Today, while listening to Shannon and the Clams shortly after a song by Wilco, it occurred to me there are actually a lot of songs about flowers that at least sort of rock. I decided to make a quick list of songs that concern flowers, but which aren’t particularly flowery. Despite the title of this post, the songs aren’t extreme, I just cannot pass up a good or bad pun.
- Shannon and the Clams- “You Will Always Bring Me Flowers”
Warm lofi production, Shannon Shaw’s infectious barking of a veritable bouquet of floral species and a vintage sound make this strange song thoroughly enjoyable.
- The White Stripes- “Blue Orchid”
Technically, an orchid is a flowering plant, but without a colored flower this song would have no title, so I made the executive decision to include it. It’s a classic White Stripes rocker with simple drums and killer guitar. “Blue Orchid” is part of a proud lineage of incredible White Stripes album openers as it kicked off 2005’s Get Behind Me Satan with a bang.
- Outkast- “Roses”
“Roses” is one of the stranger songs in the Outkast catalog, but it is also a stone cold classic, and it is undeniably catchy. The chorus is undeniably silly, but it will reverberate around the inside of your skull for the rest of time. The music video for this song is also incredible, and it subverts music video expectations in such a way, that even more than a decade later, I don’t want to spoil it.
- Japandroids- “The Nights of Wine and Roses”
This song is prototypical Japandroids. It is anthemic, catchy and robustly energetic. If you can vocalize a “long O” sound, you can, and should, sing along.
- Wilco- “Forget the Flowers”
“Forget the Flowers” finds Wilco in fine, alt-country form. It’s a simple, hummable tune that expresses a sadly pragmatic thoughts on romantic gestures. In other words, this is a classic Wilco song.
The Ear Regular 