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.
Love That Boy
The Innocence Mission Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I see him going down the long hall.
I love that boy and he is my friend.
I wave to him from very far off.
He goes uphill,
I wish that I could follow after him.
He goes uphill.
I love that boy, I say.
I love him all the day.
I love that boy and he is my friend.
We're driving through the state of Maryland.
I love that boy and he is my friend.
I love to see him sleeping in back.
He goes uphill,
I wish that I could follow after him.
He goes uphill.
He dreams a city street a hundred ways.
I love that boy, I say.
I love him all the day.
And I'm standing up under the trees,
I'm cheering every day.
I love that boy, I say.
The Innocence Mission's song "Love That Boy" is a beautiful ode to (presumably) a young boy whom the singer holds dear. The lyrics are simple, yet they evoke a poignant sense of longing and admiration for this person. The singer watches the boy going down a long hall, wishing they could follow after him as he goes uphill. Despite the distance, the singer waves to the boy from afar and professes their love repetitively throughout the song.
As the song progresses, we learn that the singer and the boy are on a road trip through Maryland. The singer admires the boy's sleeping form in the backseat of the car, wishing they could follow him up an imaginary city street in dreams. The final verse finds the singer standing under trees and proclaiming their love for the boy proudly.
The song is open to interpretation regarding the relationship between the singer and the boy they adore. However, the lyrics suggest an innocent, yet undeniably intense fondness for this person, and the unrequited desire to be closer to them.
Overall, "Love That Boy" is a stunning song that captures the simplicity and profundity of love in a way that touches the heart.
Line by Line Meaning
I love that boy and he is my friend.
I have strong feelings of affection for that male child and he is also someone I have a close connection with.
I see him going down the long hall.
I observe him walking along the lengthy corridor.
I wave to him from very far off.
I signal to him from a great distance away.
He goes uphill,
He moves upward to an elevated position.
I wish that I could follow after him.
I desire to pursue him along his path.
Please let him be safe there, across the way.
I ask that he remains secure in that place across from mine.
I love him all the day.
My love for him endures throughout the hours.
We’re driving through the state of Maryland.
We are traveling within the state of Maryland.
I love to see him sleeping in back.
I enjoy observing him when he is sleeping in the rear of our vehicle.
He dreams a city street a hundred ways.
He experiences numerous variations of visual imagery related to a street in a city while he is asleep.
And I'm standing up under the trees,
I am positioned upright beneath the trees,
I'm cheering every day.
I express my enthusiastic support daily.
I love that boy, I say.
I state that I have a deep affection for that male child.
Contributed by Claire W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@ProfessorChomsky
One of most beautiful bands of our time, such devastatingly, heartfelt, beautiful songs xx
@JuliansFlightdotcom
voice + melody + phrasing + comping + musicianship + composition = ARTISTRY.
This is beautiful music.
@CliveBorgComposer
What a absolutely superb song.
@WetHandkerchief
I love that boy I say, I love him all the day...
@lydiathomas3228
Love this!
@lalocacubanita
arent those the absolute best...the smiles you can hear!!! i heard it too!
@carlosrecuerdaruiz2948
A song made in Heaven !
@deansusky
Fantastic tune and melody ...thanks for the [post
@dannized
Fucking hell, her voice is Stunning!!!
@eternalrain85
preciosa la cancion