There have been two bands known as The Choir:

1) The Choir were a ro… Read Full Bio ↴There have been two bands known as The Choir:

1) The Choir were a rock band in the mid-1960s from Cleveland Ohio, best known for the oft-covered song "It's Cold Outside". With the addition of singer Eric Carmen, they became The Raspberries in 1970. The band consisted of Dann Klawon on rhythm guitar, Dave Smalley on vocals & rhythm guitar, Wally Bryson on vocals, lead guitar, & bass, and Jim Bonfanti on vocals & drums.

2) The Choir (originally The Youth Choir) is an atmospheric alternative Christian rock band, led by Derri Daugherty on guitar and vocals, Steve Hindalong on drums -- who also writes most of the band's lyrics -- and Dan Michaels on lyricon, electric flute and saxophone. Originally formed in Southern California in the early 1980s, the band members moved to the Nashville, Tennessee area in the 1990s. Past members include guitarist Marc Byrd and bass guitarists Michael Sauerbrey, Robin Spurs, Bill Batstone, and the late Tim Chandler.

Each band member also has a depth of musical history outside of The Choir. Hindalong produced four successful City On A Hill albums, writing the well-known song "God of Wonders" with Marc Byrd. Daugherty has been a member of the Christian-alterna-pop-supergroup The Lost Dogs since it started in 1991, and Hindalong joined the group in 2006. Chandler was the bass player for years for Daniel Amos and that band's alter egos The Swirling Eddies, and passed away in 2018. Byrd was a member of Common Children, recorded with his wife Christine Glass as Glassbyrd, and is currently half of the post-rock duo Hammock. Michaels has been a Senior Vice President of Fair Trade Services (formerly INO Records) since 2000.

Salamander
The Choir Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Climb on up now from the slippery dark
Rest your belly on a sunny rock
Hey isn't the light ok?
Isn't the day alright?
Well, what if your head won't raise to the sun?
Catch the rain on your tongue
Set your eyes on the truth
Surrender your spirit to the wind

Set your heart free
Climb on up now from the slippery dark
Rest your belly on a sunny rock
Hey isn't the light ok?
Isn't the day alright?

Well, what if your head won't raise to the sun?
Catch the rain on your tongue

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to The Choir's song Salamander are a call to overcome one's inner struggles and to embrace life. The slippery dark represents the difficult and challenging times in life that one must navigate through. Climb on up now from the slippery dark, encouraging the listener to rise above their struggle, to persevere even though the path may be difficult. Rest your belly on a sunny rock, implying the need to take a break, to pause for a moment, and to bask in the warmth of the sun.

The lyrics then ask a rhetorical question, Hey isn't the light ok?, Isn't the day alright?, implying that even though things might not seem perfect, there is still beauty and there is still something to appreciate. However, the lyrics acknowledge that sometimes our heads might not rise to the sun. In such cases, the song suggests that one should catch the rain on their tongue, an expression that refers to taking in the natural beauty around oneself, to enjoy the simple things in life. The lyrics then urge the listener to set their eyes on the truth and to surrender their spirit to the wind, implying the need to let go of the ego and accept the present moment. The song's final call is to set one's heart free, to let go of all burdens and to embrace life fully.

Line by Line Meaning

Climb on up now from the slippery dark
Get up from the place that makes you uncertain and unsure

Rest your belly on a sunny rock
Take a moment to pause and relax in a comfortable and safe place

Hey isn't the light ok?
Isn't it nice to have some light in your life?

Isn't the day alright?
Isn't it a good day overall?

Well, what if your head won't raise to the sun?
What if you can't find it in you to be optimistic?

Catch the rain on your tongue
Take in the natural beauty around you

Set your eyes on the truth
Focus on what really matters in life

Surrender your spirit to the wind
Let go of your worries and allow life to take its course

Set your heart free
Allow yourself to feel, to love, and to be happy

Climb on up now from the slippery dark
Rise above your fears and doubts

Rest your belly on a sunny rock
Find comfort in the things that make you happy