Shine ( Collective Soul song ) - Wikipedia 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 Genre Alternative rock, post-grunge Length 5 : 07 ( Album version ) 4 : 40 ( Radio edit ) Label Atlantic Songwriter ( s ) Ed Roland Producer ( s ) Ed Roland Collective Soul singles chronology `` Shine '' ( 1993 ) `` Breathe '' ( 1994 ) `` Shine '' ( 1993 ) `` Breathe '' ( 1994 ) Music video `` Shine '' on YouTube `` Shine '' is the debut single by the American rock 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. VH1 would later rank `` Shine '' at # 42 on their list of the `` 100 Greatest Songs of the ' 90s. '' Contents 1 Overview 2 Legacy and appearances 3 Cover versions 4 CD single 5 Music video 6 Charts 6.1 Peak positions 6.1. 1 Year - end charts 7 Controversy 8 References 9 External links 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 do n'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 can not 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. `` Shine '' -- 5 : 10 `` Scream '' ( non-LP b - side ) -- 2 : 28 `` 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 US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks US Billboard Top 40 Mainstream Year - end charts Chart ( 1994 ) Position Canada RPM Top Singles 50 U.S. Billboard Hot 100 31 U.S. Hot Album Rock Tracks U.S. Hot Modern Rock Tracks 13 Controversy 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. '' References Jump up ^ ( 1 ) Rock On The Net : Billboard Year - End Charter - Toppers : 1994 Jump up ^ Whitburn, Joel ( 2004 ). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits, 8th Edition ( Billboard Publications ), page 137. Jump up ^ Garrett, Jonathan A RETURN TO HAVING FUN : Collective Soul Remembers Why It Makes Music PopMatters ( January 25, 2005 ). Retrieved on 4 - 25 - 09, updated February 20, 2015. Jump up ^ Farley, Mike Interview with Dean Roland Bullz - Eye ( July 28, 2005 ). Retrieved on 4 - 25 - 09. Jump up ^ Thomas Erlewine, Stephen Review - Hints, Allegations, and Things Left Unsaid Allmusic. Retrieved on 4 - 25 - 09. Jump up ^ Shine - Collective Soul Allmusic. Retrieved on 4 - 25 - 09. ^ Jump up to : Video on YouTube Jump up ^ Video on YouTube Jump up ^ `` Australian-charts.com -- Collective Soul -- Shine ''. ARIA Top 50 Singles. Jump up ^ `` Austriancharts.at -- Collective Soul -- Shine '' ( in German ). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Jump up ^ `` Top Singles - Volume 59, No. 25, July 11, 1994 ''. RPM. Retrieved February 21, 2011. Jump up ^ `` Lescharts.com -- Collective Soul -- Shine '' ( in French ). Les classement single. Jump up ^ `` Charts.org.nz -- Collective Soul -- Shine ''. Top 40 Singles. Jump up ^ http://www.billboard.com/artist/299534/collective+soul/chart Jump up ^ http://www.billboard.com/artist/299534/collective+soul/chart?f=377 Jump up ^ http://www.billboard.com/charts/1994-08-13/pop-songs Jump up ^ `` Top Singles - Volume 60, No. 21, December 12, 1994 ''. RPM. Retrieved October 22, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Billboard Top 100 - 1994 ''. Retrieved August 27, 2010. Jump up ^ `` The Year in Music 1994 -- Hot Album Rock Tracks ''. Billboard. 106 ( 52 ) : YE -- 62. December 24, 1994. Retrieved June 13, 2013. Jump up ^ `` The Year in Music 1994 -- Hot Modern Rock Tracks ''. Billboard. 106 ( 52 ) : YE -- 62. December 24, 1994. Retrieved June 13, 2013. Jump up ^ Collective Soul 's `` Shine '' Soon To Be Christened Virginia Tech 's `` Helter Skelter '' - Sound of the City - Village Voice Jump up ^ Roommates Give a Glimpse Into the Mind of a Killer, ABC News Jump up ^ Collective Soul issue statement on killer 's connection to song External links Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics Collective Soul singles Hints Allegations and Things Left Unsaid `` Shine '' `` Breathe '' `` Wasting Time '' Collective Soul `` Gel '' `` December '' `` Smashing Young Man '' `` The World I Know '' `` Where the River Flows '' Disciplined Breakdown `` Precious Declaration '' `` Listen '' `` Blame '' Dosage `` Run '' `` Heavy '' `` No More, No Less '' `` Tremble for My Beloved '' Blender `` Why, Pt. 2 '' `` Vent '' `` Perfect Day '' Youth `` Counting the Days '' `` Better Now '' `` How Do You Love '' Afterwords `` Hollywood '' `` All That I Know '' Collective Soul `` Staring Down '' `` Welcome All Again '' `` You '' See What You Started by Continuing `` This '' `` AYTA '' `` Hurricane '' `` Contagious '' Other singles `` She Said '' `` Next Homecoming '' `` Tremble for My Beloved ( Reissue ) '' Other songs `` Blue Christmas '' `` That 's All Right '' `` Jealous Guy '' `` Dandy Life '' Template Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Shine_(Collective_Soul_song)&oldid=802319942 '' Categories : 1993 songs 1994 singles 2001 singles 2009 singles Atlantic Records singles Billboard Mainstream Rock number - one singles Collective Soul songs Debut singles Dolly Parton songs Nickel Creek songs Songs written by Ed Roland Post-grunge songs Hidden categories : Use mdy dates from July 2016 Use American English from July 2016 All Wikipedia articles written in American English Articles with hAudio microformats All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from July 2014 Articles with unsourced statements from June 2012 Singlechart usages for Australia Singlechart usages for Austria Singlechart usages for France Singlechart usages for New Zealand Talk Contents About Wikipedia Add links This page was last edited on 25 September 2017, at 12 : 21. 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Question: who sings the song heaven let your light shine down
Answer: Collective Soul