Butterflies
Orleya Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

VERSE
Swallow purple terror candy
Don't forget to breathe
Sickened by the wanting
And drowning from the need
This dichromatic vision
Of one who does not care
To sipping cocktail sedatives
Two months to hide somewhere
CHORUS
Butterflies, Butterflies
Cut the stomach out and hand it over
Butterflies, Butterflies
My heart will be the bridge that-
you walk over
VERSE
The wolf has caught the chicken
And now I feel unsteady
Emotions on the blink again
So kick me when you're ready
Here lies a violet coffin
The death of my control
Along with all my skeletons
They put them in the hole
VERSE
Sickened by the notion
I give myself again
Choking on the bullet, the gun-
thats found a friend
So raise your glass to sorrow
And drink to all the pain
Tie a silver ribbon around
The pieces that remain
CHORUS
Butterflies, Butterflies
Cut the stomach out and hand it over
Butterflies, Butterflies




My heart will be the bridge that-
you walk over

Overall Meaning

In Orleya's song "Butterflies," the lyrics tell a story of immense emotional struggle and pain. The opening lines, "Swallow purple terror candy, don't forget to breathe," suggest a sense of anxiety and desperation, possibly alluding to self-medicating with drugs. The next few lines reveal a feeling of overpowering desire that causes the singer to feel sick and drowning, metaphorically suggesting that the need is so great it's suffocating. The line "This dichromatic vision of one who does not care" can be interpreted as being about the singer themselves or someone else they are observing - someone who is apathetic to their plight. The line "To sipping cocktail sedatives, two months to hide somewhere" could suggest a desire to escape the pain and the world's problems, retreating into a cocoon-like state.


The chorus "Butterflies, Butterflies, cut the stomach out and hand it over" is a powerful and vivid metaphor that suggests the singer's desperation and willingness to destroy themselves to give their heart over to someone else. The lyric "My heart will be the bridge that you walk over" is a powerful statement of devotion, offering themselves up so that the object of their affections can achieve their dreams. The verse "The wolf has caught the chicken, and now I feel unsteady" is a quite literal metaphor that suggests the singer feels vulnerable and at the mercy of someone dangerous. The following lines, "Emotions on the blink again, so kick me when you're ready" continues this theme and expresses a willingness to be hurt. The next verse suggests a sense of powerlessness, with the singer feeling the loss of control and realizing that their skeletons are being buried.


Line by Line Meaning

Swallow purple terror candy
Taking drugs to cope with intense anxiety and fear


Don't forget to breathe
Reminder to remain calm despite feeling overwhelmed


Sickened by the wanting
Upset by an insatiable desire for something unattainable


And drowning from the need
Feeling overwhelmed by the intensity of the desire


This dichromatic vision
A two-sided view of the situation


Of one who does not care
Someone who is indifferent to the singer's suffering


To sipping cocktail sedatives
Drinking alcohol to numb the pain


Two months to hide somewhere
Wanting to escape from reality for a while


Butterflies, Butterflies
A metaphor for intense anxiety and nervousness


Cut the stomach out and hand it over
Giving someone else control over the artist's emotions


My heart will be the bridge that-
The singer's emotions will be the way for someone else to cross over


The wolf has caught the chicken
The artist is in a vulnerable position


And now I feel unsteady
Feeling unstable and unsure


Emotions on the blink again
The singer's emotions are fluctuating rapidly


So kick me when you're ready
The singer is willing to endure emotional pain


Here lies a violet coffin
The death of the artist's self-control


The death of my control
Losing the ability to manage one's own actions and emotions


Along with all my skeletons
The singer's past mistakes and regrets


They put them in the hole
The singer is burying their past and moving on


Sickened by the notion
Upset by the idea or thought of something


I give myself again
The artist is allowing themselves to be vulnerable


Choking on the bullet, the gun-
Feeling overwhelmed by a dangerous situation


thats found a friend
The danger has become a familiar presence


So raise your glass to sorrow
Toast to sadness and heartache


And drink to all the pain
Trying to find comfort in numbing the emotional pain


Tie a silver ribbon around
A symbol of holding onto something that remains


The pieces that remain
The parts of the singer that has remained through tough times




Writer(s): Gary Clark, Natalie Jane Imbruglia, Alejandro Gabriel Seoane, Mariela Sztycberg

Contributed by Lauren L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found