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.
No Storms Come
The Innocence Mission Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
oh, I have asked to go
where a few lilies blow
to fields where flies no sharp and sided hail
and springs not fail
and springs not fail
and I have asked to be
out of the swing of the sea
where the green swell is in the heavens dumb
and no storms come
and no storms come
The Innocence Mission's song "No Storms Come" is a lyrical masterpiece, conveying a deep yearning for a peaceful, idyllic place free from the turbulence of life. The singer expresses their desire to escape to a place where there are no sharp or sided hail, no storms, and springs that never fail. The notion of wanting to go to a place where the green swell is in the heavens dumb portrays the desire to escape the unpredictability of life and find a place where no disturbances exist. The lyrics are emotionally charged, and the poignancy of the message is precisely what makes the song unforgettable.
The song speaks to a primal human desire to escape, to leave the chaos behind, and simply exist in a state of tranquillity. It's a desire that resonates with all of us at some level, but the lyrics are particularly emotive, and anyone who needs an escape will identify with it. The simplicity of the message conveyed through the beauty of Karen Peris's voice and gentle guitar playing is what makes this song so powerful.
The Innocence Mission's "No Storms Come" is a deeply poetic song that communicates a deep yearning for a peaceful, idyllic place free from the turbulence of life. The musicians have delivered the message so beautifully, and the poetic language makes it even more powerful. The song is an embodiment of the human emotions, and anyone who listens to it can't help but be moved.
Line by Line Meaning
I have desired to go
I have longed to escape my current situation
oh, I have asked to go
I have pleaded for a chance to leave
where a few lilies blow
to a place where simplicity and beauty exist
to fields where flies no sharp and sided hail
to a place where there is no danger or harm
and springs not fail
and where there is no scarcity of resources
and I have asked to be
I have also begged to change my current state of being
oh, I have asked to be
I have repeatedly requested for a different existence
out of the swing of the sea
away from the unpredictable and tumultuous nature of life
where the green swell is in the heavens dumb
to a place where the chaos of the world does not affect me
and no storms come
and where I am safe from any possible harm or danger
Contributed by Ava J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.