Shine (Collective Soul song)

"Shine"
Single by Collective Soul
from the album Hints, Allegations, and Things Left Unsaid
Released	March 19, 1993 October 21, 1993 (re-release)
Recorded	1992
Genre	Post-grunge
Length	5:07 (Album version) 4:40 (Radio edit)
Label	Atlantic
Writer(s)	Ed Roland
Producer(s)	Ed Roland
Certification	Gold (RIAA)
Collective Soul singles chronology
"Shine" (1993) "Breathe" (1994)
Music video "Shine" on YouTube

"Shine" is the debut single by the American post-grunge band Collective Soul. It served as the lead single from their 1994 debut album Hints, Allegations, and Things Left Unsaid. It was released a week before the album was released. "Shine" would remain the band's most well known song and a hallmark of 1990s alternative rock. It became the #1 Album Rock Song of 1994, and won a Billboard award for Top Rock Track. The song also reached the top of the Album Rock Tracks for eight weeks. The song then went on to peak at #11 on the Billboard Hot 100 for one week, being held out from the top ten by Back & Forth by Aaliyah. VH1 would later rank "Shine" at #42 on their list of the "100 Greatest Songs of the '90s."

Overview

Due to the song's lyrical themes, particularly the mention of "heaven", Collective Soul was often early on regarded as a Christian band. Frontman Ed Roland elaborated, "I remember around the time ["Shine" came out] getting into an argument with a writer who said, 'You're a Christian band.' I said, 'No, we're not.' 'Well, you have the word heaven in your song.' And I said, 'Well, so does Led Zeppelin. I don't remember anyone saying they were a Christian band.'" He went on to stress that such classification would unite the bandmates' beliefs and that a particular doctrine cannot speak for all its members. Roland did note, however, his religious background and the fact that his father is a Southern Baptist minister, but that this does not justify a Christian label.

Collective Soul rhythm guitarist Dean Roland has called the song's chorus "basically a prayer" and noted that the uplifting single was released during an odd time amidst heavy grunge. He noted that, despite the song's unique feel, this circumstance wrongfully pigeonholed the band as being grunge.

"Shine" features guitar with a slight distortion and mellow atmosphere throughout the verses. Its chorus pounds with staccato riffs before brightening up with the lyrics "Heaven let your light shine down." Later, the song's bridge modulates into double-time behind a hard rock guitar solo before returning to its previous state of calmness.

Legacy and appearances

"Shine" has remained a symbol of 1990s alternative rock. Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic regarded the song "a tremendous guilty pleasure, built on a guitar riff so indelible you swear it's stolen, blessed by a sighing melody that makes this a fine album-rock single that would have sounded as good in '74 as it did in '94."

Due to its popularity among 1990s music, "Shine" has been included on various era-themed compilation albums including VH1: I Love the '90s, Whatever: The '90s Pop and Culture Box, Big Shiny '90s, and The Buzz. Live versions have been included on the Woodstock '94 and Much at Edgefest 1999 compilations.

Cover versions

Phish poked fun at the song with their short version of "Shine" in the middle of "Fly Famous Mockingbird" at Madison Square Garden on New Year's Eve 1995 with songwriter Tom Marshall on vocals. This version can be found on the live album Phish: New Year's Eve 1995 - Live at Madison Square Garden.

Dolly Parton recorded a cover of "Shine" for her 2001 album Little Sparrow with members of the alt/bluegrass band Nickel Creek. Parton's recording of the song earned her a Grammy Award for Best Female Country Vocal Performance.

The Holmes Brothers recorded a cover of "Shine" for their 2004 album Simple Truths.

Pillar recorded a cover of "Shine" for their 2009 album Confessions.

The Smashing Pumpkins played parts of "Shine" during their 2010 tour. Billy Corgan has expressed his hatred of the song and noted its similarities to the Smashing Pumpkins' song Drown. Corgan lost a lawsuit in the mid-1990s to Ed Roland after Roland was able to produce a demo tape featuring "Shine" that preceded the Smashing Pumpkins' release.

A video uploaded by Girl Talk's Gregg Gillis titled "Collective Soul Cat" became popular in 2012 which featured the cat singing the famous "Yeah!" in the song's exact key.

CD-Single

All songs written by Ed Roland.

1. "Shine" – 5:10
2. "Scream" (non-LP b-side) – 2:28
3. "Almost You" (non-LP b-side) – 3:01

Music video

The song's video, was written and directed by William Levin, which achieved popularity on MTV, features various footage, largely black-and-white. Youths are seen carrying seemingly random items across a rural area and railroad tracks before arriving at an old shed and watching the band perform. "Shine" was included on the era-themed compilation Essential Music Videos: '90s Rock.

Charts

Peak positions

Charts (1994-95)	Peak position
Australia (ARIA)	8
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)	25
Canada Top Singles (RPM)	6
France (SNEP)	50
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)	21
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)	82
US Billboard Hot 100	11
US Billboard Album Rock Tracks	1
US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks	4
US Billboard Top 40 Mainstream	4

Year-end charts

Chart (1994)	Position
Canada RPM Top Singles	50
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	31
U.S. Hot Album Rock Tracks	1
U.S. Hot Modern Rock Tracks	13

Virginia Tech massacre

In the aftermath of the Virginia Tech massacre in April 2007, it was revealed by two roommates that gunman Cho Seung-Hui played "Shine" over and over and even wrote some of the lyrics of the song ("Teach me how to speak/Teach me how to share/Teach me where to go") on his wall. In response to this news, the band issued a statement saying that "It is an enormous tragedy and we deeply regret the loss of life. The issue is not about the song. It is about the innocent lives that were lost that we regret deeply, as do all Americans."

External links

• Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics