Butterflies 4 Brains
Lyrics
Got a reason to live, got a reason... (2)
For brains, butterflies for brains
That's it
Butterflies for brains
She's got
Whizz bang, butterflies for brains
Would walk ten country miles
In a fat person's moccasin (3)
Butterflies for brains
Whizz bang, butterflies for brains
Butterflies for brains
It comes, butterflies for brains
'At's got butterflies for brains
The four of us are dying (4)
I'm very concerned about school buildings
Got a reason to live
Got black-cloud aura (5)
Whizz bang, butterflies for brains
Butterflies for brains
She's got, butterflies for brains
That's got, butterflies for brains
Here it is
That's it
Butterflies for brains
She's got
Butterflies for brains
Here it is
Butterflies for brains
She's got
Here it is
Butterflies for brains
She's got
Butterflies for brains
She's got
Butterflies for brains
She's got
Notes
1. An earlier version from 1989 called "Whizz Bang" surfaced in 2005 on the Peel box set. This one features a psychedelic guitar, whereas the other is propelled by a keening fiddle, if "propelled by a keening fiddle" isn't too much like something Rolling Stone would say. Aside from the two title phrases, the lyrics are different.
2. The Monks' "Shut Up," which is clearly a musical influence on this song, begins "Got a reason to laugh..." Although it is in a different key, the chord changes of "Shut Up" are similar, and the "She's got..." sections are sung to a similar cadence as that in which the Monks sing "Shut up..."
3. Dan:
This seems to be a common phrase, or a version of a common phrase, often attributed to Native Americans in some versions: "don't judge your neighbour until you've walked a mile/ten miles in their moccasins." Also "would walk X miles for..." is another idiom, with of course a different meaning.
4. "The Four of Us Are Dying" is the title of a Twilight Zone episode, which was also an inspiration for "What You Need."
5. This line is reminiscent of the Fall song "Cloud of Black," from the Shift-Work era.
More Information
Comments (9)

- 1. | 12/08/2013

- 2. | 16/08/2013
http://www.firstworldwar.com/atoz/whizzbang.htm
Therefore link to other soldier tunes eg Tommy Shooter?
The first lines are very obvious borrowing from Shut Up by the Monks, later covered on Middle Class Revolt

- 3. | 24/10/2013
"Got a reason to live, got a reason
For brains, butterflies for brains
(That's it), butterflies for brains
Whizz bang, butterflies for brains
Would walk ten country miles
In a fat person's moccasin
Butterflies for brains
Whizz bang, butterflies for brains
Butterflies for brains
It comes, butterflies for brains
Has got, butterflies for brains
The four of us are dying
I'm very concerned about school buildings
Got a reason to live
Got black cloud aura
Whizz bang, butterflies for brains
Butterflies for brains
She's got butterflies for brains
It's got butterflies for brains
(Here it is), butterflies for brains
(She's got) butterflies for brains
(Here it is) butterflies for brains
(She's got)
(Here it is), butterflies for brains
(She's got) butterflies for brains
(She's got) butterflies for brains
(She's got) butterflies for brains
She's got"

- 4. | 03/12/2013
And the reference to "black cloud aura" would seem to link to the song "Cloud of Black", wouldn't it?

- 5. | 03/12/2013

- 6. | 16/12/2013

- 7. | 25/01/2017
Would walk ten country miles
In a fat person's moccasin
This seems to be a common phrase, or a version of a common phrase, often attributed to Native Americans in some versions: "don't judge your neighbour until you've walked a mile/ten miles in their moccasins"

- 8. | 31/03/2017

- 9. | 15/05/2020
If you Google her name....you'lll find her Twiiter thing and its something like butterflies4br - I know it's her because she's in the Shiftwork and Holidays video release