Paper Rosie

1977 single by Gene Watson
"Paper Rosie"
Single by Gene Watson
from the album Paper Rosie
B-side"Don't Look at Me (In That Tone of Voice)"
ReleasedJanuary 22, 1977
RecordedNovember 18, 1976
GenreCountry
Length3:57
LabelCapitol 4378
Songwriter(s)Dallas Harms
Producer(s)Russ Reeder
Gene Watson singles chronology
"Her Body Couldn't Keep You (Off My Mind)"
(1976)
"Paper Rosie"
(1977)
"The Old Man and His Horn"
(1977)

"Paper Rosie" is a song written and originally recorded by Canadian country music artist Dallas Harms. Harms' version peaked at number 21 on the RPM Country Tracks chart in 1975.

The song was later covered by American country music artist Gene Watson. Watson's version released on January 22, 1977 as the first (and only) single and from his album Paper Rosie. Watson's version peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart in the spring of 1977.[1] It stayed at No. 3 for a total of 3 weeks of the 17 weeks it was on the chart. It also reached number 1 on the RPM Country Tracks chart in Canada.[2]

Content

The song is set at a roadside tavern and is told from the viewpoint of a young man who buys a paper rose from an elderly female vendor. Shortly thereafter, he hears the ringing of church bells and choir voices and realizes a funeral is taking place nearby. When he hears the choir singing "Paper Rosie," he realizes that the funeral is for the woman who'd just sold him the rose. The song suggests that it was actually the spirit of the woman who sold him the paper flower.

Chart performance

Dallas Harms

Chart (1975) Peak
position
Canadian RPM Country Tracks 21

Gene Watson

Chart (1977) Peak
position
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[3] 3
Canadian RPM Country Tracks 1

Year-end charts

Chart (1977) Position
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[4] 18

References

  1. ^ "Gene Watson singles". Allmusic. Retrieved March 16, 2011.
  2. ^ "RPM Country Singles for May 28, 1977". RPM. Retrieved March 16, 2011.
  3. ^ "Gene Watson Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
  4. ^ "Hot Country Songs – Year-End 1977". Billboard. Retrieved August 2, 2021.
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