Wings of a Butterfly – An Iconic HIM Song That Still Conquers Hearts

A few weeks ago, I witnessed something special while I was watching a young content creator’s live stream. He was practicing guitar when someone suggested he should play “Wings” by HIM. He didn’t know the song (he’s very young after all), but he looked it up, and we saw a light-bulb moment materializing before our very eyes. In a few minutes, he got the melody right as we, the audience, cheered him on. 

He was thrilled to learn something new and interesting, and we were overjoyed to see his first attempts with something we knew so well and loved deeply. It was a magical moment: to see such a classic that meant so much to me pass to a new generation; it doesn’t happen every day.

We, oldies, know a lot about HIM, and many of their unforgettable songs, but it is time to introduce this dark jewel to the next generation, and let them fall into its magnetic depth the same way we did a few decades ago. 

The Finnish Kings of Love Metal

In 1991, a couple of Finnish teenagers, Ville Valo and Mikko “Mige” Paananen, formed a band called His Infernal Majesty, which, after a short break, transformed into HIM, one of the most recognizable gothic metal bands of all time. 

From 1997 to 2013, the band released eight albums, establishing a unique sound and atmosphere, which they affectionately labeled “love metal” and sealed with a heartagram. 

The band’s 5th album, Dark Light (2005), features Wings of a Butterfly (original title: Rip Out the Wings of a Butterfly), a fast-paced, catchy song about sacrificing something beautiful and frail for selfish gains.

The song was a huge hit upon its release, especially in Europe, and it remains one of HIM’s most popular songs to this day, with over 65M plays on Spotify alone.

From Mediocre to Masterpiece

The creative process behind this beloved song, however, had its own challenges. According to Ville, something was missing at the beginning: 

“We had the idea for the song, and then it sounded really mediocre. (…) The song really happened because we just changed a couple of the little doodles on the guitar and figured out the entire arrangement. That was one of the songs that we thought sounded okay, but was nothing spectacular until we got it really together at the studio.”

All that tweaking eventually worked out for the best, and the results speak for themselves. “Wings” won Finland’s Song of the Year title in 2005 and reached the top 10 in 7 countries. 

‘Wings of a Butterfly’ Music Video and Lyrics

The music video amplified the song’s mainstream success, with some fans describing it as “the coolest sh*t they’ve ever seen”. And yes, it was definitely something… 21 years ago. Have a look:

Rip out the wings of a butterfly – what does it mean, after all? See, different cultures attribute special meanings to butterflies and their wings. They represent metamorphosis, love, hope, life itself, and in ancient Greece, it was associated with the soul itself. Would you destroy something so delicate and precious to obtain something else?

Let me ask you another question: does every decision come with a sacrifice? When we pick one thing, we eventually renounce another. Sometimes it is only temporary – and sometimes it is definitive. And we can’t always tell which one is which.

Timeless Support in Eternal Darkness – That’s HIM, That’s VV!

Although it disbanded in 2017, HIM’s impact is still very much alive in our hearts. It embraced us at times of darkness, comforted us when our hearts were broken, and gave us new hope when we felt the loneliest. And it’s not just one song… It’s the entire discography that carried us through the worst and the best of emotions we’ve ever had. 

Lucky for us, Ville’s solo project, VV, continues demonstrating this emotionally supportive quality and holds our hands as we face new challenges in life. And we love it just the same.  

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