Airplanes
Take you away again
Are you flying
Above where we live
Then I look up a glare in my eyes
Are you having regrets about last night
I'm not but I like rivers that rush in
So then I dove in
Is there trouble ahead
For you the acrobat
I won't push you unless you have a net

You say the word
You know I will find you
Or if you need some time
I don't mind
I don't hold on
To the tail of your kite
I'm not like the girls that you've known
But I believe I'm worth coming home to
Kiss away night
This girl only sleeps with butterflies
With butterflies
So go on and fly then boy

Balloons
Look good from on the ground
I fear with pins and needles around
We may fall then stumble
Upon a carousel
It could take us anywhere

I'm not like the girls that you've known
But I believe I'm worth coming home to
Kiss away night
This girl only sleeps with butterflies
With butterflies
With butterflies
So go on and fly boy


Lyrics submitted by merchantpierce

Sleeps with Butterflies Lyrics as written by Tori Amos

Lyrics © Downtown Music Publishing

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

Sleeps With Butterflies song meanings
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38 Comments

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  • +4
    General Comment

    Beautiful song! She's basically saying that she'll love someone unconditionally and she won't tie him down - that's what love is all about, giving someone their freedom, their own time to grow and find themselves and in the end to realize that knowing who you are is the secret to growing together and that freedom is being in each other's arms all along.

    the_music_liveson February 24, 2005   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    ... Tori is amazing ... I believe this song is about a girl who takes chances and the guy she is with doesnt move quite as fast as her... But shes not going to hold him down ... But she believes that he'll come back to her... But anyways, Its a pretty song, i love all of tori's work <3

    liquiddiamondABon December 29, 2004   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    Sounds like she's singing from the perspective of a woman who is in love with a man with committment problems- and she's diving in headfirst. Is there trouble ahead for you the acrobat? I won't push you unless you have a net

    I think she's telling him she won't ask him for a stronger commitment- because he isn't comfortable without a safety net- an escape route.

    Otherwise, lovely song. I Adore the piano and the harmonies. I love how she says "I believe I'm worth coming home to". Simple statement of self-worth. love it.

    itsALLprogramMUSICon April 11, 2005   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    She moved too fast with this man, it maybe scared him off, but she's willing to give him space and wait for him. She's not one to sleep around, and he doesn't have to worry about this while he figures things out. I think that's why she makes it a point to say she only sleeps with butterflies. This whole song could've been written from the perspective of her lying in her garden with butterflies fluttering around and as she gazes up into the sky, thinking of him.. it occurs to her.. truly, this girl only sleeps with butterflies.

    Cloveron August 19, 2008   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    I agree that this is about not forcing a man into a relationship. Kiss could me they could have spent the night, and though she knows how worthy she is, she is the kind of girl who does not have to be with anyone who does not want to be

    chelsibolson October 05, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Amazing song!!! this song makes me want to buy her new album. I think this is about moving on and letting go. pretty simple and I just heard it on the radio a while ago. I wish it would get in the countdown

    Sistaon January 12, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    The girl in this song has jjust begun a casual relationshitp with a boy, who doesn't want to move as fast as her, throught the song she says it's ok, he's allowed to fly, and she doesn't mind givin him the time he needs. But the reason she is ok with it all, is b/c she only sleeps with butterflies... Men that fated to sooner or later fly away from her

    beachgirl4433on March 02, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    There are omitted lyrics in this song. Here are the correct lines in the chorus:

    "I'm not like the girls that you know but I believe I'm worth comin' home to KISS AWAY NIGHT THIS GIRL only sleeps with butterflies"

    I'm not sure what the "Kiss away night" means, but the "This girl" part is real important because otherwise the song is a bit ambiguous. Without it, is she saying that SHE only sleeps with butterflies or is she saying that HE only sleeps with butterflies? I'd usually assume that someone who is described as a butterfly is a woman, since butterflies are a favorite symbol of many young women and calling a man a butterfly might be construed as calling him effeminate. But here she seems to be saying that SHE only sleeps with butterflies and she's fine with that.

    stoolhardyon March 24, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    She's saying that she sleeps with men (butterflies) who are always flying off somewhere but that her love for this particular one means that she won't hold him back, she'll be there when he gets back still loving him unconditionally. I'm so this girl it's not even funny- always falling for the guy who won't stick around. My last relationship which lasted four years was w/ a guy I thought to be the "one" and I'm still broken -hearted but always hopeful that one day he'll realize how much unconditional love I have for him .

    rita bookon March 30, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Common fact of gender studies: Men are like rubber bands. They feel that when something goes wrong, they have to right it out alone for a while, but they'll be back.

    theriteofspringon April 14, 2005   Link

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