The rose in chanson is not just a flower. It is an entire world contained within a single bud. In prison lyrics, criminal ballads, and urban romances, the rose can symbolize love, captivity, memory, or a quick death. It is as thorny as fate and as red as blood on snow. Why has the "queen of flowers" taken such a place in the "low" genre? Let's flip through a chanson album. The symbolism of the rose in criminal culture In Russian chanson, the rose almost always has a double meaning. On one hand, it is a traditional symbol of love (often unhappy, broken). On the other hand, a tattoo of a rose on the chest of prisoners meant that a person "dived for the rose" (committed a crime for a girl) or simply served a term. The rose can also signify spilled blood. Red is the color of danger. Often the rose in songs appears in pairs with a cross ("Rose and Cross" — a memory of a fallen friend). In chanson, there are no "pink ponies," but "red roses on snow" — a symbol of lost youth and unfulfilled dreams. Classic genre: "Red Roses" and other hits The most famous example is Mikhail Kryukov's song "Vladimirsky Central." There is no rose mentioned, but in other songs of his ("Rose" from the album "Golden Cupolas"), the rose is an image of a loved one waiting for freedom. Alexander Novikov has "Rose of the Winds," but it is not chanson. Vyacheslav Tokarev has "Skyscrapers," without roses. Sergei Nagovitsyn has the image of "a rose on snow" in his song "Bitter Taste of Honeysuckle." The group "Lesopoval" (M. Tanich) in the song "Serёga": "Red rose, white rose, why did you stab my heart?". The chanson rose always stabs. Tattoo "Rose" as part of the imagery In the criminal subculture, a tattoo in the form of a rose had strict meanings. A rose on the shoulder — "I stole because I loved." A rose on the chest with a name — "You are in my heart." A rose with a dagger — "blood for love." A black rose — a funeral for a friend. When a listener hears "a tattooed rose" in a song, they ... Read more