Song Lyric Sunday – Dog and Butterfly

We have been prompted with Insects and Bugs for Song Lyric Sunday this week, courtesy of Amy from aimusic. My song choice for this prompt is Dog and Butterfly by the band Heart. This song was also an inspiration for my similarly named poem, The Dog and the Butterfly. You can read that here if you are interested.

I have used this song before but it was several years ago and we have some new participants in our group so I think it should be acceptable.

“Dog & Butterfly” is a song recorded by the rock band Heart. It is the title track to the band’s fourth studio album Dog & Butterfly and was released as the album’s second single. The song is a more subdued effort from the band, differing from past hard rock-oriented hits, as Ann and Nancy Wilson pulled from their folk music influences. The song charted moderately in the US in 1979, peaking at #34 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Ann has said she was inspired when she looked out a window and saw a dog relentlessly chasing a butterfly. She saw the song as an inspiration when things get tough to “keep going after it.”

Although it enjoyed only moderate chart success, the song has remained a setlist staple for Heart consistently through the years.

Lyrics

There I was with the old man
Stranded again so off I'd ran
A young world crashing around me
No possibilities of getting what I need
He looked at me and smiled
Said no, no, no, no, no child

See the dog and butterfly
Up in the air he likes to fly
Dog and butterfly
Below she had to try
She roll back down to the warm soft ground, laughing
She don't know why, she don't know why
Dog and butterfly

Well I stumbled upon your secret place
Safe in the trees you had tears on your face
Wrestling with your desires frozen strangers
Stealing your fires, the message hit my mind
Only words that I could find

See the dog and butterfly
Up in the air he like to fly
Dog and butterfly below she had to try
She roll back down to the warm soft ground
Laughing to the sky, up to the sky
Dog and butterfly

We're getting older the world's getting colder
For the life of me I don't know the reason why
Maybe it's livin' making us give in
Hearts rolling in taken back on the tide
We're balanced together ocean upon the sky

Another night in this strange town
Moonlight holding me light as down
Voice of confusion inside of me
Just begging to go back where I'm free
Feels like I'm through
Then the old man's words are true

See the dog and butterfly
Up in the air he like to fly
Dog and butterfly, below she had to try
She roll back down to the warm soft ground
With a little tear in her eye
She had to try, she had to try
Dog and butterfly, yeah

Up in the air he like to fly
The dog and butterfly, below she had to try
She roll back down to the warm soft ground, laughing
She don't know why
But she had to try, she had to try
Dog and butterfly

Source: LyricFind
Songwriters: Ann Wilson / Nancy Lamoureaux Wilson / Susan Ennis
Dog And Butterfly lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group