Every Rose Has Its Thorn
Encyclopedia
"Every Rose Has Its Thorn" is a power ballad by American glam metal
band Poison
. It was released in 1988
as the third single from Poison's second album Open Up And Say... Ahh!. It is the band's only number-one hit in the U.S., reaching the top spot on Christmas Eve in 1988 for three weeks (carrying over into 1989). It was a #13 hit in the UK. "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" was named number 34 on VH1
's "100
Greatest Songs of the 80s", #100 on their "100 Greatest Love Songs" and #7 on MTV
and VH1
"Top 25 Power Ballads."
, accounting for the song's recognizable references to cowboys in the chorus, along with the twang
in Bret Michaels
' vocals, which give the song a country
feel not often heard in power ballads composed by glam metal
bands.
In an interview with VH1's Behind The Music
, Michaels said the inspiration for the song came from a night when he was in a laundromat waiting for his clothes to dry, and called his girlfriend on a pay phone. Michaels said he heard a male voice in the background and was devastated; he said he went into the laundromat and wrote "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" as a result. The name of the girl in the song is Tracy Lewis.
Glam metal
Glam metal is a subgenre of hard rock and heavy metal that arose in the late 1970s and early 1980s in the United States, particularly on the Los Angeles Sunset Strip music scene...
band Poison
Poison (band)
Poison is an American glam metal band that achieved great success in the mid-1980s to mid-1990s. To date, Poison has sold over 30 million records worldwide and have sold 15 million records in the United States alone. The band has also charted ten singles to the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100,...
. It was released in 1988
1988 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1988.-January-March:* January 1 – André Rieu's Johann Strauss Orchestra plays its first concert....
as the third single from Poison's second album Open Up And Say... Ahh!. It is the band's only number-one hit in the U.S., reaching the top spot on Christmas Eve in 1988 for three weeks (carrying over into 1989). It was a #13 hit in the UK. "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" was named number 34 on VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
's "100
100
Year 100 was a leap year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Traianus and Frontinus...
Greatest Songs of the 80s", #100 on their "100 Greatest Love Songs" and #7 on MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
and VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
"Top 25 Power Ballads."
Song
Musically, the song starts quietly and features two intricate guitar solos, one mellow and one fast. Among guitarists, the song is notable for epitomizing the standard G - Cadd9 progression in pop/rock. During the same period, Poison had been playing at a cowboy bar called "The Ritz" in Dallas, TexasDallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
, accounting for the song's recognizable references to cowboys in the chorus, along with the twang
Twang
An old onomatopoeia for the sound of a vibrating string - for instance of a bow or a musical instrument, or the sound of a vibrating spring of an air gun....
in Bret Michaels
Bret Michaels
Bret Michaels is an American musician, actor, director, screenwriter, producer and reality television personality. He first gained fame as the lead vocalist of the glam metal band Poison. Besides his career as lead singer, he has several solo albums to his credit, as well as one chart single...
' vocals, which give the song a 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...
feel not often heard in power ballads composed by glam metal
Glam metal
Glam metal is a subgenre of hard rock and heavy metal that arose in the late 1970s and early 1980s in the United States, particularly on the Los Angeles Sunset Strip music scene...
bands.
In an interview with VH1's Behind The Music
Behind the Music
Behind the Music is a television series on VH1. It originally ran from 1997 to 2006, before it was stopped and only aired new episodes sporadically. The series places its generality on documentation of musical artists or groups who are interviewed and profiled, and discuss how their careers became...
, Michaels said the inspiration for the song came from a night when he was in a laundromat waiting for his clothes to dry, and called his girlfriend on a pay phone. Michaels said he heard a male voice in the background and was devastated; he said he went into the laundromat and wrote "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" as a result. The name of the girl in the song is Tracy Lewis.
Music video
The music video to "Every Rose" was similar to those filmed for other 1980s power ballads. It features Michaels sitting down, playing the guitar, and singing along to the song, interspersed with black-and-white clips from concerts, and color frames of a storyline that follows the song.Albums
"Every Rose Has Its Thorn" is on the following albums.- Open Up and Say... Ahh!
- Swallow This LiveSwallow This LiveSwallow This Live is the first live album by American glam metal band Poison, released in 1991 through Capitol Records. The album peaked at #51 on The Billboard 200...
(live version) - Poison's Greatest Hits: 1986-1996Poison's Greatest Hits: 1986-1996Poison's Greatest Hits: 1986–1996 is the first greatest hits compilation CD from the Glam Metal band Poison. The album was released on November 26, 1996 by Capitol Records...
- Crack a Smile... and More! (Unplugged)
- Power to the PeoplePower to the People (Poison album)Power to the People is a music album from the American rock band Poison, released on June 13, 2000 on the band's independent label, Cyanide Music. It marked the return of the original lineup, together for the first time since 1991's Swallow This Live with the return of C.C...
(live version) - Ballads, Blues & StoriesBallads, Blues & StoriesBallads, Blues & Stories is a compilation interview / music CD from Bret Michaels, the lead singer of the rock band Poison. Released in 2001 it consists of Bret Michaels' solo music and Poison songs, with a recorded story before each song, about how the songs were written.The CD contains 20 tracks...
(Solo version) - Best of Ballads & BluesBest of Ballads & Blues (album)Best of Ballads & Blues is a greatest hits compilation album from the American Hard rock band Poison, relaesed August 5, 2003. Unlike Poison's Greatest Hits: 1986-1996, this compilation focuses on the band's power ballads and blues-oriented songs and also includes two new acoustic recordings of...
- Freedom Of SoundFreedom of SoundFreedom of Sound is the third solo studio album by Bret Michaels, lead singer of the rock band Poison.It is a country rock album released in 2005, the same year Bret Michaels was a judge on the Country music reality tv show Nashville Star....
- (Country version) - The Best of Poison: 20 Years of RockThe Best of Poison: 20 Years of RockThe Best of Poison: 20 Years of Rock is a compilation album from the American rock band Poison, released to celebrate the band's 20 year anniversary. It has sold more than 1 million copies to date in the U.S as of September 2009....
- Open Up and Say... Ahh! - 20th Anniversary Edition
- Seven Days Live CD
- Live, Raw & Uncut CDLive, Raw & UncutLive, Raw & Uncut is a music dvd/cd combo from the Hard rock band Poison, released in 2008 for their summer tour. It sold around 2,400 copies in its first week of release to debut at position No...
- Custom BuiltCustom Built (album)Custom Built is the fourth studio album by Poison lead singer and reality television star Bret Michaels. It was released on July 6, 2010 and is Michaels' first studio album since 2005's Freedom of Sound, which produced his only charted single to date. The lead-off single from the album, "Nothing to...
- (Country version)
Uses in media
- The track was featured in an episode of The SimpsonsThe SimpsonsThe Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
("It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad MargeIt's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Marge"It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Marge" is the twenty-first episode of The Simpsons eleventh season. It first aired in the United States on the Fox network on May 14, 2000. After a failed marriage attempt with Otto, Becky stays with the Simpson family...
"), with the character Otto identified as a fan of Poison. He plays the song when proposing to his girlfriend (ironic, considering its subject matter). - John MayerJohn Mayer (musician)John Clayton Mayer is an American pop rock and blues rock musician, singer-songwriter, recording artist, and music producer. Born in Bridgeport, Connecticut and raised in Fairfield, Connecticut, he attended Berklee College of Music in Boston. He moved to Atlanta in 1997, where he refined his...
performed the song in a sketch on Chappelle's ShowChappelle's ShowChappelle's Show is an American sketch comedy television series created by comedian Dave Chappelle and Neal Brennan, with Chappelle hosting the show as well as starring in various skits. Chappelle, Brennan and Michele Armour were the show's executive producers. The series premiered on January 22,...
. - Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey features Bill and Ted performing the chorus to prove that they are worthy of entry into heaven.
- The song is performed in an episode of Yes, DearYes, DearYes, Dear is a television sitcom that aired from October 2, 2000, to February 15, 2006, on CBS. It starred Anthony Clark, Jean Louisa Kelly, Mike O'Malley and Liza Snyder....
("Greg's Big Day") when the main characters meet Bret MichaelsBret MichaelsBret Michaels is an American musician, actor, director, screenwriter, producer and reality television personality. He first gained fame as the lead vocalist of the glam metal band Poison. Besides his career as lead singer, he has several solo albums to his credit, as well as one chart single...
. - The song has also been featured in the movie Deuce Bigalow: European GigoloDeuce Bigalow: European GigoloDeuce Bigalow: European Gigolo is the 2005 sequel to the 1999 film Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo, from Happy Madison Productions. Rob Schneider returns in the role of a male prostitute Deuce Bigalow who visits his former pimp T.J...
. - The song was featured in an episode of The O.C.The O.C.The O.C. is an American teen drama television series that originally aired on the Fox television network in the United States from August 5, 2003, to February 21, 2007, running a total of four seasons...
("The Rager"). - The song was featured in the Broken LizardBroken LizardBroken Lizard is an American comedy troupe, consisting of five friends, best known for its films, including Super Troopers and Beerfest. Its five members are Jay Chandrasekhar, Kevin Heffernan, Steve Lemme, Paul Soter, and Erik Stolhanske. They collaborate on the screen-writing, acting and...
film BeerfestBeerfestBeerfest is a 2006 beer-themed comedy film by the comedy group Broken Lizard. Along with the regular members of Broken Lizard, other actors who appear in the movie include Will Forte, M. C. Gainey, Cloris Leachman, Kendra C...
when the character 'Landfill' dies. - The song was featured in the David CrossDavid CrossDavid Cross is an American actor, writer and stand-up comedian perhaps best known for his work on HBO's sketch comedy series Mr...
film Run Ronnie RunRun Ronnie RunRun Ronnie Run is an American direct-to-video comedy film produced in 2001 and released in 2003, a spin-off from the HBO sketch comedy show Mr. Show. The recurring character Ronnie Dobbs is the focal point of the movie...
When Ronnie loses his wives. - The song was featured at the end of an episode of October RoadOctober Road (TV series)October Road is an American television drama that debuted on ABC on March 15, 2007 following Grey's Anatomy. It follows Nick Garrett , who after a decade returns to his hometown, the fictional Knights Ridge, Massachusetts.The series is produced by ABC Studios and GroupM Entertainment; the latter is...
("The Pros and Cons of Upsetting the Apple Cart"). - The song was used in an episode of NeighboursNeighboursNeighbours is an Australian television soap opera first broadcast on the Seven Network on 18 March 1985. It was created by TV executive Reg Watson, who proposed the idea of making a show that focused on realistic stories and portrayed adults and teenagers who talk openly and solve their problems...
where Bouncer was run over by an unknown driver. - The song was featured in several episodes of Rock of Love with Bret MichaelsRock of Love with Bret MichaelsRock of Love with Bret Michaels is an American reality television dating game show. It stars Bret Michaels, the lead singer from the band Poison. The show closely resembles its sister show Flavor of Love. The first season featured 25 women competing to be Michaels' girlfriend. Each week, the women...
. - The song was featured in South ParkSouth ParkSouth Park is an American animated television series created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone for the Comedy Central television network. Intended for mature audiences, the show has become famous for its crude language, surreal, satirical, and dark humor that lampoons a wide range of topics...
in the episode "Guitar Queer-oGuitar Queer-o"Guitar Queer-O" is episode 1113 of Comedy Central's South Park, which aired on November 7, 2007. The title and plot parody the video game Guitar Hero. The episode aired ten days after the release of Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock in the US....
". - The song appeared in a episode of Cold Case ("Maternal Instincts").
- The song appeared on an episode of SupernaturalSupernatural (TV series)Supernatural is an American supernatural and horror television series created by Eric Kripke, which debuted on September 13, 2005 on The WB, and is now part of The CW's lineup. Starring Jared Padalecki as Sam Winchester and Jensen Ackles as Dean Winchester, the series follows the brothers as they...
. - The song appears on the music video games Karaoke Revolution Presents: American IdolKaraoke RevolutionKaraoke Revolution and its many sequels are video games for the PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Nintendo GameCube, Wii, Xbox, and Xbox 360, developed by Harmonix Music Systems and Blitz Games and published by Konami in its Bemani line of music games. The Original Concept for Karaoke Revolution was...
and Band HeroBand HeroBand Hero is a spinoff video game as part of the Guitar Hero series of music video games, released by Activision on November 3, 2009, for the PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii and Nintendo DS consoles...
. - The song was featured in the wedding of Peyton SawyerPeyton SawyerPeyton Elizabeth Scott is a fictional character from The CW television series One Tree Hill, portrayed by Hilarie Burton. A talented visual and musical artist, Peyton has a heavily-guarded heart due to the number of lost loved ones in her life...
and Lucas ScottLucas ScottLucas Eugene Scott is a fictional character and formerly the main protagonist from The CW television series One Tree Hill, portrayed by Chad Michael Murray. Lucas is a talented basketball player and writer. He is rival to half-brother Nathan Scott, before the two eventually become close friends...
on One Tree HillOne Tree Hill (TV series)One Tree Hill is an American television drama created by Mark Schwahn, which premiered on September 23, 2003, on The WB Television Network. After its third season, The WB merged with UPN to form The CW Television Network, and, since September 27, 2006, the network has been the official broadcaster...
. Haley James ScottHaley James ScottHaley Bob James Scott is a fictional character on The CW television series One Tree Hill, portrayed by Bethany Joy Galeotti. Haley is initially introduced as Lucas Scott's best friend and eventual sister-in-law after her marriage to Nathan Scott in her junior year of high school...
quotes the song. - The song appeared in Kevin SmithKevin SmithKevin Patrick Smith is an American screenwriter, actor, film producer, and director, as well as a popular comic book writer, author, comedian/raconteur, and internet radio personality best recognized by viewers as Silent Bob...
's 2010 movie Cop Out. - The song was featured in the 2011 film Hop.
- The song was featured in the Canadian movie, Fubar II.
Covers
- Street punkStreet punkStreet punk is a working class-based genre of punk rock which took shape in the early 1980s, partly as a rebellion against the perceived artistic pretensions of the first wave of British punk. Street punk emerged from the Oi! style, performed by bands such as Sham 69, Angelic Upstarts, Cockney...
band The Unseen covered the song on their album Lower Class Crucifixion. - Melissa Auf der MaurMelissa Auf der MaurMelissa Auf der Maur is a Canadian rock musician from Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Her career has included 5 years as bassist with the band Hole and she later toured with The Smashing Pumpkins for their 2000 tour. Her second solo album, Out of Our Minds, was released on March 30, 2010. She is also a...
covered this song for the movie Run Ronnie RunRun Ronnie RunRun Ronnie Run is an American direct-to-video comedy film produced in 2001 and released in 2003, a spin-off from the HBO sketch comedy show Mr. Show. The recurring character Ronnie Dobbs is the focal point of the movie...
; her version plays during the end credits. - Joey FatoneJoey FatoneJoseph Anthony "Joey" Fatone, Jr. is an American singer, dancer, actor and television personality. He is best known as a member of the boyband, 'N Sync, in which he sang baritone. In 2007, he came in second place on the ABC reality show Dancing with the Stars...
performed a cover for the movie On the LineOn the Line (film)On the Line is a 2001 American romantic comedy film starring Lance Bass and Emmanuelle Chriqui. The film was directed by Eric Bross and was written by Eric Aronson and Paul Stanton, based upon their short film of the same name.-Plot:...
. - Australian punk band No Idea covered the song for the Punk O Clock IV compilation.
- Joshua Fit For Battle covered the song as a bonus track on the album To Bring Our Own End.
- Bucky CovingtonBucky CovingtonWilliam Joel "Bucky" Covington III is an American country music singer. He placed eighth on the 5th season of the Fox Network's talent competition series American Idol. In December 2006, he signed a recording contract with Lyric Street Records...
covered the song at the 2007 Jamboree In The Hills in Morristown Ohio. - Mark HoppusMark HoppusMark Allan Hoppus is an American musician, record producer, and television host. He is the bass guitarist and one of the two lead vocalists of the pop punk band Blink-182, as well as the bass guitarist and lead vocalist of the alternative rock band +44. He is a co-founder of both bands...
of Blink 182 occasionally played the song at the end of their show on the 2009 reunion tour. - Miley CyrusMiley CyrusMiley Ray Cyrus is an American actress and pop singer-songwriter. She achieved wide fame for her role as Miley Stewart/Hannah Montana on the Disney Channel sitcom Hannah Montana....
recorded a cover, with guitar played by Bret Michaels himself for her third studio album Can't Be TamedCan't Be TamedCan't Be Tamed is the third studio album by American recording artist Miley Cyrus, first released on June 18, 2010 by Hollywood Records. Writing and recording commenced while Cyrus traveled on the 2009 Wonder World Tour. 19 live performances and backstage interviews from a performance at London's...
. - Jared LeGrand performed a cover of this song at a few of his concerts.
- Travis SteverTravis SteverTravis Stever is the lead/rhythm guitarist for Coheed and Cambria, a progressive rock band from New York.-Shabűtie:Travis joined the band Shabűtie in 1995 along with vocalist/guitarist Claudio Sanchez, bassist Jon Carleo, and drummer Nate Kelley. After an argument over gas money the band split up,...
of rock band Coheed and CambriaCoheed and CambriaCoheed and Cambria is an American progressive rock band from Nyack, New York. Formed in 1995, the group incorporates aspects of progressive rock, punk rock, metal and post-hardcore....
played a mock cover of the song, as seen on the bonus DVD for Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV, Volume One: From Fear Through the Eyes of MadnessGood Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV, Volume One: From Fear Through the Eyes of MadnessGood Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV, Volume One: From Fear Through the Eyes of Madness is the third studio album by prog quartet Coheed and Cambria. It was released on September 20, 2005...
. - Casey JamesCasey JamesCasey Everett James is an American singer and guitarist from Fort Worth, Texas, who was the third-place finalist on the ninth season of American Idol.-Early life:...
of American IdolAmerican IdolAmerican Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
sang the song with Bret MichaelsBret MichaelsBret Michaels is an American musician, actor, director, screenwriter, producer and reality television personality. He first gained fame as the lead vocalist of the glam metal band Poison. Besides his career as lead singer, he has several solo albums to his credit, as well as one chart single...
on the Season 9 finale of the show. - Jesse HunterJesse HunterJesse Hunter is an American country music artist.Hunter signed to BNA Records in 1994, the same year that he released his Barry Beckett-produced debut album A Man Like Me...
did a cover of it at his live show in Utah. - The song is covered on the season 2 premiereAudition (Glee)"Audition" is the second season premiere and 23rd episode overall of the American television series Glee. The episode was written by Ian Brennan, directed by Brad Falchuk, and premiered on the Fox network on September 21, 2010...
of GleeGlee (TV series)Glee is an American musical comedy-drama television series that airs on Fox in the United States, and on GlobalTV in Canada. It focuses on the high school glee club New Directions competing on the show choir competition circuit, while its members deal with relationships, sexuality and social issues...
. - A sample of the song is covered during the bonus track on Evergreen TerraceEvergreen Terrace (band)Evergreen Terrace is a five-piece melodic hardcore/metalcore band from Jacksonville, Florida. Formed in 1999, they are named after the street on which The Simpsons claim residence...
's album Writer's Block, together with Drowning PoolDrowning PoolDrowning Pool is a four-piece alternative metal band from Dallas, Texas.-Early days :Drowning Pool rose to fame while playing along with Ozzy Osbourne during an Ozzfest tour. Their 2001 debut album, Sinner was certified platinum within six weeks...
's "Bodies" and the SpongeBob SquarePantsSpongeBob SquarePantsSpongeBob SquarePants is an American animated television series, created by marine biologist and animator Stephen Hillenburg. Much of the series centers on the exploits and adventures of the title character and his various friends in the underwater city of "Bikini Bottom"...
theme. - Jonatan Testa, an Argentine musician, covered the song for his next album.
- Mary J. BligeMary J. BligeMary Jane Blige is an American singer-songwriter, record producer and occasional actress. She is a recipient of nine Grammy Awards and four American Music Awards, and has recorded eight multi-platinum albums. She is the only artist with Grammy Award wins in Pop, Rap, Gospel, and R&B. Blige has...
covered this song for the musical film Rock of Ages.
Chart performance
"Every Rose Has Its Thorn" became the group's first (and only to date) number-one single on the Billboard Hot 100; it climbed to the top during the two last weeks of 1988 and the first week of 1989.| Chart (1988–1989) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian ARIA Charts | 16 |
| Dutch Mega Top 50 | 18 |
| Swedish Singles Chart | 20 |
| Swiss Music Charts | 12 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
13 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 1 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks | 11 |