Bright Blue Rose (1989) – Jimmy MacCarthy

Bright Blue Rose is a song written by Jimmy MacCarthy who is known principally as a ‘songwriter’ because his songs have been recorded by many Irish artists. Bright Blue Rose was first released by Christy Moore in 1989. Since then, the song has been covered by many other artists, including Mary Black, Donna Taggart and Jimmy MacCarthy himself in 1991. I do not recall how this song came to my attention, but it follows the rich imagery and celtic folklore in Irish music that has featured here prominently, most notably music by: Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh, Eleanor McEvoy, Enya, & The Fureys.

Bright Blue Rose is interpreted as a deeply spiritual song, filled with symbolism that hints at Christian themes:

One bright blue rose outlives all those
Two thousand years and still it goes
To ponder his death and his life eternally

There also seems to be parallels between it and the traditional Irish lament An Mhaighdean Mhara (The Mermaid) that I presented here back in 2019. In Rose there is reference to a mermaid or at least the mythological aspects:

And she like a ghost beside me goes down with the ease of a dolphin
And emerges unlearned, unshamed , unharmed
For she is the perfect creature, natural in every feature

Despite the difference in eras – one being a modern composition and the other an ancient Gaelic lament – they share a haunting, ethereal quality and rely on traditional Celtic tonalities creating a melancholic atmosphere that feels timeless.

The following is extracted from the Wikipedia reference below. It is highly abridged and is not reflective of Rafferty’s extensive musical career, so I would encourage to read from the source for more information:

MacCarthy was born in Macroom, County Cork, Ireland. He became a musician from an early age, receiving his first guitar at the age of 7. He was unhappy at school and left at 15 and made a living out of singing at pubs. Later he was busking in the streets of London and doing occasional concerts. In the 1980’s, MacCarthy secured a number of support slots for other artists, most notably Chris de Burgh and Maura O’Connell. But it was MacCarthy’s experience as a songwriter that stood out to him where groups and artists were having more success than he did as a solo artist. Even prior to the release of his last album to date in 2010, MacCarthy had written over 100 new songs for it. Once he was making a stable income from his songwriting royalties, he found houses to buy and renovate.

As of 2017, there have been two tribute albums released celebrating the work of Jimmy MacCarthy. The first was a collection by popular artists that have recorded his songs and the second was by his long-time friend Mary Black.

While MacCarthy is often assumed to have come from the folk tradition, he has on several occasions referred to himself as a “child of the radio”. Growing up, MacCarthy loved Elvis Presley, Smokey Robinson and especially Dusty Springfield, and he made his first pay covering their songs in pubs. He has named Paul Simon, Randy Newman and Tom Waits as being among his favourite lyricists of all time. MacCarthy named James Taylor as the performer most like him, due to the fact he plays guitar and piano on stage.

I skimmed across black water, without once submerging
Onto the banks of an urban morning
That hungers the first light, much much more
Than mountains ever do

And she like a ghost beside me goes down with the ease of a dolphin
And emerges unlearned, unshamed , unharmed
For she is the perfect creature, natural in every feature
And I am the geek with the alchemists stone

For all of you who must discover, for all who seek to
Understand
For having left the path of others, you find a very special hand

And it is a holy thing, and it is a precious time
And it is the only way
Forget-me-nots among the snow, it’s always been and so it goes
To ponder his death and his life eternally

For all of you who must discover
For all who seek to understand
For having left the path of others, you find a very special hand

And it is a holy thing, and it is a precious time
And it is the only way
Forget-me-nots among the snow, it’s always been and so it goes
To ponder his death and his life eternally

One bright blue rose outlives all those
Two thousand years and still it goes
To ponder his death and his life eternally

References:
1. Jimmy MacCarthy – Wikipedia