To a Wild Rose

Song Facts:

• Lyricists: Don Costa, Terry Costa, Kathy Wakefield
• Arranged by: Don Costa

Annotations and Meaning:

The words of "To a Wild Rose" by Kenny Rankin shows out a tender, soft portrait of a figure who is part and parcel of nature, absorbed in its very essence, and symbolizing transient, fragile beauty. The song opens with an ode to a "wild rose," a woman, or young girl, to be carrying the beauty of a wild flower in her garb.

Verse Analysis:

First officially introducing the subject of the song —somebody celestial, but at the same time wild, pure, and naturally graceful—are the opening lines: "Heaven's child, growing wild. Hence the next line, "Luck will style the lady, She is love's baby," meaning that to such an extent has the wild rose been favored by fortune that it should come to be closely related to a theme in regard to love. In the second verse, "Mama should, papa could, No one minds the garden, Time's forgotten," it is implied as a kind of neglect or abandonment, as those who should take care of her had let her grow by herself free and without any guidance. This adds a layer of melancholy to the song, as the wild rose, despite its beauty, is left unattended. Herein are the appeals to higher powers: "God, please tend to her, she will need her sunshine." Emphasis on the wild rose's vulnerability, and she should be taken care of. The plea reiterates basic needs of the wild rose. Herein, the word "sunshine" means "care and attention. Furthermore, the lyrics continue to explain further that the narrator would ideally like to reach this elusive figure: "I want to reach for her, Speak to her, but she's not there," poignantly reinforced by the sense of loss and transient beauty, like a wild rose that sometimes may not be there. The concluding parts of the song, featuring the reflection that the wild rose has moved on and that only sorrow is left behind, "'Now she's gone, wandered on / We won't have tomorrow / Who will hide sorrow / From the wild rose'?—seem to tell of leaving with the respective sad outcome. The wild rose is a symbol of one who "has played, unafraid, By the true rival reason." It tells about an independent and free woman who, actually, was not in care of what other people would say but acted disorderly.

Thematic Reflections:

"To a Wild Rose" addresses issues of natural beauty, issues of innocence and neglect, along with issues of the evanescence of life. The wild rose is a great strong symbol of the delicate beauty on the one hand, and on the other, the flowing time that touches everything alive in an obligatory way. It is the achingly beautiful words of this song and its rich landscape evoked by the imagery that invites the listener to think of beauty around them and to be able to take its life before passing. It reads like a bittersweet recognition of that moment's or that person's brief and yet potent effect in our lives.