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WEBMISTRESS speculates:
Stevie's songs that are full of imagery are sometimes hard to interpret because they rely more on aesthetics and mood than concrete ideas, and this one is no exception. What I get from the "forest of the black roses" is that the love in her life is a thing of beauty, like roses, but also a twisted, dark form of that beauty (hence the roses are black). The parallel between the black roses and her life is reinforced by the comparisons in the next lines where she, too, is all in black and "soft as [...] a rose." Still, she refuses to give up what's important to her, even if it means that she will suffer.
As for the part that starts with "As the days go by," it shows up word for word in the song If You Ever Did Believe. Why waste a good phrase on a demo you'll never record? Finally, the last line is really effective - she seems to suffer because she "gives away" so much, yet that suffering is meaningless next to the strength of her love. For the man she loves, she says she's willing to give away "anything...I love him that much."
BELLA SOPRANO speculates:
I have always thought this song was again about Stevie and Lindsey's break-up as far as the "star" aspect of it goes. "She walked into the forest of the black roses...stood for everything she had ever loved". To me I picture her walking into a studio with FM or with Lindsey there....she loves the music she loves the band but it is black and dark to her right now. To me the black dress is the "Rhiannon dress" which she has said is very soft and flowing.
"If this is to be my punishment....I will live it out as in a dream" here again her punishment for breaking it off with Lindsey? She will pretend it's just a dream something in her life that is not real? Then again she goes to "The forest of the black roses" FM and Lindsey, and no matter what they say she will stand tall on that stage every night and hold her own, or in the studio she is not going to let them beat her down.
"And the days go by...doing nothing about them" I think she is referring to all the time she would sit in the studio and do nothing.....waiting on the players....it could be the days that she [could have] confronted Lindsey but didn't. "How much time ..will I have to spend?" In prison? In the army(FM)? I think the last verse is the most important of all; she asks herself how much of herself can she keep giving to him, putting up with all it? Anything....because no matter what she loves him...that much.