In 1999 Tea Leaf Green released their debut album Tea Leaf Green.
Next Tea Leaf Green released Midnight On The Reservoir.
In 2003 Tea Leaf Green released Living In Between.
In 2006 Tea Leaf Green released Taught To Be Proud on their own record label, the fourth and final album with founding band member Ben Chambers on bass.
In 2008 Tea Leaf Green released Raise Up The Tent on Surfdog Records, recorded 2 weeks after Reed Mathis joined the band on bass.
In 2010 Tea Leaf Green released Looking West on independent, an album of older songs newly recorded and mixed wtih Reed Mathis.
In 2011 Tea Leaf Green released Radio Tragedy! on independent, the first TLG studio album with dual drummers with Cochrane on drums and percussion.
Join up with fellow leafers on the forum and find more info at http://www.tealeafgreen.com.
Innocence
Tea Leaf Green Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Heaven’s below the stars
Stars are attached by invisible thread
To the darkness that is Love
I’ve been reading this Chinese book
It tells me how far I should go
and that hope is a dream like a butterfly wing
Nature is Heaven’s accord
And I wish I was Innocent
Wish I could believe in it
Know what I want
No one can get
Wish I was innocent
Wish I was innocent
Wish I was innocent
If I loved a girl with long golden curls,
and I was a man without guile,
I would never intend the night we would spend
cuz the life of a man is a trial
The life of of a man is a trial
And I wish I was innocent
Wish I could believe in it
Know what I want
No one can get
I wish I was innocent
Wish I was innocent, wish I was innocent
Swingin’ from stars
Too near or too far
Watching them shine
Doin’ my time
Makin’ them mine
Then I leave them behind
Make ‘em mine then I leave ‘em behind
Thus it is said that
Your heart not your head should guide you on thru to the end
And if you should find a love that can bind
Attain it through innocence
Attain it through innocence
And I wish I was innocent
Wish I could believe in it
I know what I want, no one can get
Wish I was innocent
Wish I could believe in it
Know what I want, no one can get
I Wish I was innocent
Wish I was innocent
Wish I was innocent
Wish I was innocent
Tea Leaf Green's song "Innocence" is a musing of the complexities of love and the desire for innocence. The first few lines set a dreamlike atmosphere, in which the earth, stars, and darkness are all interconnected and held together by love, which is both ethereal and tangible. The song's chorus, "And I wish I was innocent, Wish I could believe in it, Know what I want, No one can get, Wish I was innocent," reveals the singer's longing to return to a state of innocence and naivety that would allow for a pure and uncomplicated view of love.
As the song continues, the singer ponders the intricacies of relationships, specifically, the idea that men are perpetually grappling with the notion of morality and how it pertains to their interactions with others; whereas, if the singer were truly innocent, he could navigate these situations without ulterior motives or preconceived notions.
The final verse suggests that the heart, not the head, should guide one through life, and those who find love should approach it with innocence, with a pure heart and without any hidden agendas. Ultimately, the song seems to be questioning whether this type of innocence and purity can coexist with the harsh realities of the world.
Line by Line Meaning
Thunder’s below Heavens
Even something as powerful as thunder can be below the concept of heaven.
Heaven’s below the stars
Heaven is depicted as being under the stars, due to the sky's vastness and potential existence of life beyond Earth.
Stars are attached by invisible thread
Stars can appear interconnected through our perception, but this connection is not tangible.
To the darkness that is Love
The thread connecting stars, an intangible concept, is compared to the intangible quality of love.
I’ve been reading this Chinese book
The artist has been gaining knowledge from a book of Chinese teachings.
It tells me how far I should go
The book provides guidance and advice on reaching goals or objectives.
and that hope is a dream like a butterfly wing
The book depicts hope as a delicate concept, similar to the fragility of butterfly wings.
and that nature is Heaven’s accord
The book teaches that nature is the combined manifestation of all things divine and natural.
I wish I was Innocent
The artist desires a state of naivety or purity in their mindset.
Wish I could believe in it
The artist wants to have faith in innocence's purity and truthfulness.
Know what I want
The singer desires to have clarity regarding their wants and needs.
No one can get
The artist feels that their desires are not attainable.
The life of of a man is a trial
The life of a man is a learning process filled with hardships and obstacles.
Swingin’ from stars
An expression of the singer's desire to be free and uninhibited, symbolized by swinging from stars.
Too near or too far
The distance of the stars is irrelevant in the singer's desire for freedom.
Watching them shine
The artist finds beauty in the stars' radiance.
Doin’ my time
The artist will continue to work towards their goals, regardless of time.
Makin’ them mine
Through the singer's desire for freedom, they want to claim the stars as their own.
Then I leave them behind
The singer may move on from this desire once achieved, as it may not bring lasting satisfaction.
Your heart not your head should guide you on thru to the end
The artist advises others to follow their heart instead of their mind when seeking out true love.
And if you should find a love that can bind
If one finds a love that is able to create a bond, which can be taken by others.
Attain it through innocence
The artist suggests that this love should be attained with pure, untainted intentions.
Contributed by Kennedy L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.