Following on from yesterday's foray into the world of Flowers on Film, today we thought we'd take a look at five of our favourite flower themed songs. Spanning different musical styles and eras, flowers have been a constant when it comes to inspiration for music and indeed the arts in general. The natural beauty of flowers has a long tradition of being a muse, helping to produce countless songs, films and literary artworks. Today's list includes well known pieces alongside more obscure tracks.
Nick Cave and Kylie Minogue - Where the Wild Roses Grow
This sombre and heartfelt tune has a beautiful brooding quality. Simultaneously heartfelt and haunting, the title of the track takes inspiration from Roses, flowers renowned for their associations with passion, love and desire. Appearing on the 1996 album Murder Ballads, Where the Wild Roses Grow was a worldwide success, charting in the UK, Norway, Ireland, Germany, Australia and New Zealand.
The MC5 are probably our favourite Detroit rock band, check out their high energy 1969 album Kick out the Jams if you want to find out why. Known for their radical political affiliations, MC5 managed to channel the passion of the rose flower into this energetic, urgent rock'n'roll anthem. This track is actually a cover of an obscure R&B song. Kick out the jams, brothers and sisters!
No flower-themed list would be complete without a spot of abstract underground hip-hop, we're sure you'll agree. Evocatively titled Blue Flowers, this placid, slightly eerie track. According to one interpretation, this track "introduces the character of Dr. Octagon, a homicidal, extraterrestrial, time-traveling gynecologist and surgeon." Delightful stuff!
Ween - Push th' Little Daisies
This splendidly preposterous track is taken from the US alternative rockers 1992 album Pure Guava. The ostensibly nonsensical lyrics include the urgently yelled chorus "Push th' little daisies and make em come up" [x8]. Formed in 1984, this song was largely reponsible for bringing the group to mainstream prominence.
Finishing off this eclectic list we have our favourite avant garde New York rockers, Sonic Youth. This rousing, epic track pays homage to the unrestrained beauty of wildflowers. Wildflower Soul is taken from the bands 1998 album A Thousand Leaves and blends Sonic Youth's signature askew guitar tunings alongside singer Thurston' Moore's beatific vocal delivery to create a captivating, bliss-inducing sonic flower-power anthem.
And this concludes our list of our five favourite flower inspired tunes, let us know what your favourite songs about flowers are in the comment section below!
