Butterflies
Toad The Wet Sprocket Lyrics


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(I saw something
gigantic
out on the water
I asked my dad for a nickel
He gave it to me
It was kind of misty
I couldn't be sure what it was
And of course, he wouldn't tell me)
in time i will collect the world
the eggs and wings of butterflies i love the wings
of butterflies

a man drove up in an ugly car
and he flashed his lights at everything he saw
and his eyes were red
and his stereo was so loud you couldn't hear the engine's roar
and he yelled at everybody in the road
and did not notice all the moths he'd massacred
spread across the open road

(weird when you get close
to something that BIG
you can't see anything at all...)

in time i will
collect the world
the eggs and wings of you who fall on
butterflies calvary
had you wings of i give my children
butterflies

a moth had settled upon his arm and he looked at it with a lazy eye
and he lifted up a gigantic hand
and he spread his fingers towards the sky
and he nudged the moth to make it fly away
but moths are fragile things
and he just wiped its ody down across his shoulder blade

he's a wonder, he's a little black-wing boy
oh my daughters
he'll fill you with joy

in time i will
collect the world
the hearts and limbs of
butterflies you who soar o'er
calvary
had you wings of




butterflies oh father, i offer
butterflies

Overall Meaning

The song "Butterflies" by Toad The Wet Sprocket is a beautiful yet slightly mysterious song that is up for interpretation. The lines in the song narrate two stories giving different angles and perspective, both of which revolve around a similar central theme. The first story revolves around a child who is excitedly asking his father for a nickel after seeing something gigantic over the water but his father refuses to tell him. The second story tells of a man who is driving around recklessly, killing moths and damaging their wings with the wind caused by his car. Despite the arrogance displayed by the man, we see an element of wonder in humanity by his reaction when a moth lands on his arm.


The lines "in time I will collect the world" and "the eggs and wings of butterflies" repeat several times throughout the song, creating a peaceful and reflective tone that reveals the central theme of the lyrics. The singer seems to be acknowledging the importance of delicate and fragile things like butterflies and has a desire to collect them. The lyrics also suggest that this is a metaphor for something else in life, perhaps experiences or emotions, as the singer also collects "hearts and limbs."


Overall, the song is about appreciating the delicate and fragile things in life that are often overlooked, while also acknowledging the forces that can be destructive towards them. The songwriting is poetic, and the metaphors used throughout the song give an element of mystery and intrigue that leaves listeners enthralled.


Line by Line Meaning

I saw something Gigantic Out on the water I asked my dad for a nickel He gave it to me It was kind of misty I couldn't be sure what it was And of course, he wouldn't tell me
As a child, I saw something big in the distance and asked my dad to give me what little money he had. It was hard to tell what the object was, but he refused to tell me.


In time I will collect the world The eggs and wings of butterflies I love the wings Of butterflies
I plan to collect and appreciate the delicate and beautiful wings of butterflies, as well as their eggs.


A man drove up in an ugly car And he flashed his lights at everything he saw And his eyes were red And his stereo was so loud you couldn't hear the engine's roar And he yelled at everybody in the road And did not notice all the moths he'd massacred Spread across the open road
A man with a terrible car and poor attitude recklessly drove down the road, blasting loud music and failing to notice the harm he causes by killing innocent moths.


(Weird when you get close to something that BIG you can't see anything at all...)
It's funny how something so big can be hard to see up close.


In time I will collect the world The eggs and wings of you who fall on calvary Had you wings of butterflies I give my children Butterflies
Eventually, I'll gather everything that falls, including those who've suffered, and use it to teach my children the beauty and fragility of butterflies.


A moth had settled upon his arm and he looked at it with a lazy eye And he lifted up a gigantic hand And he spread his fingers towards the sky And he nudged the moth to make it fly away But moths are fragile things And he just wiped its ody down across his shoulder blade
The same man carelessly brushed a moth off his arm, showing no regard for its fragility and gently nudged it away, effectively killing it as he wiped it off his shoulder.


He's a wonder, he's a little black-wing boy Oh my daughters He'll fill you with joy
Despite the callousness of some men, the beautiful butterflies can fill one with joy and beauty, particularly the little black-winged boys.


In time I will collect the world The hearts and limbs of Butterflies you who soar o'er calvary Had you wings of Butterflies Oh Father, I offer Butterflies
I'll continue to treasure the delicacy and beauty of butterflies, and offer them up in prayer to a higher power.




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: TIM N BAXTER, KLAUS ULRICH N DERENDORF, KATE N ELSWORTH, THOMAS MARK HARMER NICHOLS

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