Michael Lane Culpepper
Song Writer

The following song, by Michael Lane Culpepper of Wood County, TX, is a true story about Michael's brother, Richard Glen Culpepper, who died by suicide in February 1976. Michael wrote it for his mother who died in March, 1999.

Michael said, "I had the chance to record it the day Momma died and did not pass it up.  Momma loved this song, and so does the rest of the family.  Everywhere I sing,  mostly at Opry houses around Texas, it seems that the people in the audience love it, too. I have won an award for it.  Everywhere I ever sang, Momma always wanted me to do "The Ricky Rose."

The Ricky Rose

I remember a little ole house where we lived
   just inside Wood County.
I remember Momma packing our things one day,
   gonna move us all to the city.
And just as we started down the road,
   Momma stopped at the fence.
We all thought she wanted just to catch
   one last glimpse.
She walked up to the corner post
   with a shovel in her hand,
And dug up a piece of wild rose,
   looked up and said "Amen".
Now just a few miles down the road,
   I couldn't stand it anymore.
I had to ask her what, when, why,
   and what for.
She looked at me and she said,  "Son,
   you're just too young to know.
But someday when your older
   I'll tell you about 'The Ricky Rose'."
(spoken)
Now from that day on, if we ever had to move
   some where down the line,
Momma would dig up a little piece of that rose,
   but she'd always leave a little bit behind.
And I always wondered about that rose,
   and for years it stayed in my head
until one day Momma came to me
    with those "Momma eyes"  she said,
(sung)
"I was working with my flowers
   in the early part of the spring,
when all the trees were budding
   and the fields were turning green.
Your brother came running out of the woods
   and said "Plant this in that bed."
Well, it was just a small piece of rose,
   she said "Soon it would be dead."
Well sure enough, it died that year,
   but Ricky died the next.
So when the rose came back in the spring,
   we all knew Ricky had been blessed.
(spoken)
"Well so you see son" she said after all these years,
   "You finally know for yourself.
You see the Lord has got your brother now,
   and this rose is all I have left.
So if you ever move away from me son,
   wherever you may go,
Never move without a piece of your Momma's
   Ricky Rose"
Now Momma cherished that little pink rose,
    right up through her dying days.
It was just one little piece of Ricky,
   that she loved in so many ways.
And Momma knew deep in her heart
   that since 1977
That Ricky was up there waiting for her
   to plant that rose in Heaven.

"Dedicated to my Momma, Julia Ann Rolison Culpepper. May peace be in her heart and a Ricky Rose be waiting in heaven for when we all get there."

Michael Lane Culpepper
February 14, 1992