Rosaline

In Romeo and Juliet, Rosaline is the girl who Romeo is in love with at the beginning of the play - and forgets about after meeting Juliet. Rosaline never appears on stage, much less speaks any lines, and is more of a plot device than a character. She’s treated (by Romeo and by Shakespeare) as replaceable and forgettable. But, unlike Romeo and Juliet, she doesn’t die at the end of the play. Rosaline appears on my 2021 debut album as an almost pop-punk piece. I released an acoustic version in 2023.

  • Rosaline, what is it like to be all alone on
    A Sunday afternoon when you ordered tea for two?
    Rosaline, what is it like to be by yourself
    When he puts you on the shelf? (oh woah)

    And the crow caws and scares away the birds of paradise
    And Rosaline’s eyes are fire and her smile is ice
    So Rosaline why don’t you just fly away?

    Rosaline, what is it like to never be enough (you’ll never be enough)
    And when you call him on his bluff he runs away? (you made him run away you made him run)
    Rosaline, what is it like to be easily replaced
    By a prettier face, cause that’s all you are? (you think you’re pretty: oh what a pity baby)

    And the crow caws and scares away the birds of paradise
    And Rosaline’s eyes are fire, her smile is ice
    So Rosaline why don’t you just fly away?

    And he said “the all-seeing sun
    Never saw her match since the world begun”
    But she was the maiden moon and he was gone too soon
    When he left for the sun

    So Rosaline, what is like to have survived
    When all the rest of them have died? (woah oh)

    And the crow caws and scares away the birds of paradise
    And Rosaline’s eyes are fire and her smile is ice
    So Rosaline why don’t you just fly away?

  • 2021 Electric Version

    • Mirabai Kukathas - lyrics, melody, vocals, coproduction

    • Zoser Dunbar - electric guitar

    • Grafton Downs - bass

    • Olivia Green - drums

    • Matt "Sabyu" Sablan - production

    • Erica Gill - cover art photography

    2023 Acoustic Version

    • Mirabai Kukathas - lyrics, melody, vocals, coproduction

    • Grafton Downs - bass

    • Matt "Sabyu" Sablan - guitar, production

    • Erica Gill - cover art photography

rosaline at youngstown 2019

rosaline at SoundOff! 2020