The Church is an alternative rock band which formed in Sydney, Australia in… Read Full Bio ↴The Church is an alternative rock band which formed in Sydney, Australia in 1980. Initially linked in with neo-psychedelia acts of the period, their music later became largely defined by the interplay of guitarists Marty Willson-Piper and Peter Koppes coupled with the abstract lyrics of bassist/singer Steve Kilbey. Their debut album, Of Skins and Heart (1981), earned them their first radio hit "The Unguarded Moment". They were originally signed to EMI's Parlophone label, but record company dissatisfaction led to them being dropped overseas, which limited their exposure early on.

After signing to Arista in 1988, they saw their largest international success with the album Starfish and the American Top 40 hit "Under The Milky Way" which resurfaced on the soundtrack of the cult movie "Donnie Darko". Whilst the band remain feted by their peers, subsequent commercial success proved elusive: 1990s follow-up album "Gold Afternoon Fix" failed to capitalise on their success, and the band weathered several line-up changes after its release, first losing long-term drummer Richard Ploog, then Peter Koppes following 1992s "Priest = Aura". That album baffled and confused many fans upon its release as to what band The Church was considered to be, but is now considered a seminal album and one of the most revered by Church connoisseurs. The vacant drum-stool on Priest=Aura being occupied by Jay Dee Daugherty of Arista labelmate Patti Smiths group, and it was produced by Gavin MacKillop of Moose.

Reduced to a two-piece, Kilbey & Willson-Piper re-grouped with the assistance of drummer/producer Tim Powles to record 1994's "Sometime Anywhere", concluding their obligations to the Arista and Mushroom labels. The commercial decline, combined with the Church being ignored again by a music press more focused on the Nineties' music trends, could have brought about the demise of the band, had it not coincided with the breakthrough of the internet, thus enabling direct communication from the band to its passionate cult fanbase.

This brought about a new beginning for The Church, with Peter Koppes rejoining the band for recording 1996s "Magician Among The Spirits". The band (with Koppes back into the fold, and Powles now as the permanent drummer ), hit a re-newed creative surge and with regained selfconfidence, released "Hologram Of Baal" 2 years later, and toured Australia, the USA and Europe.

The first decade of the 21st century found the band releasing severeal highly critically acclaimed albums, like 2002's aptly named "After Everything Now this" and 2003's "Forget Yourself", the latter breaking new ground with bandmembers swapping instruments in the recording process. Live performances stray from high profile events like the 03 concerts at Sydney Opera House and the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, to low-profile gigs for smaller audiences, often confusing old 80s fans, surprised to find the band still playing, wrongly assuming the band just being one in the never-ending string of reunion acts.

2009's album "Untitled#23" marked yet another highlight.. its essence represented in just 10 songs, and with a strong less-is-more approach, the albums core identity being on par with Starfish, it also finds Steve Kilbey breaking new ground as a vocalist.

2010 saw their 30th anniversary, with extensive touring in the US and Australia. Their unique position and importance in the australian music scene was recognized with an ARIA award.

Their album, "Further Deeper", was released in 2014, and "man woman life death infinity" in 2017.

10000 Miles
The Church Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Dark, small, so fragile
A treasure to your heart
Grace your fingers across the lacquer
Think of someone miles away
Piano sounds that bow in the distance
Bring me back to my room again
Ten thousand miles away

My memory is leaking
She lost a ruby thing
Trying to focus, times in the past
The music has stopped and can't carry on
All of a sudden I start to remember
Summer, Germany, then it's gone

Ten thousand miles away
The dancers are sleepy
The keys are put away
The jewel on my jacket talking, talking
Telling stories everyone's heard
My box of ghosts bids me goodnight

Clockwork spirits have the last word
Ten thousand miles away

Overall Meaning

The Church's song "10000 Miles" is a melancholic ballad that tells the story of a person reminiscing about a past love or friend who is now thousands of miles away. The opening lyrics depict a treasured item, perhaps a photograph or piece of jewelry, that the singer uses to think of the distant person. The piano sounds in the background enhance the mood of longing and distant memories. The second verse reveals that the singer is struggling to remember specific details about the past, suggesting the person has not been in contact for some time. The final verse describes a scene in which the singer is alone, surrounded by a "box of ghosts," hoping to find solace in a world comprised of memories and dreams.

The song is highly emotive, with the lyrics painting a vivid picture of the depths of human emotions, universal themes such as memory, longing, and loss. The piano sound in the background creates an ethereal atmosphere, and the mournful melody even has a touch of sadness in it.

Line by Line Meaning

Dark, small, so fragile
Describing a small and delicate item that invokes feelings of tenderness and care

A treasure to your heart
Something that is valued deeply, especially in an emotional or sentimental sense

Grace your fingers across the lacquer
Gently and lovingly run your fingers over the polished surface of the object

Think of someone miles away
Imagine someone who is geographically distant and may not be present at the moment

Piano sounds that bow in the distance
The soft and distant sound of a piano being played

Bring me back to my room again
The music reminds the listener of a familiar and comforting place

Ten thousand miles away
A great distance from the current location

My memory is leaking
The artist is losing details and clarity of their memories

She lost a ruby thing
Someone lost a valuable and cherished possession

Trying to focus, times in the past
The artist is struggling to concentrate on memories of the past

The music has stopped and can't carry on
The joy or comfort previously derived from music has ended

All of a sudden I start to remember
The memories start to resurface spontaneously

Summer, Germany, then it's gone
Brief glimpses of past experiences that are not consistent or continuous

The dancers are sleepy
The energy and excitement of the performance has diminished

The keys are put away
The music has come to an end and the instrument is no longer being played

The jewel on my jacket talking, talking
The valuable ornament on the artist's clothing is drawing attention or perhaps even 'talking' metaphorically

Telling stories everyone's heard
The artist's possessions or appearance have become predictable and uninteresting to others

My box of ghosts bids me goodnight
The memories and past experiences being referred to are now departing from the singer's focus

Clockwork spirits have the last word
Emphasizing the quality of memories being described as mechanical or robotic, unconsciously pushing out meaningful experiences

Ten thousand miles away
Again highlighting the significant geographical and emotional distance from the present moment

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JIM MORAY, STORRS WILLIS RICHARD, . TRADITIONAL

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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