My song, “Little Rose” by The Pits released on Spotify and various other media outlets. “Little Rose-Demo,” was produced by my ridiculously talented composer/singer/songwriter friend, “Doc” Fred Gortner of @reallythepits. Lyrics are posted below. I just wanted to say I’m sorry (in advance) that I couldn’t write a more uplifting song for all my friends during a global pandemic. But, “Little Rose” is a story I had tell, and one that may resonate with many.
The thing about good stories, is that other people glom onto them and want to tell them too. (Thanks, Doc! I’m forever indebted🙏 ) “Little Rose,” <spoiler alert> is a heart achingly tragic song with a profound bridge on Fred’s slide guitar with some wonderful resolve at the end.
This EXACT same feedback from at least three people resonates with me most: “It’s hauntingly beautiful.” We agree, but clearly we are biased. The bridge music for “Little Rose” was picked on Fred’s 1932 Jessie string guitar (see photo on this post). The rest of the song was produced on his Cedar top Goodall acoustic. All vocals on the demo are Fred’s.
Little Rose I remember the hours of silence, the days that were filled with dread Little girl hopin’ and prayin’, that her Mama wasn’t layin’ there dead Summer rains pelting the trailer, storm winds howl in the heat Little girl layin’ by her Mama, who’s all bloodied up and beat Mama wore her bruises like childbirth, just something she had to get through Three children came out like clockwork, but nothing there that she’d undo She didn’t have no education, no skills to call her own Just another small town girl, tryin‘ to reap the life that she’d sown She wondered why… her Mama never left him Wondered why she never left home ‘til one day her poor Mama told her Don’t ya know, I stayed here for you… My Little Rose? Papa spent his life on a barstool, always knew he’d never measure up Took his pleasure from other folk’s women, found solace in the bottom of a cup His daddy did the same thing before him, grand-daddy carried the brunt of the blame A long slew of men going nowhere, each bearing the same damned shame Neighbor’s dog starts barking, when Papa stumbles in late at night Little girl covers her ears, while her Mama puts up another fight But then the trailer soon goes silent, and Papa walks back out the door She watches as her daddy steps over, Mama layin’ like trash on the floor She wondered why… her Mama never left him Wondered how Mama took his blows ‘til one day her poor Mama told her Don’t ya know, I stayed here for you… My Little Rose? My Little Rose ` She dreamed about… what her life would be like To leave the trailer and break the mold She swore her life… was gonna be different Better than her momma’s…. ten-fold Many years… took me back to that trailer, my Papa’s been long since gone My mama don’t have a pot to piss in, but little girl, she had it all wrong Watchin’ Mama out back with the chickens, pinning laundry to the line Home was all Mama had to give me, her HOME it ‘stood the test of time She wondered why… her Mama never left him Wondered how she stayed there at home Mama knew what my Daddy was doin’ …but her damn pride never left her alone Always wondered why… Mama never left him When the storm winds howled in the heat ‘til one day her poor Mama told her Don’t ya know, you made this home for me… My Little Rose?
(copyright 2020 by Really The Pits, All Rights Reserved.)
