Roses

Album: Growing Pains (2007)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • In this song Blige describes how hard it is for her producer husband Kendu Isaacs to deal with her when she's premenstrual. She told the Daily Telegraph February 7, 2008 about this song: "'Roses' is about just those days, and all women know which ones I mean!" She added that the song was Isaacs' idea. "I'd had a terrible day the day before I recorded it - I just wanted to be in a dark hole with sweet and salty things and not be bothered. My husband was asking me what was wrong and I said: 'The exact same thing that was wrong with me last month.' I lost my cool, I lost my mind, I was just really emotional. So the next day in the studio, my husband said: 'OK, talk about how you feel,' and I said, 'Give me the green light and I'm going for it.' I freestyled it. And when I heard myself saying the things I'd been thinking, like 'you suck it up, you figure it out', I made myself laugh."
  • Blige also sang about her monthly woes in "PMS," from her 2001 album, No More Drama.
  • Blige wrote this with Christopher "Tricky" Stewart and Terius "The-Dream" Nash, the team behind Rihanna's hit "Umbrella."
  • Growing Pains, Blige's eighth studio album, earned her the ninth Grammy of her career when it won the award for Best Contemporary R&B Album in 2009. She won her first Grammy in 1996 for "I'll Be There for You/You're All I Need to Get By," a duet with Method Man, which was named Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Is That Song Public Domain?

Is That Song Public Domain?Fact or Fiction

Are classic songs like "Over The Rainbow" and "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" in the public domain?

Tim McIlrath of Rise Against

Tim McIlrath of Rise AgainstSongwriter Interviews

Rise Against frontman Tim McIlrath explains the meanings behind some of their biggest songs and names the sci-fi books that have influenced him.

Adam Young of Owl City

Adam Young of Owl CitySongwriter Interviews

Is Owl City on a quest for another hit like "Fireflies?" Adam answers that question and explains the influences behind many others.

Gary LeVox

Gary LeVoxSongwriter Interviews

On "Life Is A Highway," his burgeoning solo career, and the Rascal Flatts song he most connects with.

Soul Train Stories with Stephen McMillian

Soul Train Stories with Stephen McMillianSong Writing

A Soul Train dancer takes us through a day on the show, and explains what you had to do to get camera time.

Terry Jacks ("Seasons in the Sun")

Terry Jacks ("Seasons in the Sun")Songwriter Interviews

Inspired by his dear friend, "Seasons in the Sun" paid for Terry's boat, which led him away from music and into a battle with Canadian paper mills.