Butterflies – English Lyrics

• By: Tom Odell, AURORA
• Album: Black Friday

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the lyrical beauty of "Butterflies" by Tom Odell and AURORA, a tender English song that beautifully articulates the intricate feelings of new love and bittersweet goodbyes. Through its minimalist piano and heartfelt vocals, you can explore expressions of affection, vulnerability, and resilience, making it a perfect track to immerse yourself in the emotional depth of the English language.

[English]

When you touch me, yeah, I feel butterflies

I'm gonna love you till the day I die

When you cut me, you cut me like a knife (cut me like a knife)

I wanna tell you, but I'm terrified

Ooh, what a perfect day

Why do you have to go away?

Now the sky's so grey

I think I'm gonna be okay

Be okay (ooh)

I'm gonna be okay (ooh)

I'm gonna be okay (ooh)

Am I gonna be okay? (Ooh)

When you touch me, yeah, I feel butterflies (I feel butterflies)

I'm gonna love you til the day I die (til the day I die)

When you cut me, you cut me like a knife

You don't know it, but you saved my life

Gonna be okay

Think I'm gonna be okay

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
touch /tʌtʃ/ A1	verb - to put your hand or another part of your body lightly on something or someone
butterflies /ˈbʌtərflaɪz/ A1	noun - a feeling of nervousness or excitement in the stomach
love /lʌv/ A1	verb - to care for someone deeply
die /daɪ/ A1	verb - to stop living
cut /kʌt/ A1	verb - to divide or separate with a sharp tool
knife /naɪf/ A1	noun - a tool or weapon with a sharp blade
terrified /ˈterɪfaɪd/ B1	adjective - extremely frightened
perfect /ˈpɜːrfɪkt/ A2	adjective - having no flaws or mistakes
grey /ɡreɪ/ A1	adjective - of a color between black and white
sky /skaɪ/ A1	noun - the area above the earth where clouds and the sun are visible
okay /oʊˈkeɪ/ A1	adjective - satisfactory or acceptable
saved /seɪvd/ A2	verb - to rescue or protect from harm
life /laɪf/ A1	noun - the state of being alive
day /deɪ/ A1	noun - a 24-hour period
go /ɡoʊ/ A1	verb - to move or travel from one place to another

Key Grammar Structures

• When you touch me, yeah, I feel butterflies

  ➔ Conditional Clause (Type 0/1) + Present Simple + Interjection

  ➔ The sentence uses a 'when' clause to express a general truth or a likely outcome. 'When you touch me' sets the condition, and 'I feel butterflies' is the result. 'Yeah' is an interjection showing affirmation or emotion.

• I'm gonna love you till the day I die

  ➔ Future with 'going to' + Prepositional Phrase of Time

  ➔ The phrase 'gonna' is a colloquial contraction of 'going to', indicating a future intention. 'Till the day I die' is a prepositional phrase functioning as an adverbial of time, specifying the duration of the love.

• When you cut me, you cut me like a knife

  ➔ Repetition for Emphasis + Simile

  ➔ The repetition of 'you cut me' emphasizes the pain caused. 'Like a knife' is a simile, comparing the emotional pain to the sharpness and severity of a knife cut.

• You don't know it, but you saved my life

  ➔ Negative Construction + Subjunctive Mood (implied)

  ➔ The sentence uses a negative construction ('don't know'). The 'but' introduces a contrasting idea. The phrase 'you saved my life' implies a significant, unexpected positive outcome despite the pain, hinting at a complex emotional dynamic. The 'saved' suggests a past action with continuing relevance.