Featured Unknown/Underrated Song of the Rock Era: "Love is a Rose" by Linda Ronstadt

We're already up to #69 in The Top 100 Female Artists of the Rock Era*, and we haven't heard this lady's name called yet.  Where will she rank?  Stay tuned as Inside The Rock Era features each one of The Top 100* through February.

The reasons why a song doesn't make the Top 10 are many--usually, it's because it's not good enough.  But as we have chronicled, there are often reasons why it did not make it, but should have.  In this case, this song was jumping up the charts when another song, "Heat Wave", was generating excitement.  The record label, Asylum, switched priorities, and released "Heat Wave" as a single instead, putting this song on the "B" side.  Actually what they should have done is to release "Heat Wave" as a separate single, and they likely would have had two Top 10 hits instead of one.

 

"Love is a Rose"

Linda Ronstadt

 

Music and Lyrics by Neil Young

 

Love is a rose but you better not pick it
Only grows when it's on the vine
Handful of thorns and you'll know you've missed it
Lose your love when you say the word mine

I wanna see what's never been seen
I wanna live that age-old dream
Come on boy let's go together
Let's take the best right now

Love is a rose but you better not pick it
Only grows when it's on the vine
Handful of thorns and you'll know you've missed it
Lose your love when you say the word mine

I wanna go to an old hoedown
Long ago in a western town
Pick me up 'cause my feet are dragging
Give me a lift and I'll hay your wagon

Love is a rose but you better not pick it
Only grows when it's on the vine
Handful of thorns and you'll know you've missed it
Lose your love when you say the word mine

Love is a rose but you better not pick it
Only grows when it's on the vine
Handful of thorns and you'll know you've missed it
Lose your love when you say the word mine

Mine

Love is a rose
Love is a rose
Love is a rose
Love is a rose

Love is a rose
Love is a rose
Love is a rose
Love is a rose
Love is a rose
Love is a rose
Love is a rose
Love is a rose
Love is a rose
Love is a rose