The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
He butterfly sailed on the breeze
Past a field of barbed wire trees
Where golden dragons chased around
Pampered poppies on the ground
Two silver trout sat way on high
And watched a royal samurai
Plant two black orchids in a box
And strap it to a laughing fox
A minstrel bought a crooked spoon
He gave it to a blue baboon
Who filled it full of virgin snow
And watched it in the afterglow
Fat toad stood in his ballet shoes
Teaching sixteen kangaroos
How to skip across a lake
They found it hard to stay awake
A pharaoh played a merry tune
And watched nine cats dance on the moon
I didn't know what all this meant
I didn't know why I'd been sent.
The Insignificance version of Nine Cats has the
Following additional verse at the end:
I threw five clocks down on my bed
The chimes danced out on golden threads
And turned to footprints on my wall
Sequined tears began to fall
Past a field of barbed wire trees
Where golden dragons chased around
Pampered poppies on the ground
Two silver trout sat way on high
And watched a royal samurai
Plant two black orchids in a box
And strap it to a laughing fox
A minstrel bought a crooked spoon
He gave it to a blue baboon
Who filled it full of virgin snow
And watched it in the afterglow
Fat toad stood in his ballet shoes
Teaching sixteen kangaroos
How to skip across a lake
They found it hard to stay awake
A pharaoh played a merry tune
And watched nine cats dance on the moon
I didn't know what all this meant
I didn't know why I'd been sent.
The Insignificance version of Nine Cats has the
Following additional verse at the end:
I threw five clocks down on my bed
The chimes danced out on golden threads
And turned to footprints on my wall
Sequined tears began to fall
Lyrics submitted by Ministry, edited by Progfan_r, jimmyRRpage
Nine Cats Lyrics as written by Alan Duffy Steven John Wilson
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Downtown Music Publishing
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
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Porcupine Tree seem to use a sorten approach in writing poems that a lot of their songs are lyricaly connected by repeated motives (in the shape of single words or fragments). It is usually in the same album, since PT love to create concept albums. This magical song continues, to my opinion, the story of The Nostalgia Factory's catterpillar that turned into a butterfly. Both written by Allen Duffy for PT. So it make sense to me. It fits very originally cuz the two songs don't share the same music and singing. But both share the same writing pattern, only with a bit different flow. Here it tales the story of what happened to the butterfly from a different point of view, as if it was that of an outsider. Not the same one (the narrator most likely) that the caterpillar was "looking inside his swollen head" at the beginning.
I think this is about what the buttlefly sees, the butterfly sees things that arent natural, and can only describle them but things he recognives, trout=plains, nine cats on the moon=humans landing on the moon. etc. This may be the coolest song ever.
My teacher just gave me a dirty look when I gave her these lyrics to read, as we're studying lyrics in class.
She thinks I'm on drugs.
I Love this song to bits. Even if you can't make sense of the awesome lyrics. It's still very genius.
Respect xx
this sounds like a fairy tale/acid flashback kinda dream that maybe one of the bandmembers had, or maybe its just a silly song, either way it kicks major ass
I just love these lyrics.
I don't have any idea what it's supposed to mean, but it's one of my favorite songs ever.
Also, I think the lyrics were written by Alan Duffy and not Steven Wilson.
yeah, most of the early songs had duffy lyrics. but i know for a fact that Radioactive Toy and Synesthesia were written entirely by steve wilson.
anyways, this rock songs. so chill, so killer. i can't help but connect this song with Fake Plastic Trees by Radiohead......and i don't know why.
Hence the last added verse in the acoutic "Insignificant" version, that is taken from The Nostalgia Factory text.
The acoustic version is so heavenly.
I think that the 'golden dragons' are yellow JCBs, near a barbed wire fence, or 'barbed wire trees'. 'Two silver trout sat way on high' could be aeroplanes. Its kind of industriel at the start, but i have no idea what the rest means! Love it though =]