Their signature style is dreamy slow songs, with beautiful melodies.
The original band, including Mike Bitts (bass), and Steve Brown (drums), was formed in Lancaster, Pennsylvania in the early 80s when the members met during a Catholic school production of Godspell. Although all members of the band have contributed musically, Karen Peris does most of the group's writing.
Their eponymous debut album, released in 1989 (A&M Records), was produced by Larry Klein, then-husband of Joni Mitchell, and recorded in the couple’s basement recording studio. The album peaked on the Billboard charts at #167 in 1990, and the album’s second track, "Black Sheep Wall", released as a single in 1989, peaked at #22 on Billboard’s Modern Rock Tracks. The album’s fifth track, "Clear to You", was used on the soundtrack of the pilot episode of Beverly Hills 90210. Klein also produced their 1991 follow up, Umbrella.
Their third and final A&M album, Glow, released in 1995 (A&M Records), Was produced by Dennis Herring, who had previously produced two records for Camper Van Beethoven. This album is a departure from Klein's heavier production style. Whereas the first two releases may have brought to mind The Sundays and The Cocteau Twins with their moody keyboards, Herring's lighter touch gave more emphasis to the group's guitar work and to Karen's vocals and lyrics.
Glow contains songs that appear on the soundtracks of the films Empire Records, and Dream for an Insomniac, as well as the television series Party of Five. The album’s second track, Bright as Yellow, peaked on Billboard’s Modern Rock Tracks at #33.
In 1999 the band recorded for a new label, Badman. Additionally, drummer Steve Brown left the band to pursue a career as a chef. On the subsequent album, Birds of My Neighborhood, Brown played drums and brushes on "Snow," but otherwise the group became a trio. Now bereft of drums, their sound took an even more acoustic direction. Some songs featured just Don and Karen, and a few, such as "She May Turn Around," featured only Karen's voice and instrumentation.
The 2000 release of Christ is My Hope, featuring religious music that had inspired them over the years, was independently released on their own website. Small Planes, released in 2001, featured outtakes from Glow and Birds of My Neighborhood. 2003's Befriended was their next "regular" album.
In 2004, the Innocence Mission released Now the Day is Over, a collection of lullabies. Except for "My Love Goes With You," all songs are cover versions, such as a stripped-down vocal and piano rendition of Henry Mancini's Moon River,
The Innocence Mission's new album We Walked in Song was released March 13, 2007.
Bright As Yellow
The Innocence Mission Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
with your arms
stretched out.
Eye to eye when speaking.
Enter rooms with great joy shouts,
happy to be meeting.
And bright,
bright, bright as yellow,
warm as yellow.
And I do not want to be a rose.
I do not wish to be pale pink,
but flower scarlet, flower gold.
And have no thorns to distance me,
but be bright,
bright,
bright, bright as yellow,
warm as yellow.
Even if I'm shouting,
even if I'm shouting
here
inside.
Even if I'm shouting,
do you see that I'm
wanting,
that I want to be so so
bright,
bright,
bright, bright as yellow,
warm as yellow.
The Innocence Mission's song "Bright As Yellow" is a beautiful representation of the desire to be fully present in life and to live it to the fullest. The song is a celebration of living with an open heart, unafraid to show your true colors and to be bright as yellow. The verses paint the picture of someone who lives with their arms stretched out, unafraid to connect with others, and entering rooms with great joy shouts, happy to be meeting.
The chorus repeats the phrase "bright as yellow" over and over again, emphasizing the desire to be bright and warm. The singer then declares that they do not want to be a rose, a flower that is typically associated with beauty and fragility, but instead envision themselves as flower scarlet or gold, bright and bold. The song ends with the declaration that even if they're shouting, they want to be bright and that they want to be seen.
Overall, the song speaks to the human desire to be seen, heard, and fully alive. It's a powerful reminder that living a life of joy and connection requires vulnerability and being true to oneself.
Line by Line Meaning
And you live your life
with your arms
stretched out.
You go through your life with an open and welcoming attitude, always ready to embrace new experiences and people.
Eye to eye when speaking.
You make a point to communicate with others directly and honestly, looking them in the eye as you talk.
Enter rooms with great joy shouts,
happy to be meeting.
Whenever you enter a room, you do so with a sense of excitement and enthusiasm, eager to connect with others and share in the moment.
And bright,
bright,
bright, bright as yellow,
warm as yellow.
You strive to be a source of light and positivity in the world, radiating warmth and joy like the color yellow.
I do not want to be a rose.
I do not wish to be pale pink,
but flower scarlet, flower gold.
You don't want to blend in and be just like everyone else. Instead, you want to stand out and be unique, represented by the striking colors scarlet and gold.
And have no thorns to distance me,
You don't want anything to stand between you and others, like the prickly thorns that might keep them at a distance.
Even if I'm shouting,
even if I'm shouting
here
inside.
Sometimes you feel like you need to be heard, to shout out your feelings and thoughts, even if it's just within yourself.
Even if I'm shouting,
do you see that I'm
wanting,
that I want to be so so
bright,
bright,
bright, bright as yellow,
warm as yellow.
You want others to understand that when you're shouting, it's because you're passionate about being a bright and positive force in the world, and you want to be seen that way.
Contributed by Adam N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.