Dog & Butterfly (song)

"Dog & Butterfly" is a song recorded by the rock band Heart. It is the title track to the band's fourth studio album Dog & Butterfly and was released as the album's second single.

"Dog & Butterfly"
Single by Heart
from the album Dog & Butterfly
B-side	"Mistral Wind"
Released	January 1979
Recorded	1978
Genre	Folk rock soft rock acoustic
Length	4:48 (single version) 5:21 (album version)
Label	Portrait
Songwriter(s)	Ann Wilson Nancy Wilson Sue Ennis
Producer(s)	Mike Flicker
Heart singles chronology
"Straight On" (1978) "Dog & Butterfly" (1979) "Even It Up" (1980)

Description and origin

The song is a more subdued effort from the band, differing from past hard rock-oriented hits, as Ann and Nancy Wilson pulled from their folk music influences. The song charted moderately in the US in 1979, peaking at #34 on the Billboard Hot 100.^[1]

Ann has said she was inspired when she looked out a window and saw a dog relentlessly chasing a butterfly. She saw the song as an inspiration when things get tough to "keep going after it."^[2]

Cash Box called it a "gentle acoustic ballad which rides a melodic verse and acoustic guitar and easy beat backing."^[3] Record World called it a "a light romantic ballad that should suit adult and pop playlists."^[4]

Although it enjoyed only moderate chart success, the song has remained a setlist staple for Heart consistently through the years.

Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Dog & Butterfly.^[5]

• Ann Wilson – lead vocals, chimes
• Nancy Wilson – acoustic guitars (6 & 12-string), background vocals
• Howard Leese – piano
• Steve Fossen – bass
• Michael Derosier – drums

Chart performance

Chart (1979)	Peak position
Canada RPM Top Singles[6]	51
Canada RPM Adult Contemporary[7]	36
U.S. Billboard Hot 100[8]	34
U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary[9]	33
U.S. Cash Box Top 100	31