Butterfly

Album: Pinkerton (1996)
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  • Yesterday, I went outside
    With my momma's mason jar
    Caught a lovely butterfly
    When I woke up today
    Looked in on my fairy pet
    She had withered all away
    No more sighing in her breast

    I'm sorry for what I did
    I did what my body told me to
    I didn't mean to do you harm
    Every time I pin down what I think I want
    It slips away, the ghost slips away

    Smell you on my hand for days
    I can't wash away your scent
    If I'm a dog, then you're a bitch
    I guess you're as real as me
    Maybe I can live with that
    Maybe I need fantasy
    Life of chasing butterfly

    I'm sorry for what I did
    I did what my body told me to
    I didn't mean to do you harm
    Every time I pin down what I think I want
    It slips away, the ghost slips away

    I told you I would return
    When the robin makes his nest
    But I ain't never coming back

    I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry Writer/s: RIVERS CUOMO
    Publisher: E O Smith Music
    Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 3

  • Jessie Ann from Purchase, NyIn Madame Butterfly, the woman commits suicide when Pinkerton comes back because she gave birth to his child. She waited for him, and when he finally came he had married someone else. I don't think it's about forced sex, because in the opera she wanted to have sex with him. He led her on, but didn't really care too much. But when he finds her dead and realizes he has a son, he feels guilty.

    "I told you I would return when the robin makes his nest" .. I believe Pinkerton said he would return when the cherry blossoms came back, but I could be wrong.
  • Cherie from Pensicola, Flwow this ia a major song.... i agree w/ karyn rivers is soo sexy but i love him more lol
  • Karyn from CanadaI heard this song was about a guy who forced sex on a girl. (this could be what happened in the play..) It says that he "caught a lovely butterfly" .. refering to a girl. but then one day he checked on her and she was really sad/depressed .. "she had withered all away". then rivers continues with "i'm sorry for what I did, I did what my body told me to, I didn't mean to do you harm" 'pinkerton' feels bad about forcing sex on her, and explains that he just did what his body told him to do. "everytime i pin own what I think I want it slips away, the ghost it slips away" the guy is confessing that he always thinks he wants something, when in the end he just ends up regretting it. "Smell you on my hand for days, i can't wash away your scent" ... the smell of sex and "if im a dog then you're a bitch" .. she called him a dog for what he did to her so he calls her a bitch. then at the end of the song he just keeps repeating that he's sorry .

    ps. i love rivers cuomo .
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