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.
Snow
The Innocence Mission Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In my pajamas and my winter coat
And take from the house our darker thoughts
And take away the memory of loss
And if I drop them into the snow
Will we never find them anymore?
To see him
To see him
To see him happy
In the same field where we have stood
To see your brother fly away in spring
In a light blue and silver plane
Now the snow has covered everything.
I think we will be made clean like the snow
I think we will become new like the snow
To see him
To see him happy
To see him
To see him happy
Some winters are harder than others
We are going to take our cameras
And look through at black trees with empty arms
And sled tracks
Wandering as we are
To see him
To see him happy
To see him
To see him happy
?
The Innocence Mission's "Snow" is a song that is both calming and nostalgic, evoking imagery of snow and winter while also exploring themes of loss, memory, and renewal. The opening lines describe the singer going outside in the morning snow, wearing only her pajamas and winter coat, carrying with her the "darker thoughts" and memories of loss. She drops these thoughts into the snow, hoping they will be lost and forgotten forever. The chorus consists of the repeated phrase "To see him happy," which seems to refer to the singer's brother who has flown away in the spring, leaving behind memories of happier times. The last verse talks about the difficulty of some winters, and how the singer plans to cope by taking pictures and wandering through the snow, looking for signs of life and hope.
The lyrics of "Snow" are open to interpretation and can be applied to a variety of situations that involve loss and memories. It is possible that the song is about grief and the desire to move on, to let go of painful memories and embrace the beauty of the present moment. The imagery of snow, with its cleansing and transforming power, is used to suggest that even the darkest memories can be transformed and made new again.
Interestingly, the instrumentation of the song is sparse and minimalistic, with mostly acoustic guitar and piano accompanying Karen Peris's delicate vocals. The simplicity of the music serves to highlight the lyrics and convey a sense of intimacy and vulnerability. "Snow" is a beautiful and poignant song that captures the essence of winter and the human experience of loss and renewal.
Line by Line Meaning
If I go out in the morning snow
Going out in the morning snow to distance oneself from darker thoughts and memories of loss
In my pajamas and my winter coat
Clad in comfortable attire to take a moment for oneself
And take from the house our darker thoughts
Leaving the negativity behind and seeking peace
And take away the memory of loss
Trying to forget the painful memories of loss
And if I drop them into the snow
Discarding the negative thoughts amongst the purity of the snow
Will we never find them anymore?
Questioning if the burden of one's negative thoughts can ever truly disappear
To see him
The desire to witness the happiness of someone close
To see him happy
Observing the joy on the face of a loved one
In the same field where we have stood
Recalling a shared experience with a loved one
To see your brother fly away in spring
The sadness of a brother's departure, but finding solace in the beauty of nature
In a light blue and silver plane
The imagery of a plane taking off into the sky
Now the snow has covered everything.
Returning to the present, where the snow serves as a blanket over everything else
I think we will be made clean like the snow
Believing that the metaphorical cleansing power of the snow will bring renewal and purity to the soul
I think we will become new like the snow
Hopeful that the purity of the snow can lead to a fresh start and renewed outlook on life
Some winters are harder than others
Acknowledging that some years can be emotionally taxing
We are going to take our cameras
Capturing memories through pictures
And look through at black trees with empty arms
Reflecting on the emptiness of the winter landscape
And sled tracks
Finding joy in the simple pleasure of sledding through the snow
Wandering as we are
Embracing the freedom and aimlessness of wandering through the winter landscape
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind