Blue Rose
(Kenneth Banks, Lizz Wright)
Originally recorded by: Lizz Wright

Blue as the crying skies
With no thorn and no thistle
Only an open face
Staring at the waking world

And maybe she's just a morning glory
Lost in a tangle of vines
Maybe she's just a morning glory
lost in a tangle of vines

Her arms stretch wide
To receive the light
And her roots go deep into the black earth
For strength and she blooms

And maybe she's just a morning glory
Lost in a tangle of vines
And maybe she's just a morning glory
Lost in a tangle of vines

She blooms while the people sleep
Only the travelers see her
To those who rise with the noonday sun
She is a closed mystery

And maybe she's just a morning glory
Lost in a tangle of vines
And maybe she's just a morning glory
Lost in a tangle of vines
Lost in a tangle of vines

(playing time 5:20)

Song Facts: This can be found on The Day After Yesterday.

According to US

From the first listen this was one of my favorites on the CD. I’d never heard the original until long after I’d listened to TDAY a bunch of times – so it was just something in this song that attracted me. I think it may stem from the fact that one of my favorite flowers as a kid was the Morning Glory. I recall working hard to convince my mom to plant it and then trying to remember to run out in the morning to see the flowers. 
But, back to the song, now having heard the original I truly wonder what Rick was attracted to in this song. In the original the woman’s voice is almost artificially deep as she tries to stretch out the lyrics. And, particularly towards the end, it’s like she is saying “Glow-y” not “Glory”. One more little pet peeve, the words “Blue Rose” do not appear in the song. Blue yes, rose no. So why this song is not titled “Morning Glory” baffles me.
So after hearing the original I appreciate Rick’s version much more – his voice is much more fluid through the song and he added the element of saxophone to the song which gives it more depth and makes the melody a lot more interesting.
As for the lyrics, they are pretty straight forward. I enjoy the song just listening to the song as a whole – in particular the chorus. But examining the lyrics closer it’s a pretty straight explanation of all the traits of a morning glory flower. It has no thorns, it grows on a vine like stem and stretches towards the sun, and the flower only blooms in the morning. I understand using analogy but this song never convinces me it is not just describing a flower. I suppose a woman could ‘get lost in the vines’ of life and not be allowed to ‘bloom' but you’d have to be a pretty severe morning person to only be available in the morning and otherwise a mystery. 
So the lyrics make me wonder, the original makes me shudder, but I can sit back and just enjoy listening to Rick’s version. ~Jen H.

The first time I heard this song I didn't like it at all for about the first 10 seconds. I had that initial response that I wanted to skip it. Well, I'm glad I didn't because Blue Rose is one of my favorites on TDAY. I love the metaphors in this song, and it is definitely a song that Rick could have written. This song makes me think about all the strong women out there who go unnoticed.

Her arms stretch wide 
To receive the light 
And her roots go deep into the black earth 
For strength and she blooms 

It's a lot like Rick's own writing style in that what you hear the first time is not the same thing you hear the second, third, fourth, etc. time you listen to a song (which is why I admire Rick's writing style so much). I don't recall the original version of this song, like I do so many others on TDAY, so maybe that's why I like this one so much...to me it is an RS original. - Char P.

This is not a song for Rick! It was originally done by a woman, so to me, it just doesn't "fit" him in some way. I just can't quite put my finger on it as to why. Although I think Rick did a great job vocally, this is definitely one of my least favorites.

Now, the music itself, I do enjoy that part. The piano, combined with the acoustic guitar and that occassional saxophone melody is what I enjoy most. Personally, I don't think the lyrics even do the song itself, justice. 

Blue Rose is a song I would expect to hear in a small, quaint little cocktail lounge. Maybe GH could use it for one of their hot and steamy love scenes. I don't know, maybe it would more or less "belong" in one of these two places, but not on this CD. - Amy L

no thorn, no thistle. only an open face. arms stretched wide to receive the light. 
this is an innocent. hasn't been hurt yet. but destined to be crushed. :( 
looking in a child's eyes, there's no hate, there's no lie, there's no struggle, there's no fight. 
morning glory lost in a tangle of vines
this one is doomed. if left in the vines, she'll be choked out. if someone clears out the vines, she'll be torn out also. :( 
she's just a closed mystery. 
she's finally protected. either by mother nature (sleep) (dead? once a flower has bloomed, that's pretty much it....) 
or by experience, she's no longer an open face, arms wide open. no longer innocent. :( 
she blooms while the people sleep
makes me wonder about the people he met in vegas. this city moves at a different cycle. the people who move about at night. (I remember the efx dancers telling us that they rehearsed AFTER the shows.) 

instrumentation
the classical guitar. this part seems very lonely (beautiful, but lonely)
the piano and the sax add to the melancholy. 

again, I don't like the raspy voice. 
I like the song, it's interesting, and the music is pretty. but it's really depressing, and isn't a song I choose to listen to very often. -  sgeorge