You ever hear a song that just stops you in your tracks, like it knows exactly what your heart’s been through? “A Good Year For The Roses,” especially the version with George Jones and Alan Jackson, is one of those rare gems. It’s the kind of song you hear late at night when the world is quiet and your thoughts are a little louder than usual.
The story it tells is heartbreakingly simple—a man watching his marriage fall apart, noticing how the roses outside are blooming better than ever, even as everything inside is crumbling. There’s something so honest about that image. Life keeps moving, flowers keep blooming, even when your heart is breaking. George Jones brings this raw emotion that only he can, and when Alan Jackson joins in, it feels like a friend sitting beside you, letting you know you’re not alone in your sadness.
What really gets me about this song is how it wraps pain in something beautiful. It’s not just about loss—it’s about noticing the small things that carry on, even when we feel like we can’t. That’s the magic of country music, and why this duet stands out. It’s a reminder that even in the hardest years, something good can still grow.
So next time you’re having one of those days, put this song on. Let it remind you that you’re not the only one who’s felt this way—and that sometimes, the roses bloom brightest after the hardest rain.
Video
Lyrics
[Verse 1]
I can hardly bear the sight of lipstick
On the cigarettes there in the ashtray
Lying cold the way you left them
At least your lips caressed them while you packed
And a lip print on a half filled cup of coffee
That you poured and didn’t drink
But at least you thought you wanted it
And that’s so much more than I can say for me
[Chorus]
But what a good year for the roses
Many blooms still linger there
The lawn could stand another mowing
It’s funny, I don’t even care
When you turned and walked away
And as the door behind you closes
The only thing I know to say
It’s been a good year for the roses
[Verse 2]
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 running through my mind
I find I haven’t spoke a word
And from the bedroom those familiar sounds
Of our one baby’s cryin’ goes unheard
[Chorus]
But what a good year for the roses
Many blooms still linger there
The lawn could stand another mowing
It’s funny, I don’t even care
And when you turned to walk away
And as the door behind you closes
The only thing I know to say
It’s been a good year for the roses