“Teach me how to speak
Teach me how to share
Teach me where to go
Tell me will love be there”

Collective Soul’s debut single, “Shine”,  is from the early ’90’s era often considered one of the moments of rock’s rebirth. Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden and others were rescuing rock from vapidity. It seemed that almost overnight there was powerful, heavy, existentialist music dominating what would become known as “alternative rock”.

“Shine” is one of those tracks I heard over and over. Frankly, I loved it initially for the awesome bridge which includes a start-stop moment, punctuated with the singer’s distorted, “YEAWH!” I didn’t pay a whole lot of attention to the lyrics at first. It turns out that the song’s writer, Ed Roland, is the son of a Baptist minister. However, he bristled at assertions that Collective Soul was a Christian band, insisting that a label like that would misrepresent members of the band.

Regardless of your beliefs, it is easy to see this song as a prayer. An alternative rock prayer? Why not?

“Heaven send a light, let it shine on me!”