The Innocence Mission are a folk band featuring the beautiful, mesmerizing … Read Full Bio ↴The Innocence Mission are a folk band featuring the beautiful, mesmerizing vocals of Karen Peris, and the guitar backing of her husband, Don Peris.

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.

I Never Knew You From The Sun
The Innocence Mission Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

What a time it was
Was befriended and was a friend
For the longest while
You were here
And I never knew you from the sun

Snow is on the ground
This is not my landscape now

Where I find myself
Without you
Oh I never knew you from the sun

Oh I had a friend
I had a friend I loved
Now I walk for miles
Into dark forests of piano sounds
I'm lost

Deep into my sleeve
Deep in my sleeves
Pockets start where I always reach
You are there
Oh I never knew you from the sun

Never, never knew you from the sun

Overall Meaning

The opening lyrics of The Innocence Mission's song "I Never Knew You From The Sun" evoke a sense of nostalgia and regret. The singer reflects on a time when they had a close friendship with someone who was present in their life for a significant period of time. However, despite the bond they shared, the singer expresses that they "never knew" this person "from the sun". This suggests a lack of understanding and clarity about who this person truly was at their core. It's possible that the singer was not fully present in the relationship or perhaps the other person was guarded and difficult to read. Regardless, now that this person is gone from the singer's life, they feel a sense of loss and longing.

The second verse of the song juxtaposes the snowy landscape with the loneliness the singer feels without their friend. The world around them has changed and become unfamiliar, leaving them feeling isolated and ungrounded. The repetition of the phrase "I never knew you from the sun" reinforces the idea that the singer is mourning the loss of a deeper connection with their friend.

Line by Line Meaning

What a time it was
Reflecting back on a previous time

Was befriended and was a friend
Had a friendship that went both ways

For the longest while
Lasted a significant amount of time

You were here
The person was present in their life

And I never knew you from the sun
Did not truly understand the person or their true nature

Snow is on the ground
Seasonally cold and unforgiving environment

This is not my landscape now
The current situation differs from the past

Where I find myself
Reflecting on their current surroundings

Without you
The person is no longer present

Oh I never knew you from the sun
The person was not truly known and understood

Oh I had a friend
The person previously had a close friendship