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.
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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