Butterfly – English Lyrics

• By: Grimes
• Album: Art Angels

Lyrics & Translation

Discover the multifaceted world of Grimes through her song 'Butterfly.' This track offers a unique opportunity to explore themes of transformation and environmental consciousness through its poetic and symbolic lyrics. The song's blend of dreamy pop and underlying serious message makes it a compelling piece for language learners to delve into figurative language and nuanced expression in English.

[English]

Big beats, black cloud

Get it wrong, get loud

Write a song, get down

And everyone will know

And everyone will know

And everyone can go

Oh, man, get lost

Take a shit, maybe not

Let's sing good, he's gone

Everything you know

And everyone should go

Oh, do you want to?

Am I just right?

Is it just right?

Can you see the enemy just isn't me tonight?

It's perfect

You could be anything out there

Butterflies, follow me

Oh, no, I don't care

Why you're lookin' for a harmony?

Run away, get caught

Put yourself high

Start life, start

How can we hold body parts

In slow motion?

And everyone will know

And everyone will know

And everyone can go

Big bird in the sky

Bigger than men

Wish I could save them

Oh, no, no plan

Everyone can go

And nobody can know

And nobody can know

I don't need to know

So, do you want to?

Am I just right?

Is it just right?

Can you see the enemy just isn't me?

Why you lookin' for a harmony?

Why don't we get caught?

So, do you want to?

Am I just? Am I just?

Can you see the enemy just isn't me?

Why you lookin' for a harmony?

Why you lookin' for a harmony?

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
butterfly /ˈbʌtərflaɪ/ A2	noun - an insect with large, often brightly colored wings and a slender body, that is active by day and flies in a light, wavering way.
harmony /ˈhɑːrməni/ B1	noun - a pleasing combination of different parts; agreement or concord; the combination of simultaneously sounded musical notes to produce chords and chord progressions.
enemy /ˈɛnəmi/ B1	noun - a person who is actively opposed or hostile to someone or something.
know /noʊ/ A1	verb - to have information or understanding about; to be aware of.
run /rʌn/ A1	verb - to move quickly on foot, never having both feet on the ground at the same time. verb - to manage or operate (a business, organization, or system).
lost /lɔːst/ A2	adjective - unable to find one's way; no longer possessed or existing.
perfect /ˈpɜːrfɪkt/ B1	adjective - having all the required or desirable elements, qualities, or characteristics; as good as it is possible to be.
care /kɛər/ A2	verb - to feel concern or interest; to be troubled or concerned. noun - serious attention or consideration applied to doing something correctly or to avoid damage or risk.
song /sɔːŋ/ A1	noun - a short poem or other set of words set to music or meant to be sung.
cloud /klaʊd/ A2	noun - a visible mass of condensed water vapor floating in the atmosphere, typically high above the general level of the ground.
motion /ˈmoʊʃən/ B1	noun - the action or process of moving or being moved.
bird /bɜːrd/ A1	noun - a warm-blooded egg-laying vertebrate animal distinguished by the possession of feathers, wings, a beak, and typically by being able to fly.
save /seɪv/ A2	verb - to keep safe or rescue (someone or something) from harm or danger.
life /laɪf/ A1	noun - the condition that distinguishes animals and plants from inorganic matter, including the capacity for growth, reproduction, functional activity, and continual change preceding death.
body /ˈbɑːdi/ A1	noun - the physical structure of a person or an animal, including the bones, flesh, and organs.
wish /wɪʃ/ A2	verb - to want something to happen or to be true, even if it is unlikely or impossible. noun - a desire or hope for something to happen.
plan /plæn/ A2	noun - a detailed proposal for doing or achieving something. verb - to decide on and arrange in advance.
right /raɪt/ A1	adjective - correct or true; morally good, justified, or acceptable. adverb - immediately; exactly.
black /blæk/ A1	adjective - of the very darkest color owing to the absence of or complete absorption of light; the opposite of white.
caught /kɔːt/ B1	adjective - having been captured or trapped. verb - (past participle of catch) to intercept and hold (something which has been thrown, propelled, or dropped).

Key Grammar Structures

• Get it wrong, get loud

  ➔ Imperative mood

  ➔ The verbs "Get" are used without a subject, giving a command.

• And everyone will know

  ➔ Future simple with will

  ➔ "Will" marks a simple future prediction: "will know".

• Let's sing good, he's gone

  ➔ Contraction "let's" for suggestion + present perfect

  ➔ "Let's" = "let us" is a polite command; "he's gone" uses "'s" = "has" for present perfect.

• You could be anything out there

  ➔ Modal verb "could" for possibility

  ➔ "Could" expresses a potential or hypothetical state: "could be".

• Can you see the enemy just isn't me tonight?

  ➔ Question with modal "can" + negative clause

  ➔ "Can" introduces a yes/no question; the embedded clause "just isn't me" is negative.

• Why you're lookin' for a harmony?

  ➔ Informal contraction "you're" + colloquial "lookin'"; missing auxiliary inversion

  ➔ "You're" = "you are" is informal; "lookin'" drops the final "g". In standard English the question would be "Why are you looking…?"

• How can we hold body parts in slow motion?

  ➔ Interrogative with modal "can" + infinitive

  ➔ "Can" forms a yes/no question; it is followed by the base verb "hold".

• I don't need to know

  ➔ Negative present simple with auxiliary "do" + infinitive

  ➔ "Don't" = "do not" negates the verb "need"; the infinitive "to know" follows.

• And nobody can know

  ➔ Modal verb "can" for ability/possibility in negative context

  ➔ "Can" expresses that it is impossible for "nobody" to have the knowledge: "nobody can know".