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.
A Different Man
The Church Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He runs to look in the mirror
And the face that stares right back
Has never been any clearer
But look at the doubt in his eyes
He's not the one to blame
It was a different man, no he's never been here
You can be so close, you can be so near
You can be so soft, you can be so hard
Inside himself,
He follows the wrong directions
Perfect English words all right
But with the wrong inflections
But look at the dust at his feet
He's not the one she loves
It was a different man, no he's never been found
You can be so up, you can be so down
It was a different man, no he's never been there
You can be halfway, you can be all there
Inside himself,
He thinks that he looks the same
And the mind that thinks it all out
Never noticed any change
But look at the doubt in his eyes
He's not the one to blame
The Church's song A Different Man explores the theme of identity crisis and its effect on a person. The song begins with the singer looking into the mirror and noticing his reflection, which has never been clearer. However, he is also plagued by doubt and confusion, feeling disassociated from his own self. The singer blames this on a different man who once inhabited his body and played different cards. The lyrics suggest that the singer is struggling to come to terms with his own identity, and is confused about who he is as a person. The second verse builds on this theme, as the singer feels that he is following the wrong directions in life, despite his perceived fluency in "Perfect English words." His doubts are exacerbated by the fact that the people around him do not seem to recognize him for who he is, indicating that his sense of self is fragile and malleable.
Moreover, the chorus of the song features a call-and-response structure in which the lead singer John Kilbey sings "It was a different man" and the backup vocalists echo "You can be so (opposite word)." This repetition of contrasting adjectives accentuated by the echoing chorus adds emphasis to the theme of duality that permeates the song. The lyrics suggest that the singer is struggling to reconcile two opposing sides of himself, struggling to be both soft and hard, up and down, halfway and all there. The lyrics of the song are introspective and poetic, tapping into universal feelings of existential angst and uncertainty.
Line by Line Meaning
Inside himself,
The person is introspecting their own self.
He runs to look in the mirror
The person rushes to the mirror to observe oneself.
And the face that stares right back
The face that reflects on the mirror.
Has never been any clearer
The clarity of expression in the person's face is profound.
But look at the doubt in his eyes
Despite the clarity in the face, the person has a hint of doubt in their eyes.
He's not the one to blame
The fault does not lie within the individual.
It was a different man, no he's never been here
The person feels as if they have changed and that they are different from what they used to be.
You can be so close, you can be so near
An individual can be so close and reliable, yet still distant and unapproachable.
It was a different man, playing different cards
The person feels like they have taken different paths and made different choices compared to what they would have made in the past.
You can be so soft, you can be so hard
The person's personality can vary as they can either be gentle or aggressive.
He follows the wrong directions
The person is making mistakes and is heading in the wrong direction while trying to get somewhere.
Perfect English words all right
The words spoken by the person may seem correct, but there is still an underlying issue.
But with the wrong inflections
Despite the right words being used, the tone of the voice can give a completely different meaning.
But look at the dust at his feet
The person has been wandering and has not reached their desired destination.
He's not the one she loves
The individual is not who the other person loves.
It was a different man, no he's never been found
The person is lost and cannot identify their identity.
You can be so up, you can be so down
A person's mood can fluctuate greatly from one extreme to another.
It was a different man, no he's never been there
The individual has not yet experienced something new and unique.
You can be halfway, you can be all there
A person can either be present and committed to their actions or be distant and not involved at all.
And the mind that thinks it all out
The person thinks about the situation and everything that has happened.
Never noticed any change
Despite going over it in their head, the person has not realized that they have changed.
But look at the doubt in his eyes
Despite not noticing the change, the person is still uncertain about themselves.
He's not the one to blame
The fault is not solely with the individual.
Lyrics Β© O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: KILBEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
BittersweetSymphony
on You're Still Beautiful
Sometimes I wonder if he is writing about himself