Lyric discussion by Guitarearl 

Cover art for Butterflies lyrics by Toad the Wet Sprocket

The song compares three different attitudes within the world: the youthfully curious, the scientifically mature, and the woefully ignorant. In the end, the first blends into the next (becoming overly analytical of the shape on the water), and the second blends into the third (destroying the life s/he once adored).