"See a Little Light" is a 1989 song by
alternative rock musician
Bob Mould for his debut solo album ''
Workbook''. Written by Mould about his optimism after the break-up of his previous band,
Hüsker Dü, the song features relatively upbeat lyrics and a light arrangement highlighted by clean electric guitar and cello.
The song was released as the debut single from ''Workbook'', charting on the alternative charts in America. The song was boosted by a music video. It has since received positive reception from critics and has served as the title for Mould's memoir.
Background
"See a Little Light" was written by Mould in 1988, a period he spent alone in
Pine City, Minnesota
Pine City is a city in and the county seat of Pine County, in east central Minnesota, United States. The population was 3,130 at the 2020 census. A portion of the city is located on the Mille Lacs Indian Reservation. Founded as a railway town, ...
after the break-up of his previous band,
Hüsker Dü.
Mould recalled,
Musically, the song features a jangly, acoustic style. The song also features backing strings, a theme common on ''Workbook''.
Mould commented, "A positive chord structure, and the chorus is so up, so jangly and bright. I was messing around with alternate tunings. A bright moment on an otherwise fairly overcast record."
Release
"See a Little Light" was released on ''
Workbook'' in April 1989. The song was released as the debut single from the album, with "All Those People Know" on the B-side. The song was a success in alternative rock circles, reaching number 4 on the
Modern Rock Tracks
Alternative Airplay (formerly known as Modern Rock Tracks (1988–2009) and Alternative Songs (2009–2020)) is a music chart in the United States that has appeared in ''Billboard'' magazine since September 10, 1988. It ranks the 40 most-played ...
chart in July 1989.
The song was also released on the compilation album ''
Never Mind the Mainstream: The Best of MTV's 120 Minutes'', which featured songs from various alternative artists.
A music video was produced to accompany the song. Mould recalled the video negatively, saying, "I remember making that video. Such a beautiful song and such a cheesy and expensive video. No offense to the filmmakers, but my God. It was like, 'Wardrobe, what's that?' 'Hair stylist? What?' 'That'll be $5,000!
The song has since become a live staple of Mould's solo setlist.
It has also provided the title to Mould's memoir, ''See a Little Light: The Trail of Rage and Melody''.
Reception
"See a Little Light" has generally seen positive reception from critics. Heather Phares of
AllMusic called the song "excellent" and said that it was among the songs on the ''Never Mind the Mainstream'' album that "retain their status as underground classics yet still sound fresh, aging far more gracefully than the grunge and nu-metal that supplanted them."
The same site's Stewart Mason said, "Musically, the song is a wonder; the prettiness that lurked just under the surface of so many of Mould's Husker Du songs is in full view here."
''
Pitckforks Jason Heller said the song "boasts one of most searing choruses of
ould'scareer",
while Parry Gettelman of ''
The Orlando Sentinel'' said the song has an "instant hook."
References
{{Bob Mould
1989 singles
1989 songs
Songs written by Bob Mould
Virgin Records singles