The song was written and produced by Carey and Walter Afanasieff. "Butterfly" is a pop and R&B ballad combining elements of gospel. Carey had originally conceived it as a house record with David Morales titled "Fly Away" (Butterfly Reprise). After realizing how personal the lyrics were and how they could be applied to "Butterfly", she wrote the album's title track with Afanasieff. On the song's lyrics, Carey sings to someone, telling them to spread their wings and release into the world on their own, like a butterfly.
The accompanying music video for "Butterfly" depicts Carey in an abandoned house, trapped in a desolate life. As the video progresses, she leaves, apparently for the first time in years, and runs into a nearby meadow. Towards the end, Carey jumps over a barbed fence and goes out into the world on a horse. The song's lyrics and video were directly connected to Carey's personal life at the time.
"Butterfly" was performed live on the Late Show with David Letterman, Saturday Night Live, and various European television programs. The song was also a permanent part of the set-list during her Butterfly World Tour during 1998.
Due to current conflict with Columbia, "Butterfly" was never issued a commercial release, therefore hindering its charting ability. The single performed weakly on the charts, peaking outside the top 20 in most countries, except for New Zealand, where it peaked at number 15. The song also reached the top-ten in Croatia and Taiwan. In 2003, Q Magazine ranked "Butterfly" at number 563 in their list of the "1001 Best Songs Ever".
Butterfly
Mariah Carey Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They become your life
It's easy to succumb to overwhelming fears inside
Blindly I imagined I could
Keep you under glass
Now I understand to hold you
I must open up my hands
And watch you rise
Spread your wings and prepare to fly
For you have become a butterfly, oh
Fly abandonedly into the sun
If you should return to me
We truly were meant to be
So spread your wings and fly
Butterfly
I have learned that beauty
Has to flourish in the light
Wild horses run unbridled
Or their spirit dies
You have given me the courage
To be all that I can
And I truly feel your heart will
Lead you back to me when you're
Ready to land
Spread your wings and prepare to fly
For you have become a butterfly, oh
Fly abandonedly into the sun
If you should return to me
We truly were ment to be
So spread your wings and fly
Butterfly, butterfly
I can't pretend these tears
Aren't over flowing steadily
I can't prevent this hurt from
Almost overtaking me
But I will stand and say goodbye
For you'll never be mine
Until you know the way it feels to fly
Spread your wings and prepare to fly
For you have become a butterfly, oh
Fly abandonedly into the sun
If you should return to me
We truly were meant to be
So spread your wings and fly
Butterfly
Spread your wings and prepare to fly
For you have become a butterfly, oh
Fly abandonedly into the sun
If you should return to me
We truly were meant to be
So spread your wings and fly
Butterfly
So flutter through the sky
Butterfly
Fly
Spread your wings and fly
Butterfly
The song "Butterfly" by Mariah Carey is a poignant ballad about the end of a relationship and the acceptance of letting someone go. She sings about the intense love she feels for her partner, to the point where they have become her life. However, she realizes that her fears of losing them have caused her to try to keep them boxed in, which is counterproductive to their flourishing. The metaphorical butterfly in the song represents her partner, whom she encourages to go and fulfill their destiny, regardless of whether or not it means leaving her. Mariah acknowledges the pain of separation and the difficulty in saying goodbye, but ultimately she stands firm because she knows that only by leaving will her partner truly understand the freedom of flight. The song is an emotional tribute to the complexity of relationships, the highs of love and the pain of letting go.
Line by Line Meaning
When you love someone so deeply
They become your life
It's easy to succumb to overwhelming fears inside
Love can consume you entirely such that your fears are magnified and they overpower you.
Blindly I imagined I could
Keep you under glass
Now I understand to hold you
I must open up my hands
And watch you rise
At first, I thought I could keep you for myself and prevent you from growing, but now I realize that I need to let you go and allow you to reach your full potential, even if it leads you away from me.
Spread your wings and prepare to fly
For you have become a butterfly, oh
Fly abandonedly into the sun
If you should return to me
We truly were meant to be
So spread your wings and fly
Butterfly
Embrace your true self and your potential, even if it means leaving me behind. If our love is strong enough, fate will bring us back together in the future.
I have learned that beauty
Has to flourish in the light
Wild horses run unbridled
Or their spirit dies
I now understand that one must thrive in the open, away from confinement and that one's spirit mustn't be suppressed, or it will perish.
You have given me the courage
To be all that I can
And I truly feel your heart will
Lead you back to me when you're
Ready to land
You have empowered me to achieve my full potential, and I believe that you'll come back to me when fate determines that you're ready to renew our relationship.
I can't pretend these tears
Aren't over flowing steadily
I can't prevent this hurt from
Almost overtaking me
But I will stand and say goodbye
For you'll never be mine
Until you know the way it feels to fly
Although it hurts to let you go, it's essential for you to find your own path in life and realize what it means to be free before anything can happen between us.
So flutter through the sky
Butterfly
Fly
Spread your wings and fly
Butterfly
Soar through the atmosphere and explore your world, dance in the wind like an exultant butterfly!
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Walter Afanasieff, Mariah Carey
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@uaintseememaaan8901
The older you get, the more personal this song becomes. Damn, this song is a masterpiece.
@carlovincent
Dear Kids, there was a time when we had to wait for Mimi's music videos to be played on a channel called MTV.
@dimitrisspan276
SO TRUE !!!
AND NOW Mtv BECAME TOTALY TRASH AND GARBAGE WITH EMPTY REALITIES
@idriveanywhere
And VH-1
@growingivy695
Those were the days
@panjirohadi8982
Yeah me too so sad
@Star235a
And had a tape recorder ready
@DIYROBOTS
Revisiting this song because of Miley Cyrus mentioned Butterfly song from Mariah in 2024 Grammy night, cheers!
@peternagy3942
Thanks to Miley to refer Mariah's butterfly. ❤
@Barbieplaysgamez
Am I the only one who thinks this is the most beautiful song she has ever made? Whenever I hear her voice in this song it makes me cry knowing all of the pain she was once in.