The late 70s blessed us with some huge female voices, especially in Rock where Linda Ronstadt and Heart’s Ann Wilson were queens. They showed range, power, but also the beauty of voice.

Heart was meaningful for all of us wannabe female rock stars. Ann’s vocals were soaring, but it was also Nancy’s guitar work, moving with ease from acoustic Spanish guitar to wailing electric that showed women could be just as cool on the symbolic instrument of rock and roll as men were. They had so many hits. But “Dog and Butterfly,” which is like poetry, has always stuck with me.

Recently I discovered that it was based on an incident from Ann’s life where she watched her sheepdog chase a butterfly, how that inspired something deeper for her as she wrote the song.

See the dog and butterfly

Up in the air he like to fly

Dog and butterfly, below she had to try

She roll back down to the warm soft ground

With a little tear in her eye

She had to try, she had to try

Dog and butterfly

Songwriters: Ann Wilson / Nancy Lamoureaux Wilson / Susan Ennis

Because I appreciate Ann Wilson’s vocals so much, I tried to find the live video that best showed that. Unfortunately the picture quality isn’t as good.

Heart on Wiki