Butterflies and Hurricanes

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“Butterflies and Hurricanes”
“Butterflies and Hurricanes” cover
Single by Muse
from the album Absolution
Released 20 September 2004 (UK)
Format CD/Vinyl 7"/DVD
Recorded 2004
Genre Progressive rock
Length 5:01, 4:10 (Radio Edit)
Label Mushroom ATUK003CD (UK)
Producer John Cornfield, Paul Reeve, Muse
Muse singles chronology
"Apocalypse Please"
(August 2004)		 "Butterflies and Hurricanes"
(September 2004)		 "Supermassive Black Hole"
(June 2006)
Absolution track listing
"Blackout"
(9)		 "Butterflies and Hurricanes"
(10)		 "The Small Print"
(11)
Butterflies and Hurricanes promotional CD
Butterflies and Hurricanes promotional CD

"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 Rachmaninoff-esque piano interlude.

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 song was also dedicated to Dominic Howard's father, who died shortly after the band's performance at Glastonbury Festival.

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. The vinyl single includes a full-length version with guitars. Finally, the radio edit of the single goes further by omitting the entire piano interlude, bringing 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.

It is also used as the main song for Sony Computer Entertainment game Formula One 2005, produced by Studio Liverpool

An orchestral version of the song was used as the theme and main song of the BBC's Sports Personality of the year award.[citation needed]

Contents

[edit] Track listing

[edit] CD

  1. "Butterflies and Hurricanes (single version)" - 4:48
  2. "Sing for Absolution (live acoustic Radio 2)"

[edit] Vinyl 7"

  1. "Butterflies and Hurricanes (full length)" - 5:01
  2. "Butterflies and Hurricanes (Glastonbury 2004)"

[edit] DVD

  1. "Butterflies and Hurricanes" - 4:48
  2. "Butterflies and Hurricanes video" - 4:48
  3. "The Groove in the States video"
  4. "Raw video footage"

[edit] Promo CD

  1. "Butterflies and Hurricanes (radio edit)" - 4:10
  2. "Butterflies and Hurricanes"

[edit] External links

v • d • e
Muse
Matthew Bellamy · Dominic Howard · Christopher Wolstenholme
Studio albums
Compilations / DVDs
Demos / EPs
Singles
Other songs
Production
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