Life and career
Born in Truckee, California, United States, and raised in The Woodlands, Texas, Will is the son of Liza Rey, a classical musician, and Edwin Farnham Butler II, a geologist. His maternal grandfather was guitarist Alvino Rey. He graduated from Phillips Exeter Academy in 2001, where he lived in Abbot Hall, and subsequently attended Northwestern University, majoring in Poetry and Slavic studies. During this time, he worked as a DJ for the WNUR Rock Show, where he also hired Nathan Amundson of Rivulets to be a substitute DJ at WNUR-FM. He also served as the poetry editor of Northwestern's literary magazine, Helicon. An excerpt of a poem from his senior thesis is quoted in Brian Bouldrey's book, "Honorable Bandit: A Walk Across Corsica." While at Northwestern, Butler lived in Chicago, Illinois. He moved to Montreal, Quebec, Canada in the mid-2000s to join his brother Win Butler and band Arcade Fire.
In January 2008 Butler married dancer Jenny Shore.
In January 2014, Butler and Owen Pallett were nominated for Best Original Score at the 86th Academy Awards for their work on Her.
Butler was a student at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government where he pursued a Mid-Career Master in Public Administration.
Solo career
On March 3, 2015, Butler's debut solo album Policy was released under Merge Records, accompanied by an international tour alongside Arcade Fire drummer Jeremy Gara. According to Butler, Policy is intended to reflect his omnivorous musical taste.
Butler wrote five songs for The Guardian, based on news headlines, with each song created and shared a day apart. They were mixed properly and released on Policy Deluxe in May 2015.
Butler's song "Sun Comes Up" from the 2016 solo album Friday Night caught the ear of DJ B-Roc of The Knocks, and subsequently the Knocks-produced remix of the song was released alongside a video directed by Butler, filmed in part on the New York City subway system.
Butler has written original songs for the new David Adjmi play Stereophonic, scheduled to premiere on Broadway in 2021.
Sing To Me
Will Butler Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
'Cause I'm tired, and I don't wanna talk no more
Oh, sing to me, sing to me
'Cause I'm tired like I've never been before
'Cause I'm tired, and I don't wanna talk no more
Oh, sing to me, sing to me
'Cause I'm angry, but I don't wanna yell no more
Oh, yesterday's questions are still holding on
Yesterday's answers are begging for more time
But they can't tell me why, can't tell me why
Oh, sing to me, sing to me
'Cause I'm so scared of what is waiting through the door
Oh, sing to me, sing to me
'Cause I'm so scared of all the friends I had before
'Cause I'm lonely like I've never been before
'Cause I'm tired, but I don't wanna talk no more
In Will Butler's song "Sing to Me," the singer is exhausted, angry, and scared, and is asking for comfort and solace through music. The repetition of "sing to me" is a plea for someone to relieve him of the burden of speaking, as his emotions have reached a point where talking feels unbearable. He is looking for a form of expression that transcends language, something that can connect with him on a deeper level.
The second stanza highlights the singer's anger, but also reveals a sense of self-doubt. He acknowledges that he has been wrong before, and it is possible that he may be wrong now. The lyrics suggest that he is struggling to process his emotions, as he is still holding onto questions from the past and cannot find satisfying answers.
In the final stanza, the singer expresses his fear of the unknown and the loss of his former friends. The repetition of "lonely like I've never been before" implies that he is not used to feeling this vulnerable and isolated. The combination of fear and loneliness has left him in a state of fatigue, and he cannot bear the weight of conversation any longer.
Overall, "Sing to Me" is a powerful representation of emotional exhaustion and vulnerability. It highlights the transformative power of music as a means of healing and finding comfort in difficult times.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, sing to me, sing to me
Requesting someone to sing to him
'Cause I'm tired, and I don't wanna talk no more
The singer is exhausted and does not want to speak anymore
Oh, sing to me, sing to me
Requesting someone to sing to him again
'Cause I'm tired like I've never been before
The artist is extremely fatigued
'Cause I'm angry, but I don't wanna yell no more
The artist is angry but is trying to avoid yelling
'Cause I'm angry, but I've been very wrong before
The singer has been wrong in the past despite being angry
Oh, yesterday's questions are still holding on
Questions from the past are still weighing heavily on the singer's mind
Yesterday's answers are begging for more time
Previous answers are incomplete and require more time to be fully understood
But they can't tell me why, can't tell me why
The artist is still unclear about the previous questions and answers
Oh, sing to me, sing to me
Requesting someone to sing to him because he is afraid
'Cause I'm so scared of what is waiting through the door
The singer is afraid of what may be behind the door
Oh, sing to me, sing to me
Requesting someone to sing to him again
'Cause I'm so scared of all the friends I had before
The singer is afraid of his past friendships and the changes they may bring
'Cause I'm lonely like I've never been before
The singer is feeling very lonely
'Cause I'm tired, but I don't wanna talk no more
The singer is still exhausted and does not want to speak anymore
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: WILLIAM BUTLER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind