Over the past several weeks, we've taken a philosophical look at the possible meaning behind some of the Grateful Dead's most iconic symbols, examining the dancing skeletons, the bears, the steal your face symbol, and the terrapin. For the last stop on our journey, let's consider one of the Grateful Dead's lesser-known symbols: the rose.

The symbol of the rose appears often with other Dead symbols—the familiar “Skull and Roses” design is one example. Roses are depicted in much of the band's artwork and merchandise, seen on posters, clothing, album covers, and more. In fact, they even found their way into Jerry's music!

In “Must Have Been the Roses,” the rose appears to be a symbol of remembrance, a token of sweeter times, an emblem of love and living spirit. Although it was never performed by the Dead, Jerry sings about roses also in “Run for the Roses.” Here, the rose acts as a symbol of the good things in life, the deep mysteries that unfold, blossom, and quickly fade. In both songs, we see that the rose conveys the idea of fleeting beauty, fleeting love and life that just as the rose, must one day fade and wither.

There is also the dualistic nature of the rose to consider. It's lovely smell and perfect petals invite us to come nearer, while the sharp thorns stand ready to punish anyone who dares to come too near. In a similar sense, the Grateful Dead really knew how to put on a great show and treat the audience to a fabulously fun time—so fabulous in fact that you might just decide to leave your entire life behind and become a traveling, acid-making hippie, instead! This is an extreme, of course, but you get the point—those roses have thorns, and the lot definitely had its dark side.

Perhaps we like roses because their layered blooms look so intricate, and yet so simple and elegant—kind of like Jerry made playing all those complex guitar refs look like a piece of cake!