"Innocent" is a song by Canadian alternative rock band Our Lady Peace. Written by lead vocalist Raine Maida, it was released in August 2002 as the second single from the band's fifth studio album, Gravity. It reached the top 40 on two US Billboard rock charts, as well as on the New Zealand Singles Chart.

Background and writing

Maida said in 2002 that "Innocent" was one of his favorite songs from Gravity. "I wrote this song over a year ago and I was originally hesitant to play it for the band, but once we got into the studio and began working with Bob we were able to make it an Our Lady Peace song." According to Maida, the song's title was originally "Arrogant" and it had different lyrics. The producer, Bob Rock, made him rewrite most of the songs from Gravity in order to make them more accessible and easier to understand.

Content

The song is about young people who are going through a difficult phase in their lives, namely Johnny, who wants to be a famous musician but struggles with writing songs, and Tina, who is insecure about her body and appearance. The song refers to the legendary rock musicians John Lennon and Kurt Cobain.

Recording

Local school children in Hawaii sang backing vocals on the chorus of the song. Before Mike Turner left the band, he recorded the rhythm guitar for this track. It was later interlaced with Steve Mazur's guitar playing for the final recording, but Turner's style of playing is still recognizable.

Music video

The music video for "Innocent" was filmed on August 31, 2002, in Syracuse, Los Angeles, New Orleans and a school parking lot in Toronto. It shows the band performing in an alley while showing people going through various struggles. The video won two MuchMusic Video Awards in 2003, including "Best Video".

Track listing

Canadian CD single

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Release history