When people think of the gut-wrenching ballad "The Rose," their minds usually go straight to Bette Midler. It makes sense. She starred in the 1979 film of the same name, and her performance of the track is legendary. But here’s the thing: Bette Midler isn’t The Rose original singer in terms of who actually birthed the song into existence. That credit belongs to a woman named Amanda McBroom.
It’s one of those weird industry quirks.
Music history is full of these "who-did-it-first" puzzles. Honestly, the story of how a struggling songwriter’s "ego-preserving" exercise turned into a global anthem is way more interesting than just a movie soundtrack credit. You’ve probably heard the song at a hundred weddings or funerals. It feels like it has always existed. Yet, its journey from a car dashboard to the Billboard charts was anything but a straight line.
Why Amanda McBroom is the Real Force Behind The Rose
Amanda McBroom was an actress and a cabaret singer, not some high-powered Nashville hitmaker. One day, she was driving down the freeway in Los Angeles when a song by Danny O'Keefe came on the radio. The lyrics mentioned that love was like a "razor." McBroom, feeling a bit contrary, thought to herself, "No, it isn't."
She started humming.
By the time she got home, the core of the song was finished. It wasn't written for a movie. It wasn't written for a star. It was written for her. When we talk about The Rose original singer, we are talking about the person who first breathed life into the lyrics about seeds and sun and the "soul afraid of dying."
She performed it in clubs for a year before it ever reached a studio. It was her signature piece. However, the path to the big screen was rocky. The producers of the film The Rose—which was loosely based on the life of Janis Joplin—actually hated it at first. They thought it was too slow. They thought it was "too Hallmark." It took a lot of persistence from Paul Rothchild, the film's music supervisor, to get them to even listen to it again.
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The Bette Midler Transformation
When Bette Midler finally recorded it, everything changed.
Midler’s version is powerful, polished, and perfectly captures the tragic arc of her character, Mary Rose Foster. She won a Grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for it. The song peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100. For most of the world, she is the original because she gave the song its commercial birth.
But if you listen to McBroom’s early recordings, the vibe is different. It’s quieter. It’s more of a folk-style meditation than a power ballad. It’s fascinating how the same set of words can feel like a whispered secret in one version and a stadium-shaking anthem in another.
Dissecting the Lyrics: What People Get Wrong
Most people think "The Rose" is just a pretty song about flowers. It’s actually quite dark if you look closer.
It starts by listing metaphors for love that the songwriter rejects. It’s not a river. It’s not a razor. It’s not a hunger. Those are all things that consume or destroy. McBroom wanted to write about the potential of love—the "seed that with the sun's love in the spring becomes the rose."
- The River: Drowns the tender reed.
- The Razor: Leaves the soul to bleed.
- The Hunger: An endless, aching need.
The song is basically a psychological study on the fear of vulnerability. "It's the soul afraid of dying that never learns to live." That line has been quoted by everyone from therapists to graduation speakers. It hits because it’s true. It acknowledges that to get the "rose" (the reward), you have to endure the "winter" (the risk).
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The Janis Joplin Connection
Even though The Rose original singer (the creator) had no intention of writing about Janis Joplin, the song is forever linked to her. The movie was meant to be a Joplin biopic originally, but the family wouldn't grant the rights to her name or story. So, they created "The Rose."
It’s ironic. Joplin was known for raw, bluesy, gravelly vocals. The song "The Rose" is melodic, structured, and almost hymn-like. It’s the antithesis of "Piece of My Heart." Yet, somehow, it perfectly encapsulates the loneliness that Joplin—and many other performers—felt behind the scenes.
The Global Reach and Cover Versions
Once the 1980s hit, "The Rose" became public property. Everyone wanted a piece of it.
Conway Twitty took it to the top of the country charts in 1983. His version is surprisingly good. It’s got that classic country vibrato that adds a layer of "working man" grit to the lyrics. Then you have Westlife, the Irish boy band, who covered it in 2006. Their version went straight to number one in the UK.
Why does it work for everyone?
Because the melody is simple. It only uses a few chords. It’s one of those songs that sounds great on a $50 acoustic guitar or with a full orchestra. It’s "singer-proof" in a way—the song is so strong that you almost can't mess it up, though many have tried.
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Surprising Facts About the Song's Production
- The "Slow" Problem: The song was almost rejected because the film's producers thought it was a "bore."
- The Demo: Amanda McBroom’s original demo was just her and a piano.
- The Soundtrack: The soundtrack album stayed on the charts for over a year.
- The Title: The song gave the movie its title, not the other way around.
How The Rose Impacted Amanda McBroom’s Career
Usually, when a songwriter has a hit this big, they disappear into a pile of royalty checks. McBroom didn't do that. She used the success to launch a long, respected career as a "Queen of Cabaret." She’s released numerous albums and continued to write for the stage.
She often talks about the song in interviews as if it’s a child that grew up and became more famous than its parents. She isn't bitter about Midler getting the lion's share of the fame. In fact, she’s often stated that Bette’s performance gave the song a "magnificence" she never envisioned.
That’s a rare level of grace in the music industry.
Honestly, if you want to understand the song, you have to listen to McBroom sing it. There is a version on her album Dreaming that feels much more intimate. You can hear the "razor" and the "hunger" in her voice. It’s less of a performance and more of a confession.
Key Takeaways for Music History Buffs
If you're digging into the history of this track, don't stop at the Spotify Top 50. Look for the live versions. Look for the stories behind the 1970s L.A. music scene.
- Recognition: Always credit Amanda McBroom as the writer and creator.
- Performance: Acknowledge Bette Midler for the definitive commercial version.
- Theme: Understand that the song is about the risk of living, not just the beauty of love.
- Diversity: Check out the Conway Twitty or Westlife versions to see how the song adapts to different genres.
The legacy of The Rose original singer is a testament to the power of a single, honest idea. It didn't need a marketing machine or a viral TikTok trend to become a classic. It just needed someone to sit in their car, disagree with a radio lyric, and decide that love was something better than a razor.
Step-by-Step: How to Appreciate The Rose Today
If you want to truly experience the depth of this song beyond the radio edits, follow these steps:
- Listen Chronologically: Start with Amanda McBroom’s version from her own albums to hear the songwriter's intent. Then move to the Bette Midler movie version.
- Watch the Film: See the 1979 movie The Rose. The context of the song at the end of the film is devastating and adds a layer of meaning you can't get from just audio.
- Compare Covers: Listen to the 1983 Conway Twitty version and the 2006 Westlife version back-to-back. Notice how the gender of the singer changes the "feel" of the vulnerability being expressed.
- Read the Lyrics Alone: Read them as a poem without the music. It’s a masterclass in metaphor and structure.
By understanding the distinction between the creator and the performer, you get a much richer appreciation for why this song has survived for nearly half a century. It's not just a ballad; it's a philosophy set to music.