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.
Every Hour Here
The Innocence Mission Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
around the circle in the cemetery, weaving
I wave up to you on the cross
am I to come upon you suddenly, like this, forever?
happy, relieved that you are here
and I can see you
you are like the ticket-half
there all the time, all the while forgotten.
I so often seem to leave you in churches
and other islands, and on my beads
where I can see you, I can feel you
I take the ticket-half and put it on the table, saying:
"this is god, and he's here
through my comings and my goings
but I walk past the ticket-half
I walk past the ticket-half
I walk past the ticket-half
just as I've walked past the cross on our wall,"
our self-importance grows so dazzling, we don't see you
but gentle jesus, aren't you always
aren't you every hour, here?
The Innocence Mission's song Every Hour Here is a contemplation on the presence of God in everyday life. The imagery of riding bikes around a cemetery and waving to Jesus on the cross creates a playful and peaceful scene. The singer wonders if they will come upon Jesus suddenly, like this moment, but this time forever. They feel happy and relieved that Jesus is here, and that they can see him.
The second stanza compares Jesus to a forgotten ticket-half found in the pocket of an old coat. The singer often leaves Jesus behind in churches and forgets about him in their daily routine. But when they remember to pay attention to Jesus, they can feel him and see him. The singer places the ticket-half on the table and declares that this is God, always present in their coming and going. However, the singer notes that they still walk past the ticket-half and the cross on their wall, blinded by their own self-importance. In the end, the singer remembers that Jesus is always here, every hour, even if they don't always recognize him.
The song is a beautiful reminder to pause, appreciate the present moment, and look for God in the world around us. It's easy to become distracted by our own worries and concerns, but God is always present if we take the time to notice. The imagery of riding bikes in a cemetery and finding a forgotten ticket-half creates a sense of nostalgia and whimsy, but the underlying message is one of reverence and appreciation for the divine.
Line by Line Meaning
we ride our bikes
We roam around the circular path in the cemetery on our bicycles
around the circle in the cemetery, weaving
We navigate through the tracks in the graveyard, crisscrossing each other
I wave up to you on the cross
I greet you on the crucifix
am I to come upon you suddenly, like this, forever?
Will I get a sudden encounter with you like this, which lasts for eternity?
happy, relieved that you are here
I feel pleased and satisfied that you are present here with me
and I can see you
I can gaze at you with my eyes
you are like the ticket-half
You're similar to the half of a ticket
I find inside the pocket of my old leaf-raking coat
Which I found by chance in the pocket of my old coat for raking leaves
there all the time, all the while forgotten.
You were always there, only I forgot about you
I so often seem to leave you in churches
I leave you behind in the temples
and other islands, and on my beads
And other places, such as beads
where I can see you, I can feel you
Where I can sense your presence
I take the ticket-half and put it on the table, saying:
I take the ticket-half and keep it on the table, telling myself:
"this is god, and he's here
'This represents God, and he's present here
through my comings and my goings
During my arrival and departure
but I walk past the ticket-half
But I ignore the ticket-half
just as I've walked past the cross on our wall,"
Just like I've passed by the cross on our wall
our self-importance grows so dazzling, we don't see you
Our egos get inflated, and we fail to notice you
but gentle jesus, aren't you always
But kind Jesus, aren't you always
aren't you every hour, here?
Aren't you present every single hour?
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: KAREN PERIS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@moniquevamado
Nearly 30 years later and this song is still one of the most beautiful I've ever heard, its impact far-reaching. "Our self-importance grows so dazzling we don't see you..."
@annabellward8008
Monique Amado - Artist & Life Coach beautifully said. Thank you
@gmoney860
the song is just amazing, like the band
@WetHandkerchief
"But gentle Jesus, aren't You always, aren't You every hour here?" "Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (Matthew 28:20) The IM songs... deeply rooted in Scriptures.
@cribobrobian5808
❤
@christianman73
This song is so beautiful and poignant. The lyrics are pure poetry. To my mind, Catholics usually seem to make the best "Christian-informed" art. I'm not sure why, but songs by evangelical Protestants often just can't compare. Anyway, this CD is one of my all-time favorites, second only to "Glow" (in my opinion) in the IM pantheon. I wish that someone would reissue it! Oh well, I just ordered it used and am awaiting musical ecstasy! :-)
@TheFloripano
I'm an evangelical protestant. I think you are right.
@morgan300c
This album was a masterpiece.
@laurateng6479
Is
@gmoney860
Totally agree, it was central to my life at the time it came out, and love it just as much today!