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.
Disenchanted
The Church Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hands full of money you always wanted to have
Saying sweet life is a downright drag
Down to the very last seed in the bag
As if it's never gonna end
And the scene is through
Summer slipped under in this neighborhood
I'd like to hold onto you if I could
My disenchanted friend
They say that character you play is rising fast
So you get drunk, make a half second jump
And experience it as the past
But this is it, the closer you get
The deeper you go, the tighter the net looks to me
Do you enjoy the view
They say it makes you dizzy your first time up there
Till you get used to breathing rareified air
Auditioning for the part of Mr. Despair
Well I know him personally
And this hotel's a zoo
You gotta be some creature to get a room in here
You can live like a king on a throne of tears
It's a mighty long way from the innocent years
And it waits inevitably
(Chorus)
And I'm asking you
If you think that success is its own reward
Now then go and see what your persistence has scored
The voice is a'calling and it can't be ignored
You might be underground but you're overinsured
You used to be unknown now you're mapped and explored
You like to be untouched now you're handled and pawed
And it's never gonna end
(Chorus)
The Church's song "Disenchanted" paints a picture of someone who has achieved financial success but feels unfulfilled and disillusioned with their life. The opening line has a sense of sarcasm, "Well look at you, hands full of money you always wanted to have," which immediately sets the tone for the song. The person claims that life is a "downright drag" despite their financial success, and feels as if the end is near. The singer suggests that the person has lost touch with reality, living in a scene that is now through, and is going to have to let go of their old life for good.
The song lyrics also suggest that this person has lost their original identity, portrayed by lines such as, "They say that character you play is rising fast," and "Auditioning for the part of Mr. Despair." They have succumbed to the trappings of success and are living in a metaphorical "zoo" of a hotel. The chorus of the song is an internal debate, with the singer asking the person if they truly believe that success is its own reward. The song has an overall dark tone, with impactful metaphors and vivid descriptions of the person's disillusionment with their life.
Line by Line Meaning
Well look at you,
I can see that you have everything you ever wanted
Hands full of money you always wanted to have
You finally have all the money you've ever wanted
Saying sweet life is a downright drag
You're bored with your life despite having everything you wanted
Down to the very last seed in the bag
You have everything you want and there's nothing left to hope for
As if it's never gonna end
You feel like this happiness will last forever
And the scene is through
Your happiness has run its course
Summer slipped under in this neighborhood
Everything is falling apart around you
I'd like to hold onto you if I could
I wish I could help you
But now I'm gonna have to let you go for good
I can't do anything to help you
My disenchanted friend
My friend who has lost faith in everything
They say that character you play is rising fast
People are starting to notice and appreciate you
So you get drunk, make a half second jump
You do things you wouldn't normally do because of your newfound fame
And experience it as the past
You regret your actions but it's too late to change them
But this is it, the closer you get
As you get closer to fame, the consequences become greater
The deeper you go, the tighter the net looks to me
As you become more famous, you're more likely to fall
Do you enjoy the view
Are you able to appreciate your success?
They say it makes you dizzy your first time up there
Being successful can be overwhelming at first
Till you get used to breathing rareified air
Eventually, you'll get used to it and it won't be as exciting
Auditioning for the part of Mr. Despair
You're starting to become known for your negative emotions
Well I know him personally
I know what it's like to feel that way
And this hotel's a zoo
The world is chaotic and hard to navigate
You gotta be some creature to get a room in here
You have to fight to get what you want
You can live like a king on a throne of tears
Even if you have everything you want, it might not make you happy
It's a mighty long way from the innocent years
You've come a long way from when you were naive and hopeful
And it waits inevitably
The harsh realities of life are waiting for you
(Chorus)
Asking if you think that success is worth it
Now then go and see what your persistence has scored
See what you've accomplished with your hard work
The voice is a'calling and it can't be ignored
Your conscience is telling you to do what's right
You might be underground but you're overinsured
Even if you're not successful, you're still protected
You used to be unknown now you're mapped and explored
You've gained a lot of attention since becoming famous
You like to be untouched now you're handled and pawed
You don't like the way people are treating you now that you're famous
And it's never gonna end
The consequences of fame will always be there
(Chorus)
Asking again if you think success is worth it
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BittersweetSymphony
on You're Still Beautiful
Sometimes I wonder if he is writing about himself