In the occasional series Tony Cummings looks at seminal Christian music old and new. Here he remembers BOB CARLISLE's 1997 US chart topper "Butterfly Kisses"

Bob Carlisle

Song: Butterfly Kisses
Composer: Bob Carlisle
Definitive recording: Bob Carlisle - 'Shades Of Grace'
Lyric:
[verse]
There's two things I know for sure
She was sent here from heaven
And she's daddy's little girl
As I drop to my knees by her bed at night
She talks to Jesus and I close my eyes
And I thank God for all of the joy in my life
Oh but most of all

[pre chorus]
For butterfly kisses after bedtime prayer
Stickin' little white flowers all up in her hair
Walk beside the pony daddy it's my first ride
I know the cake looks funny daddy but I sure tried

[chorus]
Oh with all that I've done wrong
I must have done something right
To deserve a hug every mornin'
And butterfly kisses at night

[verse]
Sweet 16 today
She's lookin' like her mama a little more every day
One part woman the other part girl
To perfume and make up from ribbons and curls
Trying her wings out in a great big world
But I remember

[pre chorus]
Butterfly kisses after bedtime prayer
Stickin' little white flowers all up in her hair
You know how much I love you daddy
But if you don't mind
I'm only gonna kiss you on the cheek this time

[chorus]
Oh with all that I've done wrong
I must have done something right
To deserve her love every mornin'
And butterfly kisses at night

[middle eight]
All the precious time
Like the wind the years go by
Precious butterfly
Spread your wings and fly

[verse]
She'll change her name today
She'll make a promise and I'll give her away
Standing in the bride room just staring at her
She asked me what I'm thinkin'
And I said I'm not sure
I just feel like I'm losin' my baby girl
And she leaned over

[pre chorus]
Gave me butterfly kisses with her mama there
Stickin' little white flowers all up in her hair
Walk me down the isle daddy
It's just about time
Does my wedding gown look pretty daddy?
Daddy don't cry

[chorus]
Oh with all that I've done wrong
I must have done something right
To deserve her love every mornin'
And butterfly kisses

I couldn't ask God for more than this is what love is
I know I've got to let her go but I'll always remember
Every hug in the mornin' and butterfly kisses

Bob Carlisle was something of a fixture in the US CCM when in the winter of 1995 he invited some record company executives round to his house to play them new material he was hoping to include on his new album, his first for Diadem Records. He had joined the Jesus music band Good News when he was a mere 16, enjoyed a successful season with the pop rockers the Allies from 1984 to 1992 and was now recording as a solo making Christian radio hits with Michael Bolton-style blue-eyed soul songs like 1993's "Giving You The Rest Of My Life" and 1995's "One Step Closer To Your Broken Heart". Then came that meeting with the record company folk. After playing them some new material that was to form the basis of Bob's 'Shades Of Grace' album his wife Jacque insisted that he play the execs a song he'd penned called "Butterfly Kisses". Said Bob, "I wrote it for my daughter Brooke, just prior to her 16th birthday. I think, just like a lot of dads and husbands, I hadn't taken time to sit still long enough to realise that this child isn't gonna be with me too much longer and one evening I just came unglued. The song just poured out of me, almost in its entirety."

Journalist Mike Rimmer wrote in Cross Rhythms magazine, "The song itself is a father's view of his child growing up and a recognition of how precious that relationship is, but the key line which stops the song simply being sentimental is Bob's recognition of his own imperfection when he sings, 'With all that I've done wrong/I must have done something right to deserve your love every morning and butterfly kisses at night.' There is a touching humility contained in the lyric."

For a year Brooke carried the song around on a cassette and Carlisle had no reason to think that it would be heard by anyone else until his wife's insistence that he play it to the execs. He said, "Quite frankly, I was reluctant to do so because it was such a personal song to me and I was a bit shy about it. In fact I was so shy about it, I left the room when we played it for them! I came back in the room after the song was over and they were very moved by it and everyone insisted that I put it on the album."

The 'Shades Of Grace' album, produced by Carlisle himself, was released in 1997. Christian radio began playing the album's final track "Mighty Love". But then something extraordinary happened. As Bob recounted, "In Seattle, a guy went to a wedding where the song was played, returned to his [mainstream] radio station and played the song. Soon the phone lines were jammed. Then I did a live interview with a Christian music station in St Louis and the traffic reporter up in the helicopter heard it and sent the song to the local adult contemporary station." Once again the phone lines lit up!

The mainstream contemporary stations became familiar with "Butterfly Kisses" after Clive Calder, CEO of The Zomba Group (which had purchased the Benson Label Group, owner of Diadem Records), played the cut for his wife. Seeing tears in her eyes, Calder asked, "Is it just me, or is that a hit [record]?" His wife said yes.

In the summer of '97 the 42 year old father of two found himself battling it out with the Spice Girls as "Butterfly Kisses" climbed the Billboard 200 to make number one. The album which had spawned the song was renamed 'Butterfly Kisses (Shades Of Grace)' and a big butterfly was slapped unceremoniously on the cover where Carlisle's face used to be. Then the talk shows came calling. Regis & Kathie Lee, Oprah Winfrey, Rush Limbaugh all featured Carlisle and his song. There were articles in Time, Newsweek, People and no less than five books based on the song. There was also the CD 'Butterfly Kisses And Bedtime Prayers' with the sequel 'Butterfly Kisses And Bedtime Prayers II' released through Benson. There was a country version of "Butterfly Kisses" and even a dance mix.

Carlisle remains amazed at the impact his song written for his daughter was to have on a mass audience. He recounted, "I received a letter from a couple who had lost a child to a degenerative brain disease and they were thanking me! They used the song at their child's funeral service and it helped them in their mourning process. Talk about music creating the tangible. . . this is just God!" Since his hit Bob has been offered "unbelievable amounts of money" to croon the song in person at weddings. Carlisle tastefully declined. Clearly having a three million selling song has made some differences to Carlisle. But not too many. He said, "The success of the song hasn't really affected us as a family too much. We paid off the mortgage and my wife retired from her job as membership director of the YMCA. Otherwise, we're the same."

Carlisle laughed when he said, "I guess 'Butterfly Kisses' is to me what 'I Left My Heart In San Francisco' is to Tony Bennett. Even all these years on, I have no new insight into the song other than what I've always said and known - 'Butterfly Kisses' is not a song about fatherhood. It's a song about gratitude - 'With all that I've done wrong, I must have done something right.' That honesty and love resounded with people from all walks of life. 'Butterfly Kisses' was a platform that God gave me, opening doors through which I could carry a torch, and what a blessing from God."