About The Song
“Rose in Paradise” is a song performed by Waylon Jennings, released in 1987 as a single from his album Hangin’ Tough on MCA Records. Written by Stewart Harris and Jim McBride, the song became one of Jennings’ late-career hits, peaking at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart on March 21, 1987, and charting for 18 weeks. The 3:41 track tells a dramatic tale of love and betrayal, with lyrics like: “She was a rose in a garden of thorns / And she grew from a seed in the dirt.”
Jennings recorded the song in 1986 at Mesa Recording Studios in Nashville, Tennessee, produced by Jimmy Bowen. The session featured The Waylors, with Ralph Mooney on steel guitar, Barny Robertson on keyboards, and Richie Albright on drums, alongside session musicians including a string section arranged by Bergen White. The arrangement blends traditional country with a cinematic feel, incorporating Mooney’s steel guitar, strings, and Jennings’ weathered vocals, enhancing the song’s storytelling. The album Hangin’ Tough reached No. 14 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart and sold over 300,000 copies by 1988, per RIAA records.
The song’s selection came as Jennings continued to explore narrative-driven material, drawn to Harris and McBride’s story of a woman’s rise and fall. Recorded during a period of resurgence for Jennings, it showcased his ability to deliver emotionally charged performances. In a 1987 interview with Country Music magazine, Jennings said: “It’s a story that sticks with you, and I wanted to sing it right.” The track gained exposure through its inclusion in the 1987 television special Country Music Awards, aired on CBS, featuring a live performance.
Covers of the song include a 1988 version by The Statler Brothers on Maple Street Memories and a 1990 rendition by Pam Tillis on Put Yourself in My Place, per SecondHandSongs. A live performance from a 1987 Grand Ole Opry appearance was released on the 2009 album Waylon Live: Expanded Edition. The song appeared in the 1990 film Days of Thunder, used in a dramatic racing scene, and in a 2019 episode of Yellowstone, featured during a tense family moment. Jennings performed it with Jessi Colter at a 1987 concert in Austin, Texas, later released on the 1988 album Waylon & Jessi: Full Circle.
Jennings frequently included “Rose in Paradise” in his live sets, notably at the 1987 Fourth of July Picnic in Austin, Texas, hosted by Willie Nelson, where it captivated the crowd. The song was performed at the 1988 Farm Aid benefit concert in Louisville, Kentucky, and featured in a 2021 documentary, Waylon Jennings: Late Hits, aired on PBS, exploring his later career. The track remains a standout in Jennings’ catalog, often paired with other narrative-driven songs, reflecting his storytelling prowess.
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Lyric
She was a rose in a garden of thorns
And she grew from a seed in the dirt
Born where no rose should ever grow
Among the dregs of the earthRose in paradise, heaven in her eyes
Rose of the golden sun, she was the oneHer path led to the end of the line
Where she lived with the bondsman’s son
They were torn apart by a gun in his hand
And a life on the runRose in paradise, heaven in her eyes
Rose of the golden sun, she was the oneNow her outlaw’s in the ground or in jail
And the story’s been told
Of a girl from a garden of thorns
Who was a rose of the desert coldRose in paradise, heaven in her eyes
Rose of the golden sun, she was the oneRose in paradise, heaven in her eyes
Rose of the golden sun, she was the one