We must all ‘run for the roses’. We can all be champions in our own way. We must take that chance, the chance of a lifetime, in a lifetime of chance. We must join in the dance. This is my second response to the Three Day Lyrical Challenge. Watch the video and you will see the lyrics on the video.
This is a wonderful song about Thoroughbred race horses growing up and running in the Kentucky Derby; the Run for the Roses. Here is some background to the ‘roses’ from kentuckyderby.com
1896 – The rose garland first appeared when the winner, Ben Brush, received a floral arrangement of white and pink roses
1904 – The red rose became the official flower of the Kentucky Derby
1925 – New York sports columnist Bill Corum famously dubbed the Kentucky Derby the “Run for the Roses®.”
1932 – The garland as it exists today was first introduced for the 58th running, won by Burgoo King
Each year, a garland of more than 400 red roses is sewn into a green satin backing with the seal of the Commonwealth on one end and the Twin Spires and number of the race’s current renewal on the other. Each garland is also adorned with a “crown” of roses, green fern and ribbon. The “crown,” a single rose pointing upward in the center of the garland, symbolizes the struggle and heart necessary to reach the Derby Winner’s Circle.
The Kroger Company has been crafting the garland for the Kentucky Derby since 1987. After taking over the duties from the Kingsley Walker florist, Kroger began constructing the prestigious garland in one of its local stores for the public to view on Derby Eve.
I chose this song because I think it speaks to all of us, not only the horses and the jockeys. The lines that speak most to me are: “It’s the chance of a lifetime, in a lifetime of chance.”
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