"Paper Rosie" is a song written and originally recorded by Canadian country music artist Dallas Harms

Dallas Harms

Dallas Harms is a Canadian country music singer-songwriter. Twenty of Harms' singles made the RPM Country Tracks charts, including the number one single "Honky Tonkin' ." Harms was inducted into the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame in 1989.-Albums:-Singles:-References:...

. Harms' version peaked at number 21 on the RPM

RPM (magazine)

RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,...

Country Tracks chart in 1975.

The song was later covered by American country music artist Gene Watson

Gene Watson

Gary Gene Watson is an American country singer. He is most famous for his 1975 hit "Love in the Hot Afternoon," his 1982 hit "Fourteen Carat Mind," and his signature song "Farewell Party." Watson's long career has notched six number ones, 23 top tens and over 75 charted singles.-Biography:Watson...

. Released in 1977, it was the first single from his album Paper Rosie. Watson's version peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard

Billboard (magazine)

Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...

Hot Country Singles

Hot 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 in the spring of 1977. It also reached number 1 on the RPM Country Tracks chart in Canada.

The story of "Paper Rosie"

The song is about an elderly woman, a paper rose vendor (who gets her name from her trade), whom a young man meets in a roadside tavern. The woman, aged and homeless, sells the roses for a dime to make a meager income.

The young man -- who shares his experience in first person -- feels compelled to buy a rose to help the woman out. The woman thanks the man, then walks outside. As the man is leaving, he sees the woman has collapsed and unresponsive outside the door. The man then hears a choir of angels and church bells ringing in the distance, singing, "Rosie, Paper Rosie."

Dallas Harms

Chart (1975)	Peak position
Canadian RPM Country Tracks	21

Gene Watson

Chart (1977)	Peak position
U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles	3
Canadian RPM Country Tracks	1