Good Year For The Roses

I can hardly bear the sight of lipstick On the cigarettes there in the ashtray Lying cold the way you left them But at least your lips caressed them while you packed Or the lip-print on a half-filled cup of coffee That you poured and didn't drink But at least you thought you wanted it That's so much more than I can say for me What a good year for the roses Many blooms still linger there The lawn could stand another mowing Funny I don't even care As you turn to walk away As the door behind you closes The only thing I have to say It's been a good year for the roses After three full years of marriage It's the first time that you haven't made the bed I guess the reason we're not talking There's so little left to say we haven't said While a million thoughts go racing through my mind I find I haven't said a word From the bedroom the familiar sound Of our baby's crying goes unheard What a good year for the roses Many blooms still linger there The lawn could stand another mowing Funny I don't even care As you turn to walk away As the door behind you closes The only thing I have to say It's been a good year for the roses

Good Year For The Roses Written by Jerry Chesnut Performed by Elvis Costello & The Attractions Produced by Billy Sherrill Musicians Elvis Costello - vocal, guitar Steve Nieve - keyboards Bruce Thomas - bass Pete Thomas - drums John McFee - guitar Tommy Millar - fiddle Nashville Edition - backing vocals Recorded May 18-29, 1981, CBS Studio A, Nashville Released September 1981 Albums Almost Blue, 1981 Singles Good Year For The Roses, 1981 Green Shirt, 1985 Collections The Best Of Elvis Costello & The Attractions, 1985 The Man (The Best Of Elvis Costello), 1985 The Very Best Of Elvis Costello & The Attractions, 1994 The Very Best Of Elvis Costello, 1999 Singles, Volume 2, 2003 The Best Of Elvis Costello The First 10 Years, 2007 Various Artists collections Hits Hits Hits, 1981 The History Of Rock: Vol. 39, 1986 A Series 25 Years Of Rock 'n' Roll 1981, 1988 New Country, 1994 Country Collection, 1994 The All Time Greatest Country Songs, 1997 That's Country, 1998 Blast From The Past: The Other Side Of The '80s, 1998 The Best Country Ballads In The World... Ever!, 1998 Now That's What I Call Music 1981 - The Millennium Series, 1999 The History Of Rockmusic: Pure Rock 1981, 1999 Summer Country (41 Classic Country Hits For A Modern World), 2002 Elite Eighties, 2003 Country Love, 2003 The Very Best Of Country Gold, 2003 Country Ballads, 2003 101 Love Songs, 2003 The Essential Country Album, 2003 Recline, 200_ Inspired - The World's Greatest Covers, 2004 The Ultimate All Time Classic Tearjerkers, 2004 The Definitive Country Collection, 2004 Foute Kerst-CD Van Deckers En Ornelis - 19 Foute Kerstsongs, 2005 Promos Elvis Costello Introduces... The Tracks From His New Album 'Almost Blue', 1981 Excerpts From The Album 'Almost Blue', 1981 Highlights From Almost Blue & Imperial Bedroom, 1994 Selections From Almost Blue, Goodbye Cruel World, Kojak Variety, 2004 Videos The Right Spectacle: The Very Best Of Elvis Costello - The Videos, 2005 Length 3:06 First known performance:  December 21, 1981, Guildford, England Last known performance:  July 2, 2018, Antwerp, Belgium      (349 known performances)

Recordings by other artists

• George Jones
• Johnny Paycheck

Internal links

• Elvis Costello Home Page: Almost Blue  •  lyrics  •  chords
• Lyrics

External links

• Elvis Costello Reissues: Almost Blue