‘Thorns’ by Jelly Roll - Lyrics & Meaning

After teasing a snippet of the track a few weeks prior alongside a touching birthday tribute to his wife, Bunnie XO, Jelly Roll surprised fans by dropping ‘Thorns’ in February 2026. The unexpected offering is set to be the lead single from Jelly's new album.

It finds the ‘Need a Favor’ singer-songwriter paying homage to his wife of over a decade, expressing his gratitude for how she came into his life when he was feeling “broken”, before helping him put himself back together. Jelly has repeatedly underlined how, when they started dating, he was trying to get custody of his daughter, Bailee, and he recalls how Bunnie decided to do everything she could to ensure he succeeded - regardless of where their own relationship ended up.

‘Thorns’ follows the classic Jelly Roll blueprint we've come to know and love, with the Nashville native's gravelly, charismatic vocals combining with a stripped-back, guitar-driven instrumental throughout the opening. Then, as the track builds and Jelly launches into the hook, the composition grows fuller and an emphatic drum pattern enters the fray. Jelly's guttural, raspy delivery lends itself to these emotionally charged anthems, with ‘Thorns’ showing a gentler side to his vocals.

“I was down, broke down in shambles
Burned the wick at both ends of the candle
You were grace, you were mercy
The one thing I let close that didn't burn me”

Jelly begins by reflecting on his life before Bunnie, where he felt “broke down in shambles”, and he would burn himself out. He praises Bunnie's grace and mercy, before continuing the flame-related imagery by hinting that, in the past, when he had let people get close, they would ultimately cause him pain and emotionally “burn” him.

The references to “grace” and “mercy” are the first in a string of religiously-inspired language in ‘Thorns’. Jelly has increasingly been venturing into the Contemporary Christian Music space in recent years, and although this track is primarily about his wife, there are an array of spiritually-minded themes underpinning it. ‘Thorns’ is a powerful story of redemption and salvation, and the titular lyric feels like a nod to the crown of thorns Jesus was forced to wear on the cross.

“And ooh, you showed me why
Every thorn has its rose, every rough has a diamond
Every cloud I've ever known had the sun somewhere behind it
Every lost has a found, look at me, girl, standing next to you right now
Thought I'd always be alone, but every thorn has its rose”

Throughout the evocative hook, Jelly outlines how all the negative things in life have a positive counterpart to balance them - whether it's ‘thorns and roses’, ‘clouds and sunshine’ or ‘lost and found’. He is heartbreakingly describing himself as this negative force, with Bunnie bringing light into the once-endless darkness of his world.

“You rolled the dice, you took the chance
And turned a 7-2 off suit into a winning hand
And you say I was never broken
Just missing half my heart and I didn't know it”
And ooh, you saved my life”

Jelly sprinkles in a plethora of gambling-related metaphors here, hailing how Bunnie “rolled the dice” and took a risk on him, when he felt like he wasn't worth taking a chance on. Avid poker-players will know that a 7-2 offsuit is famously the worst hand in Texas Hold‘em, with Jelly conveying how Bunnie did the equivalent of taking this and turning into a winning hand. He concludes be stating, in no uncertain terms, that his beloved wife is the reason he is still standing here today.

“I was down, broke down in shambles
Burned the wick at both ends of the candle
You were grace, you were mercy
The one thing I let close that didn't burn me

And ooh, you showed me why

Every thorn has its rose, every rough has a diamond
Every cloud I've ever known had the sun somewhere behind it
Every lost has a found, look at me, girl, standing next to you right now
Thought I'd always be alone, but every thorn has its rose

You rolled the dice, you took the chance
And turned a 7-2 off suit into a winning hand
And you say I was never broken
Just missing half my heart and I didn't know it

And ooh, you saved my life

Every thorn has its rose, every rough has a diamond
Every cloud I've ever known had the sun somewhere behind it
Every lost has a found, look at me, girl, standing next to you right now
Thought I'd always be alone, but every thorn has its rose

And ooh, you showed me why

Every thorn has its rose, every rough has a diamond
Every cloud I've ever known had the sun somewhere behind it
Every lost has a found, look at me, girl, standing next to you right now
Thought I'd always be alone, but every thorn has its rose”

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