Rose
A Perfect Circle · Mer De Noms [2000]
The beast
The tempermental goat
The snail while he's feeding on
the Rose
Stay frozen, compromising
What I will
I am
Bend around
The wind silently
thrown about
Again I'm treading so
Soft and lightly
Compromising my will
I am
I am
I will
So no longer
Will I
Lay down
Play dead
Play your doe
in the headlights locked down
and terrified
Your deer in the headlights
shot down and horrified when
Push comes to pull comes to shove
Comes to step around this
Self-destructing dance that never
would've ended till I
Rose
I roared aloud here
I will
I am
I am
I will
So no longer
Will I
Lay down
Lay dead
Play this
Kneel down
Gun-shy Martyr
Pitiful
I rose, I roared
I will
I am
Rose - A Perfect Circle
Released on the 2000 album Mer De Noms, "Rose" stands as a defining track in the post-grunge and alternative rock canon. The song showcases the band's signature blend of melodic sensibility and heavy, driving instrumentation, characteristic of their work during the early 2000s. With lyrics exploring themes of love and loss, the recording captures the emotional intensity that defined A Perfect Circle's discography at the time. It remains a staple of their catalog, often cited as a key example of the band's ability to merge atmospheric production with powerful vocal delivery. The track has since become a cultural touchstone, frequently covered and referenced in discussions of the era's most influential rock recordings.