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.
City
The Church Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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 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?
The Church's song "City" is a hauntingly beautiful track that explores the idea of a once-great city that has been consumed by its own darkness. The opening lines, "There, smoke turns into serpents in the air / Beware, there's no sanctuary anywhere," immediately set a foreboding tone. The idea of smoke turning into serpents is a powerful image that speaks to the idea of danger lurking around every corner.
As the song progresses, we learn more about the city's history. The lines "On this very spot, a great city once stood / It oozed with evil but it felt so good" hint at a place of great power and temptation. The singer seems to be struggling with their feelings about the city - on the one hand, they recognize its darkness and dangers, but on the other hand, they are drawn to its allure.
The second verse introduces the idea of a giant born in a house, with "two angry eyes and one sharp black horn." This image is both frightening and intriguing, and the singer's confusion about how the giant could have grown seems to mirror their confusion about the city itself. The chorus, which repeats the refrain "Well I don't know / Where did it go?", speaks to a sense of loss and disorientation - the city and all of its mysteries are slipping away, and the singer isn't sure what will be left in their place.
The final verse brings in some more surreal imagery, with fountains gushing wine and chimneys spouting flowers. The line "Behind the vicar's gate, the sign, 'Beware of God'" adds another layer of complexity - there seems to be some kind of religious or spiritual danger lurking in the city as well. The final lines, "Goodbye, there's no reason, there's no alibi / I'll try to write you a letter from the cyclone's eye," suggest that the singer is leaving the city behind, but still feels a sense of attachment and confusion.
Overall, "City" is a powerful exploration of darkness and allure, danger and mystery. The Church's lyrics and music create a sense of foreboding that lingers long after the song has ended.
Line by Line Meaning
There, smoke turns into serpents in the air
In this place, where smoke floats up, it twists to take the form of serpents in the atmosphere
Beware, there's no sanctuary anywhere
Be cautious, for there exists no place that provides protection or safety
On this very spot, a great city once stood
In this exact location, a colossal city once existed
It oozed with evil but it felt so good
Though it exuded malevolence, it gave off a pleasurable sense
Well I don't know
Where did it go?
I am unaware, where did it disappear or depart to?
And here, there's lots of method in their madness dear
Over here, their insanity and chaos is well-organized and purposeful my dear
And we're considering remaining here
Furthermore, we're contemplating staying in this place
In this very house a giant was born
With two angry eyes and one sharp black horn
This abode was the birthplace of a monstrous being, with a pair of furious eyes and one pointed black horn
Well I don't know
How could he grow?
I have no idea, how could he possibly expand or develop?
The fountains gush wine
The chimneys spurt flowers
Where me and my friends pass the fleeting hours
At this place, water fountains burst forth with wine and chimneys shoot out flowers, where my companions and I spend brief moments
Well yes and no
Where did they go?
It's a mix of both affirmative and negative, where did they vanish or migrate to?
Goodbye, there's no reason, there's no alibi
I'll try to write you a letter from the cyclone's eye
Farewell, there is no rationale or excuse, I will attempt to pen a letter to you while I'm in the midst of a violent storm
On this very day, a hundred years before
They opened up the future like it was a door
During this identical day, one hundred years ago, they unlocked the future as if it were a door
Well I don't know
Where did it go?
I'm clueless as to where it disappeared or migrated to?
The towers stretch up, the spires spiral odd
Behind the vicar's gate, the sign, "Beware of God"
The lofty towers extend upwards, and the spires spin bizarrely, with a sign at the vicar's gate reading "Beware of God"
Well I don't know
Where did he go?
I'm uncertain where he vanished or jetted off to?
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
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BittersweetSymphony
on You're Still Beautiful
Sometimes I wonder if he is writing about himself