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Artists gracing “11 Colorful Songs About Various Bugs” include Blake Shelton, Kacey Musgraves, Red Fang, Wolf Parade, and Zedd among others. 

Ah, the beauty of Earth, mother nature, and science itself. No, not everyone is a science fan, but personally, beyond music, it was my favorite subject in school.  Even though science is a great outlet for me to totally ‘nerd out,’ for the most part, the nerdiness will remain locked up for 11 Colorful Songs About Various Bugs.  We’re keeping it simple with the only requirement being the songs must reference a type of bug (insects dominate this list) or something related to a bug.  Artists gracing this colorful playlist include Blake Shelton, Kacey Musgraves, Red Fang, Wolf Parade, and Zedd among others.

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1. Kacey Musgraves, “Butterflies”

Golden Hour • MCA Nashville • 2018

Insect: Butterflies

“Butterflies”, a highlight from Golden Hour, the third LP courtesy of Kacey Musgraves, is captivating from the start, thanks to its exuberant sound and groove. The sound palette includes acoustic guitar, bass, piano, and of course drums.  While this is well-produced record, it’s not the least bit overproduced.  “Butterflies” maintains a certain amount of simplicity.  Musgraves serves up beautiful, easy-going vocals, showcasing poise. Both verses are few in words, but incredibly effective.  While there are some country cues, “Butterflies” doesn’t feel concretely country.  There’s a wider appeal beyond the base. The memorable, radiant chorus is the centerpiece.  Beautiful vocal harmonization makes “Butterflies” even more colorful overall.

 

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2. Gabriel Garzón-Montano, “Fruitflies”

Jardín • Stones Throw • 2017

Insect: Fruit flies

The smoothness of Gabriel Garzón-Montano shines on “Fruitflies,” a gem from his 2017 album, Jardín.  One of the most interesting features of “Fruitflies” is the harmonic progression which is non-standard, eliminating predictability.  This adventurous approach is something that R&B and music in general could use more often. Garzón-Montano uses a dramatic ascending progression to build emotional intensity which complements the lyrics.

“But we can’t change the way the wind blows / Can’t find a way back home / We can’t change the way the wind blows / No, we can’t find the way back home.”

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3. Manchester Orchestra, “The Moth”

A Black Mile to the Surface • Loma Vista • 2017

Insect: Moth

“There’s a way out / There’s a way in.” “The Moth” is the third track from A Black Mile to the Surface, the 2017 LP by Georgia indie-rock band, Manchester Orchestra. As a whole, A Black Mile to the Surface is a bit of a complex album, with each song carrying significance and playing a role to the overall narrative. “The Moth” doesn’t actually mention the lepidopteran order of insect by name, only using the moth metaphorically, specifically in reference to attraction to light. A Reddit user brilliantly lays out the meaning of “The Moth”, which at its simplest finds the song’s protagonist becoming victim to a fatal attraction to light.

“My entire life you’ve been obsessing with the light / The closer that you get, the further up you’ve got to climb / You wanna hear it hurt, you wanna feel it when he dies / If you walk that path alone, you’ve got to look him in the eyes.”

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4. Gutslit, “Scaphism”

Amputheatre • Transcending Obscurity • 2017

Insect: multiple bugs to be honest…

Changing course from particular bugs, we examine a means of torture that involves them: scaphism.  Folks, this was not a pleasant way to die in the least – understatement to the nth degree.  According to Sick Chirpse, insects, drawn by the excrement of the person being executed, would “breed and feed on his living flesh.  Gangrene would set in as burrowing insects started to interrupt blood flow.”  What better way to cover death by bugs than a brutal death metal band?

Gutslit are a brutal death metal band from India who recorded “Scaphism” on their 2017 album, Amputheatre.  Serving as the penultimate track, fittingly, a song named “Death Hammer” follows, adding punctuation to the death caused by the bugs.  Naturally, the listening experience is infernal – hellish as albeit.

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5. Wolf Parade, “Flies on the Sun”

Cry Cry Cry • Sub Pop • 2017

Insect: Flies

“Time is a walk / Time is a weapon that had us all clocked / Flies on the sun, lying there.” Canadian indie-rock band Wolf Parade loosely sings about flies on “Flies on the Sun,” the fifth track from their 2017 LP, Cry Cry Cry.  Set in six-eight meter, “Flies on the Sun” makes prominent use of the piano which is definitely awesome.  The biggest parallel to flies is how the band emphasizes the limited life span of the winged-insect.

“You used to love / Here and gone / Up in this house / Memory home.”

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6. Metallica, “Moth into Flame”

Hardwired…To Self-Destruct • Blackened • 2016

Insect: Moth

“Addicted to the FAME!” An advanced single from Hardwired…To Self-Destruct, “Moth into Flame” serves as a highlight from the Grammy-nominated Metallica album.  About the effects and price of fame, James Hetfield clearly philosophizes about the danger of fame and how ultimately, it’s not worth it.  The style is direct throughout the course of the song, something that translates through the instrumental music and soloing as well.  “Moth into Flame” is incredibly intense – understatement.

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7. Red Fang, “Flies”

Only Ghosts • Relapse • 2016

Insect: Flies

“I want to see something in me / I want to see your f*cking funeral.” Whoa, Nelly!.  “Ever since their inception in 2005, Portland’s Red Fang have strived to write heavy, catchy music underlaid with subtle complexities.”  Sounds appealing, right? Portland, Oregon rock band Red Fang joins the bug-singing party.  And what a party it is! Their insect of choice? Simply flies via a song named “Flies” from their 2016 album, Only Ghosts.  Just as the excerpt from their bio suggests, “Flies” is indeed heavy, led by jagged, souped-up guitars, heavy bass, and pummeling drums.  Also, there are “subtle complexities,” with the harmonic scheme and a dash of asymmetric meter.  Like Wolf Parade, reference to the short life span of the fly, as well as being perceived as ‘purposeless’ comes into play.

“Stick of the pin, our lives are over / Staying in line until we run out of time / Apologize for being alive / Apologize, but why would you care?”

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8. Zedd, “Bumble Bee”

Ft. Botnek

True Colors • Interscope • 2015

Insect: Bumblebee

Zedd has been known to deliver a hit or two during his career (see “Clarity”, “I Want You To Know” and “The Middle”).  On “Bumblebee,” the ninth track from his sophomore album, True Colors, he collaborates with Canadian DJ/production duo Botnek. “Bumblebee” is a big ball of energy, providing ample space for Zedd and Botnek to showcase their sharp production abilities.  Chromeo provides the talkbox vocals (“break through”), with the record itself interpolating “Break Through” from Roger Troutman’s 1991 LP, Bridging the Gap.

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9. Yeah Yeah Yeahs, “Mosquito”

Mosquito • Interscope • 2013

Insect: Mosquitos

“I’ll suck your blood.” Karen O is pretty straightforward about how mosquitos roll on “Mosquito,” the title track from Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ 2013 album.  Even keeping things simple, Karen O entertains with incredibly assertive, expressive vocals, accompanied by superb minor-key production with a robust bass line and energetic guitars.

“They’re hiding beneath your bed / Crawling between your legs / They’re stickin’ ya in your vein / Were you itching when they called your name? / Were you itching when they called your name?”

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10. Blake Shelton, “Honey Bee”

Red River Blue • Warner Bros. • 2011

Insect: Honey Bee

Question – is Blake Shelton really singing about a honey bee on “Honey Bee?” In the bigger scheme of things, the incredibly catchy highlight from Red River Valley has nothing to do with honey bees.  But, songwriters Ben Hayslip and Rhett Akins (Thomas Rhett’s daddy FYI), also provide some ‘science,’ even if it’s hella basic.

“You’ll be my soft and sweet / I’ll be your strong and steady / You’ll be my glass of wine / I’ll be your shot of whiskey / You’ll be my sunny day / I’ll be your shade tree / You’ll be my honeysuckle / I’ll be your honey bee.”

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11. Owl City, “Fireflies”

Ocean Eyes • Republic • 2009

Insect: Fireflies

“‘Cause I’d get a thousand hugs / From ten thousand lightning bugs / As they tried to teach me how to dance…” Ah, we reenter the 00s for our final bug number, “Fireflies.” “Fireflies” earned Owl City (Adam Young) his sole no. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100.  The electro-pop record benefits from brightness, lightness, and pleasantness.  It also doesn’t hurt that Young delivers a catchy chorus along the way.

“I’d like to make myself believe / That planet Earth turns slowly / It’s hard to say that I’d rather stay awake when I’m asleep / ‘Cause everything is never as it seems.”

Is Owl City really singing about fireflies lighting “up the world as [he] fell asleep?” Of course not. Young seems to be reflecting on the fun, imaginativeness, and innocence of youth and how quickly you grow up and those dreams ultimately fade.  Hence, “If my dreams get real bizarre / ‘Cause I’ve saved a few and I keep them in a jar.”

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Photo Credits: Blackened, Interscope, Loma Vista, MCA Nashville, Relapse, Republic, Stones Throw, Sub Pop, Transcending Obscurity, Warner Bros.

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