#MindOfRM
Today I wanted to talk about Butterfly- co written by RM. My first thought when i heard this song first 4 years ago, is the symbolism a butterfly carries. A butterfly is a delicate creature, who’s wings if damaged, can break and stop them flying.

tw/suicide references

this would cause the butterfly to die.
so now “let us fly with our beautiful wings” sounds a little familiar, eh?
what the lyrics imply in themselves is both that the narrator is afraid of being heavy-handed with the loved one they’re talking to -the butterfly- due to the fear it

would break them. I believe RM is also speaking directly to army’s- its a message that he wants army’s to continue flying, even when there is fear and darkness around them. it’s an open letter to a loved one, telling them not to stop flying, but also not to fly away-

telling them not to end their life. something fascinating i noticed and absolutely love about the symbolism of a butterfly are the spiritual connotations. in my culture, a white butterfly or feather is said to represent/literally be the angel of a loved one visiting you from

tw/ suicide reference

-beyond. this links again, to my theory that this song is asking someone not to take their life- as the butterfly represents someone on the very edge of life- an almost angel. the line “You’re so beautiful, that I’m scared” relate to this. #MindOfRM

in the refrain, there’s a line “If I let go of your hand, you’ll fly away and break”. this is signifying the narrators fear once again, but also their own helplessness in the situation. the narrator knows the butterfly will break if it is let go,

but also if too much pressure is put on it. i think it perfectly encapsulates the angst a person goes through when supporting a suicidal loved one. #MindOfRM

theres a line in JHope’s verse, (so not written by RM) that i still loved so much i had to talk abt anyway. The line “You’re there but for some reason, I can’t reach you, stop” comes across as romantic, with a sense of urgency and fear of letting a moment slip- but I think

it may be referring to being unable to reach a loved one who is in fact right in front of you- someone who doesn’t want to open up and ‘talk about it’ per se.
all this so far supports the theory. #MindOfRM

tw suicide//
RM’s verse is my concrete evidence that this song is about preventing a suicide. “The small pieces guttered down darkly From my heart, a barren noise” represent RM grieving something which has been broken; like wings, or a soul- ( #MindOfRM )

whereas “barren noise” illustrates a loneliness and emptiness in the heart of the narrator, as if their life lacks meaning now there is nothing filling their heart.

The bar “my Kafka on the shore” is a direct reference to a book in which a boy has a fantasy of running from the tragedy caused by his father. It infers both the narrator & the butterfly are running from tragedy; but also, that RM is calling the butterfly his escape. #MindOfRM

The next line “Don’t go to those woods over there” I believe is actually a double reference. First is a reference to a segment of Kafka on the shore, where Kafka goes into the woods he was always told not to go into, and becomes stuck in a pseudo reality. #MindOfRM

tw/suicide references

He has to make a choice, either to stay and be lost for eternity but free of struggle, or return to reality as someone hurt and flawed, but still alive. RM including this reference is a direct commentary on suicidal ideation,

in which the “pseudo-reality” is peaceful death. RM is begging the butterfly not to make a decision like that, and instead to stay with him and be the other’s escape.
#MindOfRM

tw/su*cide

The second reference was what I first noticed originally- it’s a reference to “suicide woods”, which are very popular locations in SE Asia for people to go to end their lives. This is due to the fact that the woods are secluded and very deep, sadly meaning if someone

were to change their minds, they could easily get lost. In this context RM is explicitly telling the butterfly not to leave his side, and not to put themselves in a position where they have to make a choice of life or death. #MindOfRM

I’ll finish this off with the last two lines of RM’s verse; characteristically clever as always. “My love that is forever, It’s all FREE for you baby” is actually a pun, in korean it sounds like ‘my love that is zero won’, reinforced by the second line explaining that-

his love is free. The sentiment in this is so sweet, RM saying to a depressed loved one that his love is forever, and not transactional. He hopes the butterfly will choose to stay with him, because while they both may be in pain, his love is free-

( #MindOfRM)

while the butterfly choosing to stay in the woods will cost them their life. It illustrates the deeply caring and sensitive person RM is, and the thought he put into these lyrics.

It’s an open love letter to the listener, in which he offers himself forever to ease the pain of living. I hope you guys see with this message just how deeply he loves us. :(

I hope you enjoyed my commentary #MindOfRM