The Roses of Dundee

Written November 7th, 2010
Keywords: LGBTQIA+, Love Song, Celtic

Story Behind the Song -

This song is so technically beautiful that even if the lyrics don’t bring a tear to your eye, the instrumentals will. With the assistance of international recording artists Brian Wicklund and Laura MacKenzie, you will be transported to a fictional town of Dundee where unfortunate small-town minds dominate. The idea for the names of the two ladies in the song came from listening to the radio: the host couldn’t remember the first name of a person. He said, “It’s something like Mary Rose or Rose Marie...” Often times a great love is what some deem as non-traditional and feared by the Lilliputians. This song is dedicated to everyone in same-sex relationships.

Song Lyrics -

One, her name was Mary Rose, the other, Rosemarie.
The folks in town just called them “The Roses of Dundee.”
Dum-dum-diddelee-dum-dum,
dum-dum-diddelee-dee.

The folks in town just called them “The Roses of Dundee.”
Now, Mary Rose, she taught me school, in 6th and 7th grade.
I never got to thank her for the difference that she made.
She helped the little children read books from the library.
‘Read the paper to the old folks, t’was the kind of woman, she.

Now, Rosemarie, she owned a shop right down on Prior Way,
‘selling linen, soap and candles, and the eggs her hens would lay.
She’d turn her back and let me take some candy, poor was I.
I miss the music of her laugh and the twinkle in her eye...

But rumors started flyin’ ‘bout these two women fair.
I woke one day to find the ‘Roses were no longer there.
The small-town minds could not accept a love like theirs, profound.
With insults and with injuries, they drove them from our town.

One, her name was Mary Rose, the other, Rosemarie.
But folks in town just called them “The Roses of Dundee.”
Dum-dum-diddelee-dum-dum,
dum-dum-diddelee-dee.
For all my life I’ll always miss “My Roses of Dundee...”