Butterfly Suite
"Butterfly Suite" is the second song from Act I of the The Smashing Pumpkins' twelfth studio album, ATUM: A Rock Opera in Three Acts. It is the first song containing action of the ATUM story.[1]
Synopsis[edit | edit source]
(performed by June to Shiny's spacecraft)
The scene opens up with a view of two vastly separated spaceships, one to the left, and one to the right. The left spaceship contains the main character, Shiny, whom due to being deemed as a danger to Earth, had been exiled into space. In the right spaceship contains June, a girl who unbeknownst to Shiny is deeply in love with him and has been most of her adult life. Unlike Shiny who was exiled, June willingly bribed her way to go into one of the spaceships so that she could be near Shiny. By this time, both had been in space for roughly 20 years. Every morning, June wakes up and sings her love song to Shiny (which is meant figuratively; space is in a vacuum so sound wouldn't travel). "Butterfly Suite" is the love song she sings, addressing how June has sacrificed most of her adult life to be near Shiny.[1]
Everyone who has been exiled into space is given a code, that when entered into their spacecraft, will send them on "The March of Life". This causes the spacecraft to break orbit and head toward the Sun as a form of "honorable suicide", especially given the overpopulation of Earth in this story.[1]
In the middle of the song during the breakdown is when Shiny punches in his code. After two decades, and not knowing of June's existence at all, Shiny has had enough and decides to take his March of Life. June watches helplessly, recognizing that this is the brutal end of her love affair.[1]
The last portion of the song addresses how June has come to the realization that her worst fears have come true, but yet because of her destiny she must do something. As Corgan explained it, "Shiny is her butterfly that she's chased into the heavens."[1]
Lyrics[edit | edit source]
Who sweeps a squalid rain
To scan through pinks and gray
Aloft, without escape
Above a frightened race
In touch with wanderlust
A tome of other’s dust
Yet settled on the first rung
It's morning to good morning
Good morning to you Sun
Don't ever set on our love
As our love has begun
To hold you from afar
To sing out, butterfly
Arms forth
But Mars presides for dances rent with pride
It's morning to good morning
Good morning to you Sun
Don't ever set on our love
As our love has begun
I'm here to be
To stave the dream with you
Believe
Cascade, ‘cause here I am to follow you with i
Collide, with dead stars, I shall follow you unto i
For love incants freedom
For love it makes one dumb for love
It's morning to good morning
Good morning to you Sun
Don't ever set on our love
As our love has begun
Across a swathe of Tuesdays
We've swept through tears spun gold
Adrift upon dread heaven
Strangers as their own
I'm here to be
To stave the dream with you
Believe
I'm here to be
To stave the dream with you
Believe
Availability
| Title | Notes | Type |
|---|---|---|
| ATUM | Act I | Studio |