A Good Year for the Roses

There is no explanation for this, but often when I am outdoors fussing with my rosebushes, especially doing some cuttings, this old ballad tickles my brain every late spring when the rosebushes start their bloom. The earworm of this classic country tune will stay with me for hours. 

In 1970, "A Good Year for the Roses" sung by American country singer, George Jones (1931-2013) sang the ballad and the song rose to #2 on the Country-Western singles charts. 

Billboard magazine's 1972 Country Songwriter of the Year, Jerry Chestnut (1931-2018) was the author of the song. He had written songs for some of the best such as Dolly Parton, Johnny Cash, and Elvis Presley. Jerry's inspiration for the song, A Good Year for the Roses, started when he had built a new house by a lake and the sidewalk up to the house he landscaped with Jackson & Perkins hybrid tea roses. 

The first year, Jerry's roses did well with large and numerous blooms. The second year they did not fare as well as when he first planted the roses. Jerry contacted the garden center and asked what he was doing wrong. The man at the garden center explained that it was due to the wet weather and then said, "Jerry, to be honest with you, it's just not been a good year for the roses."

In later years Jerry needed some inspiration for a song and remembered his year of the roses. He was inspired that when everything in life was going wrong like country-western songs often lament such as when the truck breaks down, the dog runs away, the baby is crying, and the spouse cheated - - at least it's been a good year for the roses. 

In 1994, George aka the "Ol' Possum" would record his famous song again, but this time with Alan Jackson" -  A Good Year for the Roses for the Bradley Barn Sessions recordings. 

For me? In my yard? As you can see from my photos, "It's been a good year for the roses. Many blooms still linger there..."