1. Church was a band from Portland, Oregon featuring brothers Brandon Laws … Read Full Bio ↴1. Church was a band from Portland, Oregon featuring brothers Brandon Laws and Richard Laws, and friends Christof Hendrickson and Lane Barrington. Brandon and Richard have evolved Church into Hosannas, which is still alive and well.

2. Doom/Sludge band from Saramento, CA - formed by members of Caulfield

Not to be confused with Australian 1980’s band The Church most famous for their hit-single “Under The Milky Way”.

City
Church Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

There, smoke turns into serpents in the air
Beware, there's no sanctuary anywhere
On this very spot, a great city once stood
It oozed with evil but it felt so good
Well I don't know
Where did it go?

And here, there's lots of method in their madness dear
And we're considering remaining here
In this very house a giant was born
With two angry eyes and one sharp black horn
Well I don't know
How could he grow?

The fountains gush wine
The chimneys spurt flowers
Where me and my friends pass the fleeting hours
Well yes and no
Where did they go?

Goodbye, there's no reason, there's no alibi
I'll try to write you a letter from the cyclone's eye
On this very day, a hundred years before
They opened up the future like it was a door
Well I don't know
Where did it go?

The towers stretch up, the spires spiral odd
Behind the vicar's gate, the sign, "Beware of God"

Well I don't know
Where did he go?

Overall Meaning

Church's song "City" appears to be about a city that has gone through a lot of changes and has become a shadow of its former self. The first verse talks about how the air is filled with smoke that turns into serpents, indicating that the city's atmosphere is toxic and dangerous. The lack of sanctuary anywhere suggests that even those seeking refuge cannot escape the city's dark influence. The opening line is a clear reference to the Book of Genesis when God cursed Satan, making him crawl on his belly and eat dust, after tricking Eve in the Garden of Eden, and this image of the snake denotes evil.

In the second verse, the language is more cryptic. The singer is considering remaining in a house where a giant was born. The giant is symbolic of something powerful and sinister. The two angry eyes and one sharp black horn suggest that the city is home to something monstrous, something supernatural. The singer is afraid of what might happen if he stays, but he doesn't want to leave. He's curious about what could make something so monstrous grow.

Line by Line Meaning

There, smoke turns into serpents in the air
In this place, the atmosphere is filled with danger and chaos, where even smoke takes the shape of deadly serpents.

Beware, there's no sanctuary anywhere
There is no place safe from the darkness lurking in this world and one must be cautious.

On this very spot, a great city once stood
This exact location once held a bustling city long ago.

It oozed with evil but it felt so good
The city may have been corrupt, but its alluring nature was hard to resist.

Well I don't know
The artist is unsure about what happened to this location and its inhabitants.

And here, there's lots of method in their madness dear
In this new place, the chaos and confusion follow an organized pattern and system.

And we're considering remaining here
The singer and their group are contemplating settling in this area.

In this very house a giant was born
This specific house has an interesting history, being the birthplace of a powerful and ominous creature.

With two angry eyes and one sharp black horn
This creature had a fearsome appearance with its piercing eyes and menacing horn.

How could he grow?
The artist wonders how this creature could have possibly existed and thrived in such a place.

The fountains gush wine
The fountains in this location dispense not water, but wine.

The chimneys spurt flowers
Even the chimneys have a surreal aspect in this place, emitting flowers instead of smoke.

Where me and my friends pass the fleeting hours
The singer and their companions spend their time here, but their stay might be impermanent.

Where did they go?
The singer is unsure where the people who occupied this place before have disappeared to.

Goodbye, there's no reason, there's no alibi
The singer is leaving with no explanation or justification.

I'll try to write you a letter from the cyclone's eye
The artist will attempt to communicate with the recipient from a place of chaos and tumult.

On this very day, a hundred years before
Exactly one hundred years ago, something significant occurred on this day.

They opened up the future like it was a door
An event that took place here allowed for a glimpse into the future and opened up new possibilities.

Where did it go?
As with the previous instances, the singer is uncertain about what has happened to this place.

The towers stretch up, the spires spiral odd
The architecture in this area is unique and almost surreal, with towering structures and peculiar spiraling designs.

Behind the vicar's gate, the sign, "Beware of God"
Even the religious leader, who should offer salvation and hope, warns against the terrifying power of God in this place.

Where did he go?
The artist is once again unsure of the fate of the divine being in this location.

Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS

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