Butterflies and Hurricanes
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| "Butterflies and Hurricanes" | ||
|---|---|---|
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| Single by Muse | ||
| from the album Absolution | ||
| Released | 20 September 2004 (UK) | |
| Format | CD/Vinyl 7"/DVD | |
| Recorded | 2004 | |
| Genre | Progressive rock | |
| Length | 4:48 | |
| Label | Mushroom ATUK003CD (UK) | |
| Producer(s) | John Cornfield, Paul Reeve, Muse | |
| Chart positions | ||
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| Muse singles chronology | ||
| "Apocalypse Please" (August 2004) |
"Butterflies and Hurricanes" (September 2004) |
"Supermassive Black Hole" (June 2006) |
"Butterflies and Hurricanes" is a song by Muse from their third album, Absolution. It was one of two songs recorded with a strings section, both of which were recorded, along with an early version of "Apocalypse Please", during the initial stages of recording. The song is notable for its Rachmaninov-esque piano interlude. A Progressive rock track with a romantic piano solo in the middle of the song.
The song concerns itself with the so called butterfly effect of chaos theory, describing how individuals can make a huge difference just as a butterfly could redirect a hurricane. The arrangement of the song has been likened to the concept of ant country, wherein a complex sequence arises from a more simple one and then, from the chaotic complex sequence, a simpler path emerges, relating to how the song breaks down for the classical interlude before "emerging" again, afterwards.
The song was also dedicated to Dominic Howard's father, who died shortly after the band's performance at Glastonbury.
There are several versions of "Butterflies and Hurricanes". For the original studio recording, introduction, verse and choruses were played on keyboard. The band later reworked the song for guitar during the Absolution tour, including an extended guitar solo before the piano interlude (and a bass filler to cover Matt Bellamy's transition from guitar to keyboard). The single version contains both guitar and keyboard, but loses the guitar solo, and the interlude is shorter, reducing the song from 5:01 to 4:48. Finally, the radio edit of the single goes further by omitting the entire piano interlude, bring the song down to 4:10.
The promotional video comprises footage of "Butterflies and Hurricanes" being played at different venues along the Absolution tour with colourful effects added, and images of the Colosseum in Rome.
"Butterflies and Hurricanes" was first performed in full at Melkweg, Amsterdam, 3 September 2003, while the piano interlude was first performed at Montreux Jazz Festival, 8 July 2002.
"Butterflies and Hurricanes" was later covered with full orchestral accompaniment by pop pianist William Joseph on his 2004 album Within.
Contents |
[edit] Track listing
[edit] CD
- "Butterflies and Hurricanes (single version)" - 4:48
- "Sing for Absolution (live acoustic Radio 2)"
[edit] Vinyl 7"
- "Butterflies and Hurricanes (full length)" - 5:01
- "Butterflies and Hurricanes (Glastonbury 2004)"
[edit] DVD
- "Butterflies and Hurricanes" - 4:48
- "Butterflies and Hurricanes video" - 4:48
- "The Groove in the States video"
- "Raw video footage"
[edit] Promo CD
- "Butterflies and Hurricanes (radio edit)" - 4:10
- "Butterflies and Hurricanes"
[edit] External links
| Muse |
|---|
| Dominic Howard | Matthew Bellamy | Chris Wolstenholme |
| Discography |
| Studio albums: Showbiz | Origin of Symmetry | Absolution | Black Holes and Revelations |
| Compilations: Hullabaloo Soundtrack |
| Live DVDs: Hullabaloo Soundtrack | Absolution Tour |
| Extended plays: This Is A Muse Demo | Muse | Muscle Museum EP | Random 1-8 (Japan only) | Dead Star/In Your World (Japan & France only) |
| Singles: Uno | Cave | Muscle Museum | Sunburn | Unintended | Plug In Baby | New Born | Bliss | Hyper Music/Feeling Good | Dead Star/In Your World | Stockholm Syndrome | Time Is Running Out | Hysteria | Sing for Absolution | Apocalypse Please | Butterflies and Hurricanes | Supermassive Black Hole | Starlight | Knights of Cydonia | Invincible | Map of the Problematique |
| Production |
| John Leckie | Rich Costey | Paul Reeve |
