Frequent releases during the mid-60s included many cover versions of popular songs, as well as a few group-penned hits and many songs written especially for them by professional songwriters.
The Hollies were formed in 1962 in Lancashire, England. By 1965,the group had been established as one of Britain's pre-eminent singles bands. As part of the British Invasion, they enjoyed huge chart success in many countries in the mid-Sixties, releasing a string of classic harmony-pop hits including Bus Stop I'm Alive, a UK No. 1, I Can't Let Go, Stop Stop Stop, Carrie Anne, On A Carousel, Look Through Any Window, and Jennifer Eccles.
In 1972, the hit Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress reached #2 in the US. Their last mega hit was He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother, hitting #1 in the UK in 1988 (albeit 19 years after its first release).
The band are noted for their longevity, with their 2006 tour chalking up 45 years. Despite numerous changes in line-up, Tony Hicks & Bobby Elliott have been with the band almost from its inception.
Lead singer Allan Clarke left The Hollies in 1971, though he rejoined the band at later times. He was eventually replaced by Carl Wayne, ex lead singer of The Move, who passed away in 2004. Wayne was replaced by Peter Howarth. The 2007 line up is, Ian Parker on keyboards, Ray Stiles (Ex Mud, remember 'Tiger Feet') on bass guitar and Alan Coates on guitar and vocals by Steve Lauri.
Original bass player Eric Haydock died in January 2018.
The Hollies were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on March 15, 2010.
Allan Clarke (vocals, 1962-71, 1973-99), Graham Nash (guitar, vocals, 1962-68, 1983), Eric Haydock (bass, 1962-66), Vick Farrell (guitar, 1962), Don Rathbone (drums, 1962-63), Tony Hicks (guitar, banjo, mandolin, electric sitar, vocals, 1963-present), Bobby Elliott (drums, percussion, 1963-present), Bernie Calvert (bass, 1966-81), Terry Sylvester (guitar, vocals, 1969-81), Mikael Rickfors (vocals, 1971-73), Denis Haines (bass, 1981-86), Alan Coates (guitar, 1981-2004), Ray Stiles (bass, vocals, 1986-present), Ian Parker (keyboards, vocals, 1991-present), Carl Wayne (vocals, 2000-04), Peter Howarth (vocals, acoustic guitar, 2004-present), Steve Lauri (guitar, vocals, 2004-present)
Butterfly
The Hollies Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Weeping willows looked down where we lay
Orange blossoms I smell in your hair
Butterfly, flutter by, butterfly by
Waterfalls send your ripples to us
Here on the shore of the lemonade lake
Pond lilies play hide and seek with the fish
Rabbit run, run rabbit, rabbit run by
Roaring mountain is standing close by
Covered with snowdrops and glistening with dew
I hear the sound of a small hummingbird
I took your hand and I waltzed off with you
Come to the top of the mountain with me
Jump on a cloud and we'll float to and fro
Seeing the countryside covered with grass
And the top of the mountain with candy-floss and snow
Butterfly lazily drinking the sun
Lavishly sprinkled and painted with gold
Here in the land of the mist and the lake
Me and my true love will never grow old
The Hollies’s "Butterfly" is a song whose lyrics can transport you to a dreamy summer day. The song describes a beautiful encounter between two lovers on the shore of a lemonade lake. The poetic lyrics paint a picture of nature’s beauty, as weeping willows look down on the couple and the scent of orange blossoms fills the air. The chorus invites a butterfly to flutter by, which enhances the dreamlike quality of the song. The second verse highlights the peacefulness of the setting, with waterfalls sending their ripples towards the couple and pond lilies playing hide-and-seek with the fish. The lyrics in this second verse further add to the wholesome quality of the love story being told.
Line by Line Meaning
We met on the shore of a lemonade lake
We met each other on the shore of a lake that's so clear and refreshing that it feels like drinking lemonade.
Weeping willows looked down where we lay
We were lying near the weeping willow trees, and it felt like they were observing us.
Orange blossoms I smell in your hair
Your hair smells like the scent of orange blossoms, which is so refreshing.
Butterfly, flutter by, butterfly by
As I watch the butterfly flitting past, I think of how fleeting moments pass in life.
Waterfalls send your ripples to us
The gentle ripples created by the waterfall washed up to meet us on the shore.
Here on the shore of the lemonade lake
We are together on the peaceful shore of the lemonade lake.
Pond lilies play hide and seek with the fish
The pond lilies play a game of hide-and-seek along with the playful fish.
Rabbit run, run rabbit, rabbit run by
A rabbit scurries by in the distance, while we relax and take in the charms of nature.
Roaring mountain is standing close by
There's a mountain right by us, and we can hear the roar of its cascading waterfalls.
Covered with snowdrops and glistening with dew
The mountain looks magnificent, with snowdrops and dewdrops lining its surface.
I hear the sound of a small hummingbird
I can hear a tiny hummingbird flapping its wings somewhere around us.
I took your hand and I waltzed off with you
I took your hand, and we waltzed off together, feeling overjoyed by the beauty of our surroundings.
Come to the top of the mountain with me
Let's scale the mountain and see it from the top.
Jump on a cloud and we'll float to and fro
Once we reach the mountain's peak, let's hop on a cloud and enjoy the serene beauty from there.
Seeing the countryside covered with grass
From the mountain top, we can see vast stretches of lush green grasslands in the countryside.
And the top of the mountain with candy-floss and snow
The mountain peak looks like it's covered in candy floss and snow, making it look even more enchanting.
Butterfly lazily drinking the sun
The butterfly looks like it's sipping on the warm and bright sunshine in a leisurely manner.
Lavishly sprinkled and painted with gold
The butterfly looks like it's extravagantly adorned with golden colors.
Here in the land of the mist and the lake
We're in a magical land that's full of mist and the serenity of a lake.
Me and my true love will never grow old
As we enjoy the beauty of nature together, we know that our love is timeless and will never grow old.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
tropicwave1
Butterfly The Hollies We met on the shore of a lemonade lake.
Weeping willows looked down where we lay.
Orange blossoms I smell in your hair.
Butterfly, flutter by, butterfly by. Waterfalls send your ripples to us
here on the shore of the lemonade lake.
Pond lilies play hide and seek with the fish.
Rabbit run, run rabbit, rabbit run by. Roaring mountain is standing close by,
covered with snowdrops and glistening with dew.
I hear the sound of a small hummingbird.
I took your hand and I waltzed off with you. Come to the top of the mountain with me.
Jump on a cloud and we'll float to and fro.
Seeing the countryside covered with grass
and the top of the mountain with candy-floss and snow. Butterfly lazily drinking the sun,
lavishly sprinkled and painted with gold.
Here in the land of the mist and the lake,
me and my true love will never grow old Songwriters: GRAHAM NASH© Universal Music Publishing Group
william foley
This is one of the most beautiful songs I've ever heard. So intricate …. psychedelia at its best
Piggy-218
I LOVE this song sooooo much.
A L
I love, love, love this song!
Anita Shelby
I LOVE This Song Soo Much ! It's Soo Beautiful ! <3
Bill Foley
I love the instrumentation and the moods.
PHL76Music
I love this. Thanks for posting! Just heard this for the first time yesterday. Graham should put this into the C&N shows.
Sze Yu Law
i couldn't stop listening several time
a day after i cound back this good song
it was in my memory
ManzannaSaotome43
This albums is easily a Bee Gees' 1st' album "twin brother". Both capture that 1967 spirit in a playful, lovely and very enjoyable way.
birdonet
Una melodía bella y una voz dulce hacen esto: ARTE EN ESTADO PURO.
Linda Rigby
I love to sing this song...its great started with a rain stick...then fiddle backing gently weaving around...ending with rainstick and followed by "Butterfly" the tune..works great at a folk jam session....X