Flowers On A Grave
by Bush

Album: The Kingdom (2020)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This tormented rocker finds Bush lead singer Gavin Rossdale covered in loneliness like flowers on a grave. "Every song is just a different mood of where I'm at and what I'm feeling," he said in a Songfacts interview. "I write about emotions, and we all experience similar emotions: fear, pain, loss, joy, hope. All those deep emotions are around us all the time, and they're all trading places consistently."
  • This song was written before the coronavirus took hold, but soon after it was released, much of the world was under quarantine. Lyrically, it fit the mood, as many of us were feeling lonely and depressed. Rossdale certainly didn't anticipate this when he wrote it, but he's found many of his songs portend to moods and events that later occur.
  • Bush got to perform this song just once - at the House Of Blues in Las Vegas on February 28, 2020 - before the coronavirus pandemic wiped out any further concerts. The band went ahead and released the song on March 4 and posted the video on March 18, but they pushed back the album release, which was scheduled for May. Rossdale wanted the album to be part of the celebration when the pandemic ceased. "It's going to be a global party," he said in his Songfacts interview. "And when you have a big record like this to go with it, when people gather together again for big festivals or big shows, that's the sign that we've really beaten the virus and we've come back stronger."
  • The video was directed by Bush's go-to director, Jesse Davey. It takes place at a house in what appears to be one continuous shot (light flashes are used for edit points). The camera follows Rossdale and he enters different rooms and encounters an intriguing array of women. "I wanted all these different characters in there," he told Songfacts. "We've got the heathen nurse, the dancer, the weird wolf-girl and other strange characters. We're limited because we don't have big budgets anymore, so I would have loads more if I had a bigger budget. But we saw this house, and the house is an incredible space."

    According to Rossdale, they thought the continuous shot idea would make for a quick shoot, but it ended up being a 12-hour shoot, with much of that time spent rehearsing.

Comments: 3

  • Dutch from Iowa, UsaGavin is a brilliant song writer and has a way of spinning some of the worst situations into a positive light. I think this song is dealing with the loss of love and even though it hurts and the pain is real it’s not the end of us. He specific states that suicide isn’t the answer. (Easy on the suicide) The loss of love is profound and can leave us broken an empty. (The sadness is the emptiness) we feel with loss. The Memories of that love are the shadows in the rain, the loss shrouds is, covers us in loneliness and can make us feel like death (flowers on a grave). If it’s real love, deep, and emotional love, you always feel that connection no matter how much time passes. Yet, even though they are gone completely we have to find the will be alive and will be alright. (I feel you in me, although you’re gone completely, I’m still alive, I’m alright)
  • Matt Peacock from Buffalo Nythe song is amazing I love it and what it means to me. Have to admit I put it on repeat and listened to it about 6 times in a row. Lol
  • Rjb from Fwood TxBushisheavy
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Susanna Hoffs - "Eternal Flame"

Susanna Hoffs - "Eternal Flame"They're Playing My Song

The Prince-penned "Manic Monday" was the first song The Bangles heard coming from a car radio, but "Eternal Flame" is closest to Susanna's heart, perhaps because she sang it in "various states of undress."

Did They Really Sing In That Movie?

Did They Really Sing In That Movie?Fact or Fiction

Bradley Cooper, Michael J. Fox, Rami Malek, Reese Witherspoon, Gwyneth Paltrow and George Clooney: Which actors really sang in their movies?

Linda Perry

Linda PerrySongwriter Interviews

Songwriting Hall of Famer Linda Perry talks about her songs "What's Up" and "Beautiful," her songwriting process, and her move into film music.

Martin Page

Martin PageSongwriter Interviews

With Bernie Taupin, Martin co-wrote the #1 hits "We Built This City" and "These Dreams." After writing the Pretty Woman song for Go West, he had his own hit with "In the House of Stone and Light."

Al Kooper

Al KooperSongwriter Interviews

Kooper produced Lynyrd Skynyrd, played with Dylan and the Stones, and formed BS&T.

Jason Newsted (ex-Metallica)

Jason Newsted (ex-Metallica)Songwriter Interviews

The former Metallica bassist talks about his first time writing a song with James Hetfield, and how a hand-me-down iPad has changed his songwriting.