Dead Flowers (Miranda Lambert song)
Encyclopedia
"Dead Flowers" is a song written and recorded by American
country
artist Miranda Lambert
. On May 4, 2009, the song was released as the lead-off single for her third studio album, Revolution
. Additionally, the song was included on an EP release also titled Dead Flowers.
Lambert debuted "Dead Flowers" at the 44th annual Academy of Country Music Awards on April 5, 2009.
about a love gone bad, driven by acoustic guitar and percussion. The narrator is saddened by the images of dead flowers and Christmas lights that are burned out, that symbolize their current relationship.
Lambert got the inspiration to write the song from a personal experience. "I had some flowers that I got for Valentines Day in a vase on the kitchen table. I was going on the road so I had to throw them in the yard. They were just laying there and it was a really sad image. The song came to me right away and was one of those ones that kinda wrote itself."
The 9513 reviewer Jim Malec awarded the song a "thumbs up" rating. "Miranda Lambert has produced a piece of truly stunning art: The lead single from her third album is smarter, more precise and concise, and more vocally engaging than any of her previous releases." The Slant Magazine also spoke positively of the song. "The track gives her plenty of material to work with and just as many reasons to be optimistic about the quality of that upcoming record. Offering a surfeit of dense, loaded phrases and sharply drawn images, the song hits with devastating accuracy because of how well Lambert sustains its central conceit." Roughstock reviewer Matt Bjorke praised the song for showing a different side to Lambert. "The lyrics are smart, the melody is moody and the vocal performance is just stunning. This is the kind of song Miranda's always had in her and while I love her rock 'tude, "Dead Flowers" shows us a softer, more tuneful side of Miranda Lambert that wasn't ever really shown to radio fans before." Frequency Magazine, who gave the song five-out-of-five stars, felt that it "may be the best song Miranda has ever done. From the lyrics to the vocal delivery to the production, everything is just gorgeous. If the rest of the songs on her album are of the same quality, she might very well win the coveted ACM Album of the Year again."
on July 16, 2009. The video begins with Lambert sitting at a table with a vase of dead flowers. She gets up and walks into the kitchen, where Christmas lights are lying, strung across the counter. Lambert is then shown performing in the living room with fans blowing on her hair, while a man is watching from the sofa beside her. After that, she is shown outside the house, both in and in front of her car, with more holiday lights hung up on her house.
"Dead Flowers" debuted at number 17 on CMT
's Top Twenty Countdown
for the week of July 31, 2009. The song spent only two weeks on the countdown, peaking at number 15. However, the video debuted at number 10 on GAC's Top 20 countdown; it has since reached number 5.
chart dated for May 2, 2009, and entered the Top 40 in its third week. It fell below Top 40 on the week of May 23, and re-entered the Top 40 at number 39 on the week of June 20. The song spent 16 weeks on the chart, and reached a peak of number 37 in July 2009.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
country
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
artist Miranda Lambert
Miranda Lambert
Miranda Lambert is an American country music artist who gained fame as a finalist on the 2003 season of Nashville Star, where she finished in third place and later signed to Epic Records. Lambert made her debut with the release of "Me and Charlie Talking", the first single from her 2005 debut...
. On May 4, 2009, the song was released as the lead-off single for her third studio album, Revolution
Revolution (Miranda Lambert album)
Upon its release, Revolution received general acclaim from most music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 85, based on 11 reviews, which indicates "universal acclaim".Rolling Stone magazine...
. Additionally, the song was included on an EP release also titled Dead Flowers.
Lambert debuted "Dead Flowers" at the 44th annual Academy of Country Music Awards on April 5, 2009.
Content
The song is a ballad in the key of E majorE major
E major is a major scale based on E, with the pitches E, F, G, A, B, C, and D. Its key signature has four sharps .Its relative minor is C-sharp minor, and its parallel minor is E minor....
about a love gone bad, driven by acoustic guitar and percussion. The narrator is saddened by the images of dead flowers and Christmas lights that are burned out, that symbolize their current relationship.
Lambert got the inspiration to write the song from a personal experience. "I had some flowers that I got for Valentines Day in a vase on the kitchen table. I was going on the road so I had to throw them in the yard. They were just laying there and it was a really sad image. The song came to me right away and was one of those ones that kinda wrote itself."
Reception
The song was well-received with critics, garnering numerous positive reviews.The 9513 reviewer Jim Malec awarded the song a "thumbs up" rating. "Miranda Lambert has produced a piece of truly stunning art: The lead single from her third album is smarter, more precise and concise, and more vocally engaging than any of her previous releases." The Slant Magazine also spoke positively of the song. "The track gives her plenty of material to work with and just as many reasons to be optimistic about the quality of that upcoming record. Offering a surfeit of dense, loaded phrases and sharply drawn images, the song hits with devastating accuracy because of how well Lambert sustains its central conceit." Roughstock reviewer Matt Bjorke praised the song for showing a different side to Lambert. "The lyrics are smart, the melody is moody and the vocal performance is just stunning. This is the kind of song Miranda's always had in her and while I love her rock 'tude, "Dead Flowers" shows us a softer, more tuneful side of Miranda Lambert that wasn't ever really shown to radio fans before." Frequency Magazine, who gave the song five-out-of-five stars, felt that it "may be the best song Miranda has ever done. From the lyrics to the vocal delivery to the production, everything is just gorgeous. If the rest of the songs on her album are of the same quality, she might very well win the coveted ACM Album of the Year again."
Music video
The music video for the song was directed by Randee St. Nicholas, and was released to CMTCountry Music Television
Country Music Television, or CMT, is an American country music-oriented cable television network. Programming includes music videos, taped concerts, movies, biographies of country music stars, game shows, and reality programs...
on July 16, 2009. The video begins with Lambert sitting at a table with a vase of dead flowers. She gets up and walks into the kitchen, where Christmas lights are lying, strung across the counter. Lambert is then shown performing in the living room with fans blowing on her hair, while a man is watching from the sofa beside her. After that, she is shown outside the house, both in and in front of her car, with more holiday lights hung up on her house.
"Dead Flowers" debuted at number 17 on CMT
Country Music Television
Country Music Television, or CMT, is an American country music-oriented cable television network. Programming includes music videos, taped concerts, movies, biographies of country music stars, game shows, and reality programs...
's Top Twenty Countdown
Top Twenty Countdown
Top 20 Countdown is a show on CMT.The show counts down the biggest videos in country music and was originally hosted by Lance Smith. Top Twenty Countdown airs every Friday at 11:00 a.m. and reruns on Saturday at 11 a.m. and Sunday at 11:30 a.m. Besides showing the biggest videos, Lance also shows...
for the week of July 31, 2009. The song spent only two weeks on the countdown, peaking at number 15. However, the video debuted at number 10 on GAC's Top 20 countdown; it has since reached number 5.
Chart performance
"Dead Flowers" debuted at number 59 on the Billboard Hot Country SongsHot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales...
chart dated for May 2, 2009, and entered the Top 40 in its third week. It fell below Top 40 on the week of May 23, and re-entered the Top 40 at number 39 on the week of June 20. The song spent 16 weeks on the chart, and reached a peak of number 37 in July 2009.
| Chart (2009) | Peak position |
|---|
Awards and Nominations
| Award | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 52nd Grammy Awards 52nd Grammy Awards The 52nd Annual Grammy Awards took place on January 31, 2010, at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. Neil Young was honored as the 2010 MusiCares Person of the Year on January 29, two days prior to the Grammy telecast. Only ten of the 109 awards were received during the broadcast... |
Best Female Country Vocal Performance Grammy Award for Best Female Country Vocal Performance The Grammy Award for Best Female Country Vocal Performance was first awarded in 1965, to Dottie West. The award has had several minor name changes:*From 1965 to 1967 the award was known as Best Country & Western Vocal Performance - Female... |