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.
Flags
The Innocence Mission Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
there I find you, hands in the earth
I have heard you talking with your children
on your level, never talking down
and I don't know how you cannot see
where your gifts may be found
isn't everyone supposed to have their own?
yes, but few are obvious
few draw notice to those who possess them
like flags waving themselves
and you wonder how you cannot see
that your gifts do abound
I don't know how you cannot see
where your gifts maybe found
do you understand when I say
that your gifts do abound?
The Innocence Mission's "Flags" is a tribute to the unnoticed talents of an individual. The song is essentially a reflection on a person, who the singer finds working on their garden, communicating with their children, and leading an ostensibly ordinary life. The singer is struck by the unique virtues of this person, which they believe go unrecognized. The chorus of the song repeatedly asks this person's inability to see their gifts, as if the singer is singing to them, empathetically urging them to appreciate their unique traits.
The verses of the song point to the various instances in which the singer finds this person's virtues. The person is working on their garden and is entirely absorbed in it, and in the way they take care of their children, without ever feeling like they are dealing with someone inferior. Additionally, the person is modest about their talents, mistakenly thinking of themselves as just an ordinary individual who does not possess any tricks or skills. In this sense, the song takes a philosophical approach towards talent and how society measures it. The singer is insisting that there is merit in the ordinary life and person, one that is beautiful and should be appreciated.
Line by Line Meaning
I have seen your garden growing madly
I have witnessed the abundance of growth in your garden
there I find you, hands in the earth
In your garden, I see you working with your hands and nurturing life
I have heard you talking with your children
I have listened to you speak with your children
on your level, never talking down
You speak to your children with understanding and respect
and I don't know how you cannot see
Despite this, I am still unsure how you cannot recognize
where your gifts may be found
The places where your natural talents and strengths lie
you say you know no tricks, have no talents
You claim to have no special skills or abilities
isn't everyone supposed to have their own?
Shouldn't every person have their own unique talents and abilities?
yes, but few are obvious
However, some are more apparent than others
few draw notice to those who possess them
Only a few people are recognized for possessing these talents
like flags waving themselves
Just as flags wave and draw attention to themselves, some people's talents are undeniable
and you wonder how you cannot see
You seem to be questioning why you cannot recognize your own gifts
that your gifts do abound
That you do, in fact, possess many talents
I don't know how you cannot see
I am still unsure why you cannot recognize
where your gifts maybe found
The places where your natural talents and strengths lie
do you understand when I say
Do you comprehend what I mean when I say
that your gifts do abound?
That you, indeed, possess an abundance of talents
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DONALD CHARLES JR. PERIS, KAREN PERIS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jim Smith
I so love the inocence mission.
Momoh Kakulatombo-Misoi
My fave song of theirs. Ever.
Eduardo Lártiga
I have seen your garden growing madly
there I find you, hands in the earth
I have heard you talking with your children
on your level, never talking down
and I don't know how you cannot see
where your gifts may be found
you say you know no tricks, have no talents
isn't everyone supposed to have their own?
yes, but few are obvious
few draw notice to those who possess them
like flags waving themselves
and you wonder how you cannot see
that your gifts do abound
I don't know how you cannot see
where your gifts maybe found
do you understand when I say
that your gifts do abound?
Jim Smith
Yes, but few are obvious. Drawing attention to those who possess them. Like flags waving themselves