, lots of them, ominous and unforgettable, snap your head back like a slap in the face", Cantwell wrote, also noting "the most pinched, manic pedal-steel guitar you've ever heard," they commented. For
Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
,
Stephen Thomas Erlewine Stephen Thomas Erlewine (; born June 18, 1973) is an American music critic and senior editor for the online music database AllMusic. He is the author of many artist biographies and record reviews for AllMusic, as well as a freelance writer, occ ...
praised Anderson for "fine, sweet vocals" while calling the lyrics "appealing, albeit predictable" and the "I never promised you a rose garden" line from the chorus a cliché. Markpos Papadatos of the ''Digital Journal'' called the record "a classic country song" after announcing its 45-year anniversary.


Legacy

Since its release, Anderson's version of "Rose Garden" has been considered a country and crossover music standard. Mary Bufwack and Robert K. Oermann commented on the song's legacy in their book ''Finding Their Voice: The History of Women in Country Music''. "Her 'Rose Garden' of 1970 ushered in a decade of 'crossover' country women whose music reached out to the broader pop marketplace and dramatically expanded country music's national notoriety," they said. Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic called it "a virtual standard during the '70s," due to it being covered by multiple artists in that decade. The song was also included on
Country Music Television Country Music Television (CMT) is an American pay TV network owned by Paramount Media Networks, a division of Paramount Global. Launched on March 5, 1983, as Country Music Television, CMT was the first nationally available channel devoted to coun ...
's 2003 list of the "100 Greatest Songs in Country Music." In 2019, ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
'' named "Rose Garden" in its list "20 Songs That Defined the Early Seventies," describing the song as "an optimistic anthem that also served as a splash of cold water to the face" during the
Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...
. Anderson reflected on the song's legacy as well. "It was popular because it touched on emotions. It was perfectly timed. It was out just as we came out of the Vietnam years and a lot of people were trying to recover," she commented.


7-inch vinyl single

* "Rose Garden" – 2:52 * "Nothing Between Us" – 2:49


Chart performance

;Weekly charts ;Year-end charts


Certifications


Other versions

Notable versions of "Rose Garden" appeared by music artists of various genres.
Johnny Mathis John Royce Mathis (born September 30, 1935) is an American singer of popular music. Starting his career with singles of standard music, he became highly popular as an album artist, with several dozen of his albums achieving gold or platinum s ...
recorded the track for his 1971 studio album '' Love Story''. Writer Joe Viglione praised the production of Mathis' cover. "As a pure pop tune, it works very well, a standout performance chock-full of backing vocalists and unique instrumentation. This could have been a hit for Mathis, as it goes beyond the usual formula of "let's put some sweet accompaniment behind the voice and let Johnny do his thing," he commented. Also in 1971, a cover version by the Australian group
New World The term ''New World'' is often used to mean the majority of Earth's Western Hemisphere, specifically the Americas."America." ''The Oxford Companion to the English Language'' (). McArthur, Tom, ed., 1992. New York: Oxford University Press, p. 3 ...
reached number 15 on the UK Singles Chart. In 1988, Canadian
synthpop Synth-pop (short for synthesizer pop; also called techno-pop; ) is a subgenre of new wave music that first became prominent in the late 1970s and features the synthesizer as the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s a ...
group
Kon Kan Kon Kan is a Canadian synthpop project conceived and formed in 1988 by Barry Harris in Toronto, Ontario. Kon Kan were awarded a 1990 Juno for the song "I Beg Your Pardon" and nominated for a 1991 Juno Award for the single " Puss N' Boots/Thes ...
sampled Lynn Anderson's version of "Rose Garden" for their song "
I Beg Your Pardon "I Beg Your Pardon" is the debut single by Canadian synth-pop duo Kon Kan, from their 1989 debut album '' Move to Move''. It was written by Kon Kan member Barry Harris, and American musician Joe South, who is credited due to the song's sampling o ...
". The song became a major hit in several countries including the United Kingdom where it reached the top 5, and the United States, where it reached the top 20 on the Hot 100. Japanese composer
Kyōhei Tsutsumi (born Eikichi Watanabe, 28 May 1940 - 7 October 2020), was a Japanese composer, record producer and arranger. Tsutsumi began his career as a songwriter about 1966, and he came to prominence as a composer of Ayumi Ishida's chart-topping hit "Blu ...
used the melody of the song as the basis for
Saori Minami (Real Name: Akemi Shinoyama (篠山 明美), née, Akemi Uchima (内間 明美); Christian Name: Cynthia) is a Japanese retired J-pop singer-songwriter. She was born in Okinawa on July 2, 1954. In the 1970s, and for a brief 6 years from 19911997 ...
's " 17-sai", which peaked at No. 2 on
Oricon , established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan and Western music. It started as, which was founded by Sōkō Koike in Nov ...
's singles chart in 1971. "17-sai" was then covered by
Chisato Moritaka (born 11 April 1969) is a Japanese pop singer who also is notable as a songwriter. She is affiliated with Up-Front Create, a subsidiary of the Up-Front Group.
in 1989, reaching No. 8 on the same chart.


k.d. lang version

Among the song's notable covers was by Canadian artist
k.d. lang Kathryn Dawn Lang (born November 2, 1961), known by her stage name k.d. lang, is a Canadian pop and country singer-songwriter and occasional actress. Lang has won Juno Awards and Grammy Awards for her musical performances. Hits include the s ...
who released "Rose Garden" as a single. lang's version was recorded at CTS Studios and was produced by
Dave Edmunds David William Edmunds (born 15 April 1944) is a Welsh singer-songwriter, guitarist and record producer. Although he is mainly associated with pub rock and new wave, having many hits in the 1970s and early 1980s, his natural leaning has alwa ...
. It first appeared on her studio album ''
Angel with a Lariat ''Angel with a Lariat'' is the second album by k.d. lang and the Reclines, released in 1987. This was the first release outside of Canada. Track listing #"Turn Me Round" (Ben Mink) – 3:13 #"High Time for a Detour" (lang, Mink) – 4:09 #"Diet ...
,'' which was credited as "k.d. lang and the Reclines." "Rose Garden" was released as the album's second single, with "Turn Me Around" being the album's first. The single version of "Rose Garden" did not credit her band, the Reclines. The song became lang's first major hit as a music artist. It reached the top ten of the Canadian RPM Adult Contemporary Songs chart, peaking at number seven. It also made an entry on the RPM Country Songs chart, where it reached number 45. lang's version of "Rose Garden" received a mixed reception from critics. Mark Deming of Allmusic praised the song, calling her version one "that actually tops the original." When reviewing ''Angel with a Lariat'', Jack Hurst of the ''
Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television ar ...
'' noted that the song's production (along with the album's other tracks) lacked a focus on lang's singing. "Producer Dave Edmunds has supervised the making of an excellent-sounding country-rock album from the musical point of view, but he unfortunately paid little attention to lang`s singing, often covering it up entirely."


7-inch vinyl single

* "Rose Garden" – 3:19 * "High Time for a Detour" – 4:09


Chart performance


Martina McBride version

In 2005, American country artist
Martina McBride Martina Mariea McBride (née Schiff, born July 29, 1966) is an American country music singer-songwriter and record producer. She is known for her soprano singing range and her country pop material. McBride was born in Sharon, Kansas, and relocat ...
recorded a cover of "Rose Garden" for her album of classic country songs, '' Timeless''. The song was chosen as the lead single for the album and it was released on August 1, 2005. The song was recorded at the Blackbird Studio, located in
Nashville, Tennessee Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the List of muni ...
in 2005. Released on
RCA Nashville RCA Nashville is an American country music record label based in Nashville, Tennessee. It is distributed by Sony Music Nashville which is part of Sony Music. Current artists *Kane Brown *Andrew Jannakos *Miranda Lambert *Niko Moon (RCA/River Hou ...
, the single's name was stylistically changed to "(I Never Promised You A) Rose Garden". McBride's version spent a total of 22 weeks on the ''Billboard'' Hot Country Songs chart and became a major hit by the end of the year. In December 2005, the song peaked at number 18 on the chart. The single also charted at number 98 on the Hot 100 after spending only two weeks there. McBride's version received positive reviews by writers and music critics. Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic called the track a song that remains "a radio staple to this day." Along with the other tracks on ''Timeless'', Erlewine noted that McBride had "range, power, and subtlety as a vocalist, as well as her skill as an interpreter." Arden Lambert of ''Country Thang Daily'' also gave McBride's version a positive review. "Even if Anderson owns the songs, we can say that McBride did an amazing cover of it. She kept the original melody of it but added her own magic into the song. Martina McBride wonderfully sang the song that gave Lynn Anderson a boost in her career," Lambert commented.


Digital download single

* "(I Never Promised You A) Rose Garden" – 3:16


Chart performance


References


Footnotes


Books

* *


External links


Lynn Anderson biography and "Rose Garden" info
at Lynn Anderson Rose Garden * {{Authority control 1967 songs 1969 singles 1970 singles 1971 singles 1987 singles 2005 singles Columbia Records singles Dobie Gray songs Joe South songs Lynn Anderson songs K.d. lang songs Martina McBride songs New World (band) songs Cashbox number-one singles Irish Singles Chart number-one singles Number-one singles in Belgium Number-one singles in Germany Number-one singles in Australia Number-one singles in New Zealand Number-one singles in Norway Number-one singles in Switzerland RPM Top Singles number-one singles RCA Records Nashville singles Songs written by Joe South Songs about flowers Sire Records singles RAK Records singles