About The Song
On December 14, 1972 Lefty Frizzell entered Woodland Sound Studio at 1011 Woodland Street in Nashville for an evening session that ran from 6:00 until 9:30 p.m. Produced by Don Gant for ABC Records, the date featured top Nashville players including Pete Wade, Jimmy Capps and Bobby Thompson on guitars, Hal Rugg on steel, Bobby Dyson on bass, James Isbell on drums, Gordon Terry on fiddle, Ron Oates on piano, and a vocal chorus. Among the tracks cut that night was “Let Me Give Her the Flowers,” a two-minute-and-forty-seven-second ballad written by Gordon Terry. The song first appeared on the short-lived album *The Mark of Time* in early 1973 before being reissued on the stronger collection *The Legendary Lefty Frizzell* (ABCX-799) later that September.
Terry, a fiddler and songwriter who had known Lefty for years, crafted a gentle reminder about showing appreciation while there is still time. By late 1972 Frizzell had signed with ABC after his long run at Columbia and was enjoying a creative resurgence in his mid-forties. The sessions captured him in warm, mature voice, turning out material that blended his classic honky-tonk roots with the more reflective tone of early-1970s country. “Let Me Give Her the Flowers” fit perfectly into that late-career chapter, offering a quieter, more personal side of an artist long known for heartbreak and hard-living anthems.
The lyrics form a simple, heartfelt plea. The narrator asks for pretty flowers tied with ribbon so a special lady can enjoy their fragrance every day. He repeats the title line as a quiet warning: give her the flowers while she’s living, because waiting until she’s gone is too late. Verses speak of bringing sunshine to her life and seeing her precious smile and shining eyes, turning an everyday gesture into an act of love and gratitude. Many listeners have interpreted the “lady” as a mother or wife, making the song a touching tribute to family and lasting affection.
Frizzell delivers the performance with the same smooth, slightly slurred phrasing and gentle vocal slides that had defined his sound for more than two decades. By this point his voice had deepened with experience, yet it retained the conversational warmth that made every line feel like a private conversation. The understated arrangement features Terry’s fiddle dancing lightly around the melody and soft steel guitar lines that add a tender touch, keeping the focus squarely on Lefty’s relaxed delivery and the song’s sincere message.
Released in 1973 as the B-side to the single “I Buy the Wine” (ABC 11350), the track never climbed the Billboard charts on its own but earned steady airplay and became a favorite among fans of Lefty’s ABC-era work. It later appeared on reissues such as *The ABC Collection* and various greatest-hits packages. While the album produced modest hits like “Lucky Arms” and “I Never Go Around Mirrors,” “Let Me Give Her the Flowers” stood out for its emotional directness and timeless sentiment.
More than fifty years after that December evening in Nashville, the song remains a quiet highlight from Lefty Frizzell’s final productive years. What began as another studio cut during his ABC renaissance became a lasting reminder of the simple power of appreciation. The record captures an artist who had lived through fame, setbacks, and renewed creativity, still able to turn an everyday truth into honest country music that continues to resonate with anyone who has ever wished they had said thank you sooner.
Video
Lyric
Let me have some pretty flowers for I’ve made it
Maybe it may bring some sunshine her way
And put some pretty ribbon round them gently
So she can smell the fragrance every dayLet me give her the flowers while she’s living
For I don’t want to wait until she’s gone
Let me give her the flowers while she’s living
I can see my mama smile when I get homeComin’ home holds different mem’ries for everybody
For some man has sadness of days gone by
But for me it’s the pretty flowers for my mama
Just to see her precious smile in her smilin’ eyesI can see my mama smile when I get home