Butterfly Fly Away
Encyclopedia
"Butterfly Fly Away" is a country
duet performed by American actors and recording artists Miley Cyrus
and Billy Ray Cyrus
. The song was first heard in the 2009 film Hannah Montana: The Movie
, in which both Cyruses star, and was subsequently released on the film's soundtrack
. An extended version is featured on Billy Ray's eleventh studio album, Back to Tennessee
. The song is a soft country ballad with lyrics that describe a child's transition to adulthood.
The song received generally favorable reviews and, though not released as a single
, achieved notable commercial outcomes in Australia, Canada, Ireland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. It reached its highest international peak in the Irish Singles Chart
, at number forty-six. The Cyruses performed the song live at several venues; a performance in an English Apple Store was recorded and eventually released on an extended play
.
" (2007), "Butterfly Fly Away" describes a child's transition to adulthood. The song was written
and produced
by Glen Ballard
and Alan Silvestri
for the 2009 film Hannah Montana: The Movie
. According to the film, when main character Miley Stewart (played by Miley Cyrus
) was young, her father Robby Ray Stewart
(played by Billy Ray Cyrus
), would often tell her that while a caterpillar
may not be able to move much, it can still dream about the butterfly
it will one day be. This comment became a recurring motif
in the film and provided the basis for the lyrics to "Butterfly Fly Away", which use a caterpillar's metamorphosis
as a metaphor
for a child's coming of age
. In Hannah Montana: The Movie, the Cyruses perform the song as their characters in "a tender movie scene under a gazebo
in the rain". Billy Ray said filming the scene was "a pretty special moment. The song itself was written by Glen Ballard, a masterful songwriter who wrote 'Man in the Mirror
' for Michael Jackson
. I knew it was a pretty special song [...] and it certainly comes at a nice spot in the movie."
The contemporary country duet is set in common time
with a gentle tempo
of 69 beats per minute. The song's vocals range one octave
, from C3 to B4. The song is written in a key of B major
and features the chord progression
, Esus2—B—C7.
found it "sentimental" while Scott Mervis of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
called it "a sweet duet". Allmusic reviewer Heather Phares said the song was "a treacly duet". Stephen Thomas Erlewine
, also of Allmusic, was more negative, calling it a "syrupy, icky" song on which Billy Ray never sounds quite right. Leah Greenblatt of Entertainment Weekly
wrote, "[Miley's] delicate duet with dad Billy Ray, 'Butterfly Fly Away,' is quietly lovely." Billboard
reviewer Ken Tucker stated that it "is an airy and flowing song about family on which father and daughter's voices blend nicely". Michael Rechtshaffen of The Hollywood Reporter
called "Butterfly Fly Away" a "tender Glen Ballard/Alan Silvestri ballad". The song was included on the short list
for Best Original Song
at the 82nd Academy Awards
, but did not achieve a nomination.
the week ending April 25, 2009. The following week, May 2, 2009, the song reached its peak on the Hot 100 at number fifty-six. The song spent a total of three consecutive weeks on the chart. On the week ending April 25, 2009, "Butterfly Fly Away" debuted at number seventy-six in the Canadian Hot 100
. The following week the song reached its peak at number-fifty on the chart. The song charted for a longer amount of time in Canada than its home country, with four weeks on the chart.
The song encountered similar commercial outcomes in various nations. In the United Kingdom, the song debuted and peaked at number seventy-eight for the week ending May 16, 2009. "Butterfly Fly Away" reached its highest international peak in the Irish Singles Chart
. It first debuted at number forty-seven on the week ending May 7, 2009. The song ultimately peaked at number forty-six on the chart. It also peaked at number fifty-six in the Australian Singles Chart.
on April 8, 2009, along with performances of "Full Circle", "Hoedown Throwdown
" and "The Climb
". They included the song in their set for the AOL Sessions, recorded on April 13, 2009. They also performed the song in London in an Apple Store, along with a duet version of Billy Ray's "Thrillbilly" and several of their own singles. The set, along with some songs by Cyrus's father, was sold exclusively by the United Kingdom iTunes Store
as an extended play
titled iTunes Live from London.
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
duet performed by American actors and recording artists Miley Cyrus
Miley Cyrus
Miley Ray Cyrus is an American actress and pop singer-songwriter. She achieved wide fame for her role as Miley Stewart/Hannah Montana on the Disney Channel sitcom Hannah Montana....
and Billy Ray Cyrus
Billy Ray Cyrus
William "Billy" Ray Cyrus is an American country music singer, songwriter, actor and philanthropist, who helped make country music a worldwide phenomenon...
. The song was first heard in the 2009 film Hannah Montana: The Movie
Hannah Montana: The Movie
Hannah Montana: The Movie is a 2009 Walt Disney Pictures musical comedy film based on the Disney Channel show Hannah Montana which was released on April 10, 2009, by Walt Disney Pictures, it was the second Disney Channel series to have a movie for Walt Disney Pictures. The film was directed by...
, in which both Cyruses star, and was subsequently released on the film's soundtrack
Hannah Montana: The Movie (soundtrack)
Hannah Montana: The Movie is the soundtrack for the film of the same name. The film is an adaptation of the popular Disney Channel original series Hannah Montana, which first aired in 2006. In the television series and film, American singer–songwriter and actress Miley Cyrus portrays Miley Stewart,...
. An extended version is featured on Billy Ray's eleventh studio album, Back to Tennessee
Back to Tennessee
- Personnel :* Steve Brewster — drums* Tom Bukovac — electric guitar* Lisa Cochran — background vocals* Perry Coleman — background vocals* Eric Darken — percussion* Shannon Forrest — drums* Kenny Greenberg — electric guitar* Aubrey Haynie — fiddle...
. The song is a soft country ballad with lyrics that describe a child's transition to adulthood.
The song received generally favorable reviews and, though not released as a single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
, achieved notable commercial outcomes in Australia, Canada, Ireland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. It reached its highest international peak in the Irish Singles Chart
Irish Singles Chart
The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured...
, at number forty-six. The Cyruses performed the song live at several venues; a performance in an English Apple Store was recorded and eventually released on an extended play
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
.
Background
As with Miley and Ray Cyrus's last duet, "Ready, Set, Don't GoReady, Set, Don't Go
"Ready, Set, Don't Go" is a country song performed by American recording artists Billy Ray Cyrus and Miley Cyrus. It was released as the lead single from Home at Last, Cyrus' tenth studio album. It was sent to country radio stations on July 11, 2007 with a radio edit as a B-side. The song is a soft...
" (2007), "Butterfly Fly Away" describes a child's transition to adulthood. The song was written
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
and produced
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
by Glen Ballard
Glen Ballard
Glen Ballard is an American songwriter and record producer, best known for co-writing and producing Alanis Morissette's Jagged Little Pill , which won Grammy Award for "Best Rock Album", and "Album of the Year" amongst others, and is ranked by the Rolling Stone amongst The 500 Greatest Albums of...
and Alan Silvestri
Alan Silvestri
Alan Anthony Silvestri is an American film composer and conductor.-Career:Silvestri is best known for his collaborations with director Robert Zemeckis, having scored Romancing the Stone , the Back to the Future trilogy , Who Framed Roger Rabbit , Death Becomes Her , Forrest Gump , Contact ,...
for the 2009 film Hannah Montana: The Movie
Hannah Montana: The Movie
Hannah Montana: The Movie is a 2009 Walt Disney Pictures musical comedy film based on the Disney Channel show Hannah Montana which was released on April 10, 2009, by Walt Disney Pictures, it was the second Disney Channel series to have a movie for Walt Disney Pictures. The film was directed by...
. According to the film, when main character Miley Stewart (played by Miley Cyrus
Miley Cyrus
Miley Ray Cyrus is an American actress and pop singer-songwriter. She achieved wide fame for her role as Miley Stewart/Hannah Montana on the Disney Channel sitcom Hannah Montana....
) was young, her father Robby Ray Stewart
Robby Ray Stewart
For the actor of the character Robbie see Billy CyrusRobert Ray "Robby" Stewart is a fictional character from the Disney Channel series Hannah Montana, portrayed by Billy Ray Cyrus. Robby is the single father of Jackson Stewart and Miley Stewart...
(played by Billy Ray Cyrus
Billy Ray Cyrus
William "Billy" Ray Cyrus is an American country music singer, songwriter, actor and philanthropist, who helped make country music a worldwide phenomenon...
), would often tell her that while a caterpillar
Caterpillar
Caterpillars are the larval form of members of the order Lepidoptera . They are mostly herbivorous in food habit, although some species are insectivorous. Caterpillars are voracious feeders and many of them are considered to be pests in agriculture...
may not be able to move much, it can still dream about the butterfly
Butterfly
A butterfly is a mainly day-flying insect of the order Lepidoptera, which includes the butterflies and moths. Like other holometabolous insects, the butterfly's life cycle consists of four parts: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Most species are diurnal. Butterflies have large, often brightly coloured...
it will one day be. This comment became a recurring motif
Motif (narrative)
In narrative, a motif is any recurring element that has symbolic significance in a story. Through its repetition, a motif can help produce other narrative aspects such as theme or mood....
in the film and provided the basis for the lyrics to "Butterfly Fly Away", which use a caterpillar's metamorphosis
Metamorphosis
Metamorphosis is a biological process by which an animal physically develops after birth or hatching, involving a conspicuous and relatively abrupt change in the animal's body structure through cell growth and differentiation...
as a metaphor
Metaphor
A metaphor is a literary figure of speech that uses an image, story or tangible thing to represent a less tangible thing or some intangible quality or idea; e.g., "Her eyes were glistening jewels." Metaphor may also be used for any rhetorical figures of speech that achieve their effects via...
for a child's coming of age
Coming of age
Coming of age is a young person's transition from childhood to adulthood. The age at which this transition takes place varies in society, as does the nature of the transition. It can be a simple legal convention or can be part of a ritual, as practiced by many societies...
. In Hannah Montana: The Movie, the Cyruses perform the song as their characters in "a tender movie scene under a gazebo
Gazebo
A gazebo is a pavilion structure, sometimes octagonal, that may be built, in parks, gardens, and spacious public areas. Gazebos are freestanding or attached to a garden wall, roofed, and open on all sides; they provide shade, shelter, ornamental features in a landscape, and a place to rest...
in the rain". Billy Ray said filming the scene was "a pretty special moment. The song itself was written by Glen Ballard, a masterful songwriter who wrote 'Man in the Mirror
Man in the Mirror
"Man in the Mirror" is a song recorded by Michael Jackson and written and composed by Glen Ballard and Siedah Garrett. It peaked at number one in the United States when released as a single in January 1988 off his seventh solo album, Bad. It is one of Jackson's most critically acclaimed songs and...
' for Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
. I knew it was a pretty special song [...] and it certainly comes at a nice spot in the movie."
The contemporary country duet is set in common time
Common Time
"Common Time" is a science fiction short story written by James Blish. It first appeared in the August 1953 issue of Science Fiction Quarterly and has been reprinted several times: in the 1959 short-story collection Galactic Cluster; in The Testament of Andros ; in The Penguin Science Fiction...
with a gentle tempo
Tempo
In musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:...
of 69 beats per minute. The song's vocals range one octave
Octave
In music, an octave is the interval between one musical pitch and another with half or double its frequency. The octave relationship is a natural phenomenon that has been referred to as the "basic miracle of music", the use of which is "common in most musical systems"...
, from C3 to B4. The song is written in a key of B major
B major
In music theory, B major is a major scale based on B. The pitches B, C, D, E, F, G, and A are all part of the B major scale. Its key signature has five sharps....
and features the chord progression
Chord progression
A chord progression is a series of musical chords, or chord changes that "aims for a definite goal" of establishing a tonality founded on a key, root or tonic chord. In other words, the succession of root relationships...
, Esus2—B—C7.
Critical reception
Reviewers were generally taciturn but positive while discussing the song. Warren Truit of About.comAbout.com
About.com is an online source for original information and advice. It is written in English, and is aimed primarily at North Americans. It is owned by The New York Times Company....
found it "sentimental" while Scott Mervis of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, also known simply as the "PG," is the largest daily newspaper serving metropolitan Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.-Early history:...
called it "a sweet duet". Allmusic reviewer Heather Phares said the song was "a treacly duet". Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Stephen Thomas Erlewine is a senior editor for Allmusic. He is the author of many artist biographies and record reviews for Allmusic, as well as a freelance writer, occasionally contributing liner notes. He is also frontman and guitarist for the Ann Arbor-based band Who Dat?Erlewine is the nephew...
, also of Allmusic, was more negative, calling it a "syrupy, icky" song on which Billy Ray never sounds quite right. Leah Greenblatt of Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
wrote, "[Miley's] delicate duet with dad Billy Ray, 'Butterfly Fly Away,' is quietly lovely." Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
reviewer Ken Tucker stated that it "is an airy and flowing song about family on which father and daughter's voices blend nicely". Michael Rechtshaffen of The Hollywood Reporter
The Hollywood Reporter
Formerly a daily trade magazine, The Hollywood Reporter re-launched in late 2010 as a unique hybrid publication serving the entertainment industry and a consumer audience...
called "Butterfly Fly Away" a "tender Glen Ballard/Alan Silvestri ballad". The song was included on the short list
Short list
A short list or shortlist is a list of candidates for a job, prize, award, political position, etc., that has been reduced from a longer list of candidates . The length of short lists varies according to the context.-U.S...
for Best Original Song
Academy Award for Best Original Song
The Academy Award for Best Original Song is one of the awards given annually to people working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . It is presented to the songwriters who have composed the best original song written specifically for a film...
at the 82nd Academy Awards
82nd Academy Awards
The 82nd Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences , honored the best films of 2009 and took place March 7, 2010, at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles beginning at 5:30 p.m. PST / 8:30 p.m. EST. The ceremony was scheduled well after...
, but did not achieve a nomination.
Chart performance
"Butterfly Fly Away" debuted at number seventy-two on the Billboard Hot 100Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
the week ending April 25, 2009. The following week, May 2, 2009, the song reached its peak on the Hot 100 at number fifty-six. The song spent a total of three consecutive weeks on the chart. On the week ending April 25, 2009, "Butterfly Fly Away" debuted at number seventy-six in the Canadian Hot 100
Canadian Hot 100
The Canadian Hot 100 is a music singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks songs in Canada. The chart debuted in the Billboard issue dated June 16, 2007 and was made available for the first time via their online services on June 7, 2007...
. The following week the song reached its peak at number-fifty on the chart. The song charted for a longer amount of time in Canada than its home country, with four weeks on the chart.
The song encountered similar commercial outcomes in various nations. In the United Kingdom, the song debuted and peaked at number seventy-eight for the week ending May 16, 2009. "Butterfly Fly Away" reached its highest international peak in the Irish Singles Chart
Irish Singles Chart
The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured...
. It first debuted at number forty-seven on the week ending May 7, 2009. The song ultimately peaked at number forty-six on the chart. It also peaked at number fifty-six in the Australian Singles Chart.
Live performances
The Cyruses performed the song on Good Morning AmericaGood Morning America
Good Morning America is an American morning news and talk show that is broadcast on the ABC television network; it debuted on November 3, 1975. The weekday program airs for two hours; a third hour aired between 2007 and 2008 exclusively on ABC News Now...
on April 8, 2009, along with performances of "Full Circle", "Hoedown Throwdown
Hoedown Throwdown
"Hoedown Throwdown" is a song performed by American recording artist Miley Cyrus, combining elements of country, dance, pop and rap. It was released as a promotional single from the soundtrack for Hannah Montana: The Movie...
" and "The Climb
The Climb (song)
"The Climb" is a song performed by American recording artist and actress Miley Cyrus, for the 2009 film Hannah Montana: The Movie. The song was written by Jessi Alexander and Jon Mabe, and produced by John Shanks. It was released on March 5, 2009, as the lead single of the film's soundtrack by...
". They included the song in their set for the AOL Sessions, recorded on April 13, 2009. They also performed the song in London in an Apple Store, along with a duet version of Billy Ray's "Thrillbilly" and several of their own singles. The set, along with some songs by Cyrus's father, was sold exclusively by the United Kingdom iTunes Store
ITunes Store
The iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
as an extended play
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
titled iTunes Live from London.
Charts
| Chart (2009) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Singles Chart ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
56 |
| Canadian Hot 100 Canadian Hot 100 The Canadian Hot 100 is a music singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks songs in Canada. The chart debuted in the Billboard issue dated June 16, 2007 and was made available for the first time via their online services on June 7, 2007... |
50 |
| Irish Singles Chart Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured... |
46 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
78 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
56 |