The James T. Callow Folklore Archive

ROSES ARE RED

ROSES ARE RED
VIOLETS ARE BLUE
SUGAR IS SWEET
AND SO ARE YOU

THE ROSES ARE WILTED
THE VIOLETS ARE DEAD
THE SUGAR IS LUMPY
AND SO IS YOUR HEAD.

ROSES ARE RED
VIOLETS AREN'T BLACK
YOU'D LOOK BETTER
WITH A KNIFE IN YOUR BACK. MM[
ROSES ARE RED
A PICKLE IS GREEN
YOU LOOK LIKE A MONKEY
YOUR FACE IS A SCREAM.

ROSES ARE RED
VIOLETS ARE BLUE
LILIES ARE .98
WILL DANDELIONS DO?

ROSES ARE RED
VIOLETS ARE BLUE
SEND ME OVER
A POT OF IRISH STEW.

ROSES ARE RED
VIOLETS ARE BLUE-ISH
DIDN'T YOU KNOW
THAT JESUS WAS JEWISH?

Submitter comment: I LEARNED THESE SIX DIFFERENT PARODIES OF THE ROSES ARE RED, VIOLETS
ARE BLUE VERSE DURING GRADE SCHOOL. I PUT THEM ALL TOGETHER BECAUSE
I THOUGHT IT WAS INTERESTING TO SEE THE MANY DIFFERENT FORMS THE
VERSE COULD TAKE. THE ONE THAT I PUT DOWN FIRST IS THE FIRST ONE
THAT I LEARNED. IT MOST CLOSELY FOLLOWS THE ORIGINAL IN THE
SUBJECT MATERIAL. IT IS USUALLY JUST ADDED ON TO THE ORIGINAL.
THE "YOU LOOK LIKE A MONKEY" ONE WAS THE FAVORITE INSULT VERSE WHEN
I WAS IN GRADE SCHOOL. IT HAS SINCE LOST ITS POPULARITY SINCE NONE
OF MY YOUNGER BROTHERS, SISTERS OR NEIGHBORS SEEM TO HAVE HEARD IT.
THE KNIFE IN YOUR BACK ONE SEEMS TO HAVE REPLACED IT AS THE FAVORITE
INSULTING AUTOGRAPH VERSE. I ONLY HEARD THE ONE WITH LILIES AND
DANDELIONS ONCE. I REMEMBER IT BECAUSE I LIKED IT. IT SEEMS TO
BE IN
KEEPING WITH OUR INFLATIONARY TIME PERIOD. PERHAPS THE REASON
THAT IT NEVER CAUGHT ON AS WELL AS SOME WAS BECAUSE IT WASN'T
INSULTING. THE TWO NATIONALITY ONES ALSO HAD A LIMITED USAGE BECAUSE
THEY CAN REALLY ONLY BE EFFECTIVELY USED BY THEIR PARTICULAR ETHNIC
GROUP.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT