You Can't Go Where The Roses Go
Marianne Faithfull · Decca Years 1965-1967 [2007]
The ones that we picked out.
And I turned around to cry,
I could not help myself.
I know where the roses go
Who do what they should do,
And baby, you won't go where the roses go
If you can't be true.
Today I saw the roses die,
The ones that we picked out.
As I stood there I could see
I could not help them now.
I know where the roses go
Who do what they should do,
And baby, you won't go where the roses go
If you can't be true.
Don't you want to walk where the flowers play
Beneath the sky of gold,
Where the little white doves fly by the hour
Singing our love will never grow cold ?
Oh, today I saw the roses die,
The ones that we picked out.
And I hoped that you could tell
What it was all about.
I know where the roses go
Who do what they should do,
And baby, you won't go where the roses go
If you can't be true.
You won't go there
If you can't be true.
You can't go there
If you can't be true.
You won't go there
If you can't be true ...
You Can't Go Where The Roses Go
Recorded in 1965, Marianne Faithfull's 'You Can't Go Where The Roses Go' stands as a defining track from her early solo career, capturing the raw vulnerability and poetic sensibility that characterized her debut period. The song, featured on the compilation 'Decca Years 1965-1967', reflects the influence of traditional folk and ballad structures adapted through Faithfull's distinctive vocal delivery and introspective lyricism. Released during a pivotal era for British singer-songwriters, the recording showcases her ability to blend personal narrative with universal themes of displacement and longing. It remains a significant song in her discography, illustrating the transition from her earlier work with The Kinks to her own artistic identity, cementing her reputation as a serious interpreter of emotional depth within the folk-pop genre of the mid-1960s.