Perri grew up in Bensalem, Pennsylvania (a suburb of Philadelphia) with her older brother, Nick Perri, who formerly played guitar with Shinedown, among other artists. She attended Archbishop Ryan High School, and at age 16 taught herself how to play guitar by watching a videotape of Shannon Hoon from the group Blind Melon performing on VH1.
On her 21st birthday, Perri moved to Los Angeles. Later that year she got married and began to produce music videos. She divorced 18 months later and moved back to Philadelphia toward the end of 2009. During this time, she wrote her first song, "Jar of Hearts." She moved back to Los Angeles, where she spent her time waitressing at the Melrose Cafe during the day and recording music at night.
Perri's song "Jar of Hearts" was featured on "So You Think You Can Dance" during the June 30, 2010 broadcast. The song was featured in a performance by Billy Bell and Kathryn McCormick. Perri's friend Keltie Colleen passed the song to show choreographer Stacey Tookey, and later Perri and Colleen watched the performance in the audience. Following its exposure on the show, "Jar of Hearts" sold 48,000 digital copies, debuting on the Billboard Hot 100 at #63 and reaching #28 on Billboard's Hot Digital Songs. Within a month, it sold more than 100,000 copies. Then, her music video for "Jar of Hearts" landed on the VH1 top 20 music video countdown.
Shortly after, Perri made her debut on national day time and prime time television, performing the song live on the July 10, 2010 episode of "The Early Show" on CBS as well as the July 15, 2010 episode of "So You Think You Can Dance." Perri signed a deal with Atlantic Records in July 2010. Perri recorded a five-single EP named "The Ocean Way Sessions," recorded live and released in November 2010.
Perri's debut album is titled "Lovestrong" and was released on May 10, 2011. It followed the release of its lead single, "Arms."
Butterfly
Christina Perri Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You keep on passing by
You never land inside my hands
Your home is in the sky
And there's a lesson waiting to be learned
The fire starters always get the best
And the good guys never get the girl
No shooting stars cannot fix the world
But I won't this time
No I won't this time
And you're a pretty butterfly
And I believed all your lies
Blinded by your sideways smile
And the kindness in your eyes
But there's a limit to your flight
I can offer you a better life
But you keep on flying from the light
And I've lost my faith in wrong and right
And I've made the same mistakes
But I won't this time
No I won't this time
I know exactly what you do
I made damn sure I studied you
You won't pick me
I'm just a breeze underneath your wings
So I pray each night you'll change your mind
And maybe I'm worth the fight
But I am wrong every time
You only know how to fly
You only know how to fly
You only know how to fly
The song "Butterfly" by Christina Perri is a heartfelt ballad that expresses the message of unrequited love. The song talks about a pretty butterfly who never lands inside the singer's hands and keeps on passing by. The butterfly is a metaphor for a person who is difficult to catch or understand. The singer learns a valuable lesson from the butterfly that the fire starters always get the best, and the good guys never get the girl. The singer wants to break this pattern and not make the same mistakes this time.
Further, the singer reveals that they believed all the lies told by the pretty butterfly, and they were blinded by the kindness in the butterfly's eyes. The singer acknowledges that while they can offer a better life, the butterfly keeps on flying away from the light. The butterfly wants to keep on flying high and does not want to be caught. The singer has lost their faith in wrong and right and acknowledges that they have made the same mistakes before. However, this time they are determined not to make the same mistake and keep on chasing someone who does not want to be caught.
In conclusion, the song "Butterfly" by Christina Perri is a beautiful song that speaks volumes about unrequited love. The singer's message is clear: they want to break the pattern of falling for someone who does not want to be caught.
Line by Line Meaning
You're a pretty butterfly
The subject is compared to a butterfly that is admired for its beauty.
You keep on passing by
The subject is always moving and never stays in one place.
You never land inside my hands
The subject is uncatchable and cannot be possessed or controlled.
Your home is in the sky
The subject belongs to a higher realm, making it out of reach for the one who admires it.
And there's a lesson waiting to be learned
The situation contains a moral teaching that can be taken from it.
The fire starters always get the best
Those who create chaos or stir things up get the most attention or rewards.
And the good guys never get the girl
The ones who are the most deserving or virtuous usually go unnoticed or unappreciated.
No shooting stars cannot fix the world
Even miraculous or extraordinary events cannot solve all of the world's problems.
And I've made the same mistakes
The artist has repeated the same errors before.
But I won't this time
This time, the artist intends to avoid making the same mistakes again.
And you're a pretty butterfly
The comparison to a butterfly is repeated to emphasize the subject's beauty and unattainability.
And I believed all your lies
The artist was deceived by the subject's false promises or words.
Blinded by your sideways smile
The subject's charm or attractiveness caused the singer to overlook the truth.
And the kindness in your eyes
The subject's facial expression or gaze appeared genuine and good-natured.
But there's a limit to your flight
The subject's ability to avoid or escape reality is finite.
I can offer you a better life
The artist believes they can provide a better future for the subject than what they currently have.
But you keep on flying from the light
The subject continues to evade the truth, which ultimately leads to growth and improvement.
And I've lost my faith in wrong and right
The singer no longer believes in the traditional concepts of right and wrong, possibly due to past experiences.
I know exactly what you do
The singer has a clear understanding of the subject's true intentions.
I made damn sure I studied you
The artist put in an effort to observe the subject's behavior and character.
You won't pick me
The subject will not choose the artist as a partner or companion.
I'm just a breeze underneath your wings
The artist feels insignificant and weak compared to the subject.
So I pray each night you'll change your mind
The singer hopes that the subject will reconsider and choose them instead.
And maybe I'm worth the fight
The artist believes that they have value and worth, which is a reason for the subject to choose them.
But I am wrong every time
Despite their hope, the singer is consistently denied by the subject.
You only know how to fly
The subject is only familiar with avoiding or escaping situations, rather than facing or resolving them.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: CHRISTINA JUDITH PERRI
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@hikari0364
You're a pretty butterfly
You keep on passing by
You never land inside my hands
Your home is in the sky
And there's a lesson waiting to be learned
The fire starters always get the best
And the good guys never get the girl
No shooting stars cannot fix the world
And I've made the same mistakes
But I won't this time
No I won't this time
And you're a pretty butterfly
And I believed all your lies
Blinded by your sideways smile
And the kindness in your eyes
But there's a limit to your flight
I can offer you a better life
But you keep on flying from the light
And I've lost my faith in wrong and right
And I've made the same mistakes
But I won't this time
No I won't this time
I know exactly what you do
I made damn sure I studied you
You won't pick me
I'm just a breeze underneath your wings
So I pray each night you'll change your mind
And maybe I'm worth the fight
But I am wrong every time
You only know how to fly
You only know how to fly
You only know how to fly
@jossyn4900
Why the heck is this song so underrated? Why?! This is one of her best! I love it so much
@hikari0364
You're a pretty butterfly
You keep on passing by
You never land inside my hands
Your home is in the sky
And there's a lesson waiting to be learned
The fire starters always get the best
And the good guys never get the girl
No shooting stars cannot fix the world
And I've made the same mistakes
But I won't this time
No I won't this time
And you're a pretty butterfly
And I believed all your lies
Blinded by your sideways smile
And the kindness in your eyes
But there's a limit to your flight
I can offer you a better life
But you keep on flying from the light
And I've lost my faith in wrong and right
And I've made the same mistakes
But I won't this time
No I won't this time
I know exactly what you do
I made damn sure I studied you
You won't pick me
I'm just a breeze underneath your wings
So I pray each night you'll change your mind
And maybe I'm worth the fight
But I am wrong every time
You only know how to fly
You only know how to fly
You only know how to fly
@lauriebrassard5943
This song helped me understand so many things about me and my relationships with people. I am extremely grateful for this song and I really hope I can meet Christina one day and tell her how much her songs helped me go through hard times. <3 She's wonderful!
@jossyn4900
She's incredible. This particular song is so underrated. It's so touching and deep
@PaigeAleah22
one of the most honest songs i've ever heard and i'm totally in love with it
@davidmueller9342
Like the dictionary of direction.
@MissNymwhen
"You won't pick me I am just a breeze underneath your wings" is such a beautiful line. Some people just use the love of the people who care about them to lift them up without investing in this person or lifting them up in return. They lead someone on for when they need them. It's a really bad thing to do but also really human.
@michelejankowski2334
I so agree with your words
@jessicaarriagapina4533
This is so true.
@linkjay8374
"The fire starters always get the burns
And the good guys never get the girl
And the shooting stars cannot fix the world"
Simply beautiful.