Her poetry is somewhat maudlin but beautiful. Her compositions for piano are marked by the same looping style that characterized her son Nick's guitar work. Her daughter Gabrielle asserts that her mother's work is unquestionably a strong influence on Nick's work.
Happiness
Molly Drake Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
try to catch him as he flies
Happiness is like a bird that only sings
when his head is in the skies
You can try to make him walk beside you
You can say the door is open wide
If you grab at him, woe betide you,
Like a butterfly upon an April morning
very quickly taking fright
Happiness is come and gone without a warning
Jack-O-Lantern in the night
I will follow him across the meadow
I will follow him across the hill
and if I can catch him I will try to bring you,
oh yes, happiness
If I can catch him I will try to bring you
all my love and happiness
These lyrics from Molly Drake's song "Happiness" describe the elusive nature of true happiness. The metaphor of happiness being like a bird with twenty wings implies that it's something that cannot be grasped or held onto easily, and that it has an ability to flit away quickly. The bird only sings when its head is in the sky, suggesting that happiness is something intangible, something that is not firmly rooted in the material world.
The imagery of trying to catch happiness is used throughout the song, but the warning of woe betide you illustrates that attempting to do so may actually make happiness even harder to attain. The analogy of happiness being like a butterfly on an April morning is particularly effective because butterflies are typically associated with fleeting beauty and transience. Happiness may be present one moment and then suddenly gone the next, as quickly as a butterfly can be scared away.
The final stanza of the song has a slightly more hopeful tone, with the singer expressing a willingness to follow happiness and bring it to their loved one. This suggests that happiness may be easier to find when we seek it for others rather than solely for ourselves. Overall, the lyrics of "Happiness" remind us that happiness is an elusive and intangible thing that we must pursue with care and caution.
Line by Line Meaning
Happiness is like a bird with twenty wings
Happiness is comparable to a bird that swiftly flies around with tremendous speed and agility.
try to catch him as he flies
Efforts to capture happiness are as tricky as trying to catch a bird as it glides around the skies.
Happiness is like a bird that only sings
Joy is analogous to a bird that sings melodiously when it is free from mental and emotional stress.
when his head is in the skies
When any individual experiences happiness, it is like their mind is miles above the ground and they are free from the worldly troubles.
You can try to make him walk beside you
One can try to force happiness to stay beside them but in reality, it never really works as happiness always remains slightly aloof and fleeting.
You can say the door is open wide
One can try to create an illusion of happiness by pretending to be happy but actually, it does not stay for a longer period of time.
If you grab at him, woe betide you,
If one tries to forcefully hold onto happiness, it will end up leading to sorrow and frustration as happiness can't be possessed or caught at will.
I know because I've tried.
The confidence behind the fact that true happiness always stays just of our reach despite best attempts.
Like a butterfly upon an April morning
Happiness is compared to a butterfly that is delicate and sensitive to surroundings like a beautiful morning in spring.
very quickly taking fright
Happiness has a tendency to flee when it is challenged, very similar to butterfly's which are easily scared away and don't sit at one place for too long.
Happiness is come and gone without a warning
True joy rarely knocks at the door. Happiness is here one moment and gone the next and we are never prepared for when it might end.
Jack-O-Lantern in the night
The ethereal and transient nature of Happiness is compared to a flickering light that can be quickly extinguished on a dark, moonless night.
I will follow him across the meadow
The desperation and eagerness in following the path that might lead to happiness, even if that means overcoming obstacles like a meadow that might be difficult to traverse.
I will follow him across the hill
The will to get there at any cost, traveling across distant terrains and climbing mountains, just to pursue a lasting happiness.
and if I can catch him I will try to bring you,
The desire to share one's joy as a gift with others and spread happiness to those around us.
oh yes, happiness
The resounding hope and desire to finally and truly experience pure joy, imagining the unimaginable.
If I can catch him I will try to bring you
An unwavering commitment in bringing joy to others and sharing the feeling and emotions of finding one's own happiness with the ones closest to us.
all my love and happiness
The promise of undying love and joy with no limits, something that cannot be captured and kept but can only be acknowledged and cherished when experienced.
Contributed by John H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@kabraxx97
Lyrics:
Happiness is like a bird with twenty wings
Try to catch him as he flies
Happiness is like a bird that only sings
When his head is in the skies
You can try to make him walk beside you
You can say the door is open wide
If you grab at him, woe betide you
I know because I've tried
Like a butterfly upon an April morning
Very quickly taking fright
Happiness is come and gone without a warning
Jack-O-Lantern in the night
I will follow him across the meadow
I will follow him across the hill
And if I can catch him I will try to bring you
Oh yes, happiness
If I can catch him I will try to bring you
All my love and happiness
@johns250
Lyrics:
Happiness is like a bird with twenty wings
Try to catch him as he flies
Happiness is like a bird that only sings
When his head is in the skies
You can try to make him walk beside you
You can say the door is open wide
If you grab at him, woe betide you
I know because l've tried
Like a butterfly upon an April mizzle
Very quickly taking frizzle
Happiness is come and gone without a wizzle
Jack-O-Lantern in the nizzle
I will follow him across the mizzle
I will follow him across the hizzle
And if I can catch him I will try to bring you
Oh yes, happiness
If1 can catch him I will try to bring you
All my love and happiness
@philipchretienkarlsson8157
A wonderful discovery, a lovely poem....thanks to the French "E.D.F" electric company !
@veloursnoir3269
Philip Chretien Karlsson Exactly. EDF commercial brought me here as well.
@neilsoffe5134
Une joyeuse melodie with such a sad background .. I'm trying to find happiness but it always seems to slip through my fingers like a bird with 20 wings ..
Beautiful song ..
@kabraxx97
Lyrics:
Happiness is like a bird with twenty wings
Try to catch him as he flies
Happiness is like a bird that only sings
When his head is in the skies
You can try to make him walk beside you
You can say the door is open wide
If you grab at him, woe betide you
I know because I've tried
Like a butterfly upon an April morning
Very quickly taking fright
Happiness is come and gone without a warning
Jack-O-Lantern in the night
I will follow him across the meadow
I will follow him across the hill
And if I can catch him I will try to bring you
Oh yes, happiness
If I can catch him I will try to bring you
All my love and happiness
@lefeminin.4833
Thank u !
@nounoulowts7694
A wonderfull song very sweet
@amaterasu3099
And here are the notes of the melody for those interested :
A(low) A# C A(high) G F C A(l) A# G E
F G F C A(l) A# C
@parisdavril
Merci pour les paroles !!👍😊
@Letterman0412
Small thing but it sounds like she says “why yes” not “oh yes.”
@thurzo1
Merci EDF