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.
Block
The Church Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I flailed like a swimmer through the summer heat
I was waiting for a friend that I needed to meet
And I's hoping she was bringing with her something sweet
And I's hoping for an open little opening
And I suffer for a groovy little happening
But it's all going wrong just like they sing in that song
The song that I wrote about you that they put on TV
But all you saw were spaces where the people used to be
A hundred bastard voids with their pull on me
In the valley of death you'll be breathless, and free
You'll be dancing like a fool near the solar sea
You'll be twitching like a drunk in a pharmacy
You'll be swatting at the flies in your papillion
Where the millionaire just blew a gazillion
The finger nails are all hot vermillion
And the traffic grinds down to a stand-stil-ion
And the mynah birds are pecking at the carrion
And you read it already in Hyperion
And you read about my trial in the clarion
A sack fool of aches I've been carry'n
When the lights turn green I diss(?) all of the screen
When the lights turn red I put the whole thing to bed
Well I've got a fever
And I'm feeling fainter
I'm a dim receiver
I'm a cold war painter
If you can just hold still
I will make you all so beautiful
When the lights turn blue I know what to do
I'll drown my sorrows in an ocean or two
And the pretty little things with their magnets and rings
Blooming like a flower through a series of springs
Thank you fate and the freight(?) that you brings
Thank you Fortuna and that song that she sings
Thank you to my manager for letting me live
Thank you to my friends and the friends that you're with
Thank you to the lord who created all of this
There's a whole lot of hurt before you get to the bliss
Why even Jesus Christ was betrayed by a kiss
But that was long before that he got in Show Biz
Well I understand the land, and the land ain't no sea
But when I try to walk I'm sinking you see
So I got a fever
And I'm feeling fainter
I'm a dim receiver
I'm a cold war painter
If you could just hold still
I will make you all so beautiful
The Church's song "Block" is quite a surreal and enigmatic one, with lyrics that are not immediately clear in their meaning. However, it seems to speak to a sense of confusion and disorientation in modern life, particularly in urban environments. The singer of the song is waiting for a friend in a city street that seems like a "miracle" but also overwhelms him with its heat and chaos. He hopes for a "groovy" experience but is disappointed when it doesn't materialize. He is haunted by a song he wrote about someone and that has become popular on TV, but that now feels empty and meaningless. He is surrounded by "voids" and feels pulled in different directions, perhaps by the pressures of fame, fortune, and success.
The second half of the song shifts into a more dreamlike and hallucinatory tone, with images of a "solar sea" and a "millionaire" who has blown all his money. There are also references to a trial and a sack full of aches, suggesting a legal or physical struggle. The singer seems to seek solace in art and beauty, offering to make "you all so beautiful" if only given the chance. The song ends on a note of gratitude but also resignation, acknowledging that there is "a whole lot of hurt" before reaching bliss.
One possible interpretation of "Block" is that it reflects the experience of being "blocked" creatively or emotionally, unable to connect with others or with one's own feelings. The city street and the TV images represent the distractions and noise of modern life that prevent real intimacy or communication. The surreal imagery of the second half of the song could be interpreted as a way of escaping or transcending this reality, perhaps through art or drugs.
Line by Line Meaning
I was down in the city on a miracle street
I was wandering through the busy city hoping to find something miraculous
I flailed like a swimmer through the summer heat
I was struggling to move through the hot and crowded city streets
I was waiting for a friend that I needed to meet
I was hoping to meet up with a friend who I really needed to see
And I's hoping she was bringing with her something sweet
I was hoping my friend would bring something nice with her
And I's hoping for an open little opening
I was hoping to find a small but promising opportunity
And I suffer for a groovy little happening
I really wanted to experience something cool and exciting
But it's all going wrong just like they sing in that song
Things aren't going well, just like in the song I wrote about my troubles
The song that I wrote about you that they put on TV
I wrote a song about you that ended up being used in a TV show
The TV that I gave you cuz you wanted to see
I gave you a TV because you wanted one
But all you saw were spaces where the people used to be
You were disappointed because there seemed to be so many empty places where people once were
A hundred bastard voids with their pull on me
I felt trapped by many different feelings of emptiness and isolation
In the valley of death you'll be breathless, and free
When you're facing danger or death, you may feel very afraid but also liberated
You'll be dancing like a fool near the solar sea
You'll be wildly enjoying yourself in a bright and lively environment
You'll be twitching like a drunk in a pharmacy
You'll be acting erratically as if you're under the influence of drugs
You'll be swatting at the flies in your papillion
You'll be trying to get rid of annoying distractions that are bothering you
Where the millionaire just blew a gazillion
In a place where someone spent a huge, almost incomprehensible amount of money
The finger nails are all hot vermillion
Everything looks red and intense, as if lit up by vermillion-colored lights
And the traffic grinds down to a stand-stil-ion
The traffic comes to a complete stop and you can't move forward
And the mynah birds are pecking at the carrion
Even the birds seem to be scavengers as they pick at dead animals
And you read it already in Hyperion
You've already read about some of these things in a science fiction book called Hyperion
And you read about my trial in the clarion
You may have also read about my legal troubles in the news
A sack fool of aches I've been carry'n
I've been dealing with a lot of physical and emotional pain that's been weighing me down
When the lights turn green I diss(?) all of the screen
When everything seems to be going well, I try to distance myself from distractions and entertainment
When the lights turn red I put the whole thing to bed
When everything seems to be going wrong, I try to shut everything down and calm myself
Well I've got a fever
I'm feeling overwhelmed and stressed
And I'm feeling fainter
I'm starting to feel physically exhausted and unwell
I'm a dim receiver
I'm not very good at receiving communication or vibes from other people
I'm a cold war painter
I'm someone who has experience dealing with conflict and tension
If you can just hold still
If you're patient and calm, we can work through this together
I will make you all so beautiful
I will help you become the best version of yourself
When the lights turn blue I know what to do
When things start to go wrong, I know how to handle it
I'll drown my sorrows in an ocean or two
I will try to escape my problems by numbing myself with alcohol and drugs
And the pretty little things with their magnets and rings
The attractive and alluring objects that people are obsessed with
Blooming like a flower through a series of springs
They seem to be flourishing and growing, like a beautiful flower in the springtime
Thank you fate and the freight(?) that you brings
Thanks to the destiny that sometimes feels like an unyielding burden
Thank you Fortuna and that song that she sings
Thanks to the goddess of fortune, who sometimes seems to work in mysterious ways
Thank you to my manager for letting me live
Thanks to the person who has helped me stay alive and keep going
Thank you to my friends and the friends that you're with
Thanks to the people who have supported me and helped me throughout my life
Thank you to the lord who created all of this
Thanks to the higher power who seems to be in control of everything that happens in the world
There's a whole lot of hurt before you get to the bliss
It often takes a lot of pain and suffering before we can experience true happiness and joy
Why even Jesus Christ was betrayed by a kiss
Even someone as pure and perfect as Jesus Christ could be betrayed by someone he trusted
But that was long before that he got in Show Biz
That happened a long time ago, before he became famous
Well I understand the land, and the land ain't no sea
I feel like I know what I'm doing, even though everything around me is shifting and changing
But when I try to walk I'm sinking you see
Despite my confidence, I'm still struggling to stay afloat and not get swallowed up by my fears and doubts
Contributed by Nolan J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
BittersweetSymphony
on You're Still Beautiful
Sometimes I wonder if he is writing about himself