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.
As You Will
The Church Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You get out on the road
You meet up with a man his face is well worn in
He's carrying a load
On the way to paradise
Summer rain falls, so you head for some shelter
Close to a wall
See a lady dressed in chance you try to help her
On the way to paradise
Ornamental or warm and gentle
On the way to paradise asyou will someday
You find a hidden door that leads to a garden
And venture through
Sunshines bright a witness to pardon
The world that you knew
On the way to paradise
All is well on the distant horizon
It's there in wait
Get so close, you grow so much wiser
But wake up late
On the way to paradise
Ornamental or warm and gentle
Can you tell heaven from hell
As you will someday
The song "As You Will" by The Church is a narrative of a journey towards the singer's personal paradise, a journey that takes place in a dreamlike state. The song opens with the singer waking up late and heading out on the road. Along the way, they meet a man carrying a load, and later, a lady dressed in chance whom they try to help. As the singer proceeds towards their paradise, summer rain falls and they take shelter close to a wall. As they continue their journey, they find a hidden door that leads to a garden, which brings a sense of pardon to the world they knew.
Throughout the song, The Church uses imagery to create a dreamlike atmosphere, luring the singer into an ethereal world where anything can happen. The world being constructed is one of tranquility and introspection with glimpses of both ornamental and warm, gentle beauty. The chorus of the song asks the listener whether they can tell heaven from hell, leaving it up to the interpretation of the listener of whether or not paradise was achieved in the singer's journey.
In conclusion, "As You Will" is a beautiful and evocative song that encourages the listener to explore their own path towards their paradise through introspection and reflection.
Line by Line Meaning
You wake up late day is still dawning
You start your journey behind schedule, during the early hours of the day
You get out on the road
You begin travelling towards your destination
You meet up with a man his face is well worn in
You encounter an experienced man who shows signs of a hard life
He's carrying a load
He is carrying a heavy burden with him
On the way to paradise
You are on a journey towards a destination of peace and happiness
Summer rain falls, so you head for some shelter
Due to the rainy weather, you seek refuge to stay dry
Close to a wall
You find shelter close to a protective structure
See a lady dressed in chance you try to help her
You notice a woman in need of aid, and offer to assist her
She heeds your call
The woman accepts your help
Ornamental or warm and gentle
You can choose to present yourself as an ornate, flashy person or a kind, compassionate individual
On the way to paradise asyou will someday
Your journey to paradise is determined by your actions and choices
You find a hidden door that leads to a garden
You discover a concealed entrance that leads to a beautiful garden
And venture through
You explore the garden
Sunshines bright a witness to pardon
The bright sun illuminates the truth that allows forgiveness
The world that you knew
Your perception of the world changes
All is well on the distant horizon
In the far-off future, everything will be peaceful and harmonious
It's there in wait
This peaceful future is already prepared and ready for you
Get so close, you grow so much wiser
As you approach your destination, you gain profound knowledge and enlightenment
But wake up late
However, you realize this wisdom too late
Can you tell heaven from hell
You must be able to distinguish good from evil
As you will someday
Ultimately, the choices you make lead you to your eventual destination
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
BittersweetSymphony
on You're Still Beautiful
Sometimes I wonder if he is writing about himself