How "THE ROSE came to be by Amanda McBroom I was driving down the freeney one afternoon, sometime in 1970-something.
I was listening to the radio. A song came on the radio. It was "Magdalena" by Danny Okeefe,
sung by Leo Sayer: Isked it immediately. My favorite line was your love is like a razor my heart
is just a scar* I thought, "Ooh, I love that lyric."
As I continued to drive down the road the thought came, I don't agree with the sentiment. I
don't think love is like a razor (I was younger then.) What then, do I think love is? Suddenly, it
was as if someone had opened a window in the top of my head. Words came pouring in. I had
to keep reciting them to myself as I drove faster and faster towards home, so I wouldn't forget
them. I screeched into my drive way, ran into the house, past various bewildered dogs and cats
and husbands and sat down at the piano. Ten minutes later, THE ROSE was there.
I called my husband, George, into the room and played it for him, as I always did with my new
songs. He listened, and quietly said to me, "You've just written a standard." I protested that no
one but my pals would ever hear it. (This is long before I had ever recorded anything.) He said,
"Mark my words, something is going to happen with this song."
A year or so later, a great young songwriter named Michele Brourman, who became my primary
musical collaborator and best friend, said "Listen. There is this movie coming out called "The
Rose". They are looking for a title song. Do you want me to submit this to them?" I had never
Peally tried to submit this song to anyone. I didn't consider myself a songwriter at the time. So I
said, "Sure. * Originally the film had been called THE PEARL, which was Janis Joplin's nick name.
But her family refused permission to use that name. Lucky for me. "Pearl" is MUCH harder to
rhyme.
