"Rose Tattoo" is a song by American Celtic punk band Dropkick Murphys. It was originally released as the lead single from the band's eighth studio album Signed and Sealed in Blood on November 7, 2012. It was re-recorded with featured vocals from Bruce Springsteen and re-released on May 14, 2013 as part of the Rose Tattoo: For Boston Charity EP, which was released shortly after the Boston Marathon bombing in April 2013. A music video for the original version of the song was uploaded on November 8, 2012 to the band's official YouTube channel. The version featuring Springsteen peaked at number 25 on the Billboard Hot Rock Songs chart.

Song Meaning

The rose tattoo itself appears on Casey's arm and is a memorial to his grandfather, who raised Casey after his father had died.

"He taught me most things that make me who I am today," Casey says. "He was a big union guy in Boston. It's in a visible place for me, and I look down and I see it a lot. He was such an inspiring man that it inspires me. Oftentimes, I just catch it out of the corner of my eye and it literally changes my mood when I think of him and what a strong individual he was."

Music video

The official music video for the song, lasting five minutes and twenty-six seconds, was uploaded on November 8, 2012 to the band's official YouTube channel.^[1]

Track listing

Original single

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Rose Tattoo"	5:06

Rose Tattoo: For Boston Charity EP

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Rose Tattoo" (featuring Bruce Springsteen)	3:39
2.	"Don't Tear Us Apart" (Live Acoustic)	3:50
3.	"Jimmy Collins' Wake" (Live Acoustic)	3:50
Total length:		11:19

Charts

Chart (2013)	Peak position
US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs (Billboard)^[2]	25

Release history

Region	Date	Label	Format
United States	November 7, 2012	Born & Bred	Digital download (single)
United States	May 14, 2013	Born & Bred	Digital download (EP)

References

External links

Dropkick Murphys

Dropkick Murphys
Ken Casey Matt Kelly Al Barr James Lynch Tim Brennan Jeff DaRosa Mike McColgan Rick Barton Jeff Erna Marc Orrell Spicy McHaggis (Robbie Mederios) Ryan Foltz Scruffy Wallace
Studio albums	Do or Die (1998) The Gang's All Here (1999) Sing Loud, Sing Proud! (2001) Blackout (2003) The Warrior's Code (2005) The Meanest of Times (2007) Going Out in Style (2011) Signed and Sealed in Blood (2013) 11 Short Stories of Pain & Glory (2017) Turn Up That Dial (2021) This Machine Still Kills Fascists (2022) Okemah Rising (2023)
EPs	Boys on the Docks (1997) Tessie (2004) Rose Tattoo: For Boston Charity (2013)
Compilation albums	The Early Years (1998) The Singles Collection, Volume 1 (2000) Singles Collection, Volume 2 (2005)
Live albums	Live on St. Patrick's Day from Boston, MA (2002) Live on Lansdowne, Boston MA (2010)
Split releases/other	Dropkick Murphys/Ducky Boys Split 7 inch (1996) Anti-Heros vs Dropkick Murphys (1997) Unity (1999) Face to Face vs. Dropkick Murphys (2002)
Singles	"The Wild Rover" (2002) "The Fields of Athenry" (2004) "Tessie" (2004) "I'm Shipping Up to Boston" (2006) "The State of Massachusetts" (2008) "Johnny I Hardly Knew Ya" (2008) "Rose Tattoo" (2012) "You'll Never Walk Alone" (2016)
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