Fra «Vestavind» 1998

Janis Joplin var ett av min ungdoms idoler. Jeg syntes ingen kunne synge like rått og sårbart som henne. Denne sangen var tittelmelodien i filmen som var inspirert av hennes liv, ”The Rose”, og en annen rå kvinne, Bette Midler, spilte hovedrollen. Jeg synes det er utfordrende å skrive enkelt – og det er utfordrende å sette engelske sanger over til norsk. Norsk tar så veldig mye større plass..!

Dette er Amanda McBrooms egen beskrivelse av hvordan sangen ble til:
This was written by Los Angeles singer/songwriter Amanda McBroom. Midler recorded it for the 1980 movie of the same name, which she starred in.

McBroom: «A song came on the radio. It was «Magdalena» by Danny OKeefe, sung by Leo Sayer. I liked it immediately. My favorite line was, ‘You’re love is like a razor. My heart is just a scar.’ I thought, ‘Ooh, I love that lyric, but don’t agree with the sentiment that love is a razor.’ As I continued to drive down the road the thought came, «What, then, do I think love is.» Suddenly, it was as if someone had opened a window in the top of my head. Words came pouring in. I had to keep reciting them to myself as I drove faster and faster towards home, so I wouldnt forget them. I screeched into my driveway, ran into the house, past various bewildered dogs and cats and husbands, and sat down at the piano. Ten minutes later, The Rose was there. A year or so later, a professional songwriter friend of mine said, ‘Listen, there is this movie coming out called The Rose, based on the life of Janis Joplin. They are looking for a title tune. Do you want me to submit this to them? I had never really tried to submit a song to anyone. I didn’t consider myself a songwriter at the time. So I said, ‘Sure.’ The producers hated it. They thought it was dull and not Rock And Roll and totally wrong. They put it in the reject box. But Paul Rothchild, who had been Janis Joplin’s producer, and now the music supervisor on the film, hauled it out and asked them to reconsider. They again said no. So he mailed it to Bette Midler, the star of the movie. She liked it, lobbied in favor of it; and that’s how it got into the film and changed my life forever.»

«ROSE»
(Amanda McBroom – Til norsk ved Hanne Krogh)

De sier kjærlighet er regnet
som kveler bålets glør.
Og at kjærlighet er sverdet
som lar din sjel forblø.
De sier kjærlighet er hunger,
en evig sult og nød.
Jeg sier kjærlighet er blomsten,
og du er blomstens frø.

Er hjerter redde for å briste,
tør de aldri danse med.
Er drømmer redde for å våkne,
ser de aldri sjansene.
Den som aldri våger gråte,
kan heller ikke le.
Den som alltid frykter livet,
blir aldri levende.

Når vinternettene er harde
og du tror alt er forbi,
og at kjærligheten bare
fins i vakre, sterke liv,
husk at langt innunder sneen
som skal smeltes av en vår,
spirer kimen i et frø som
blir en rose neste år.