The Church is an alternative rock band which formed in Sydney, Australia in… Read Full Bio ↴The Church is an alternative rock band which formed in Sydney, Australia in 1980. Initially linked in with neo-psychedelia acts of the period, their music later became largely defined by the interplay of guitarists Marty Willson-Piper and Peter Koppes coupled with the abstract lyrics of bassist/singer Steve Kilbey. Their debut album, Of Skins and Heart (1981), earned them their first radio hit "The Unguarded Moment". They were originally signed to EMI's Parlophone label, but record company dissatisfaction led to them being dropped overseas, which limited their exposure early on.

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.

Dream
The Church Lyrics

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When the night is still
And the sea is calm
Lonely shadow, you call upon me

Lay by my side
Fear not tonight
Lonely shadow, you'll find a new light

Dream a dream
And see through angel's eyes
A place where we can fly away

Ride with me upon a shining star,
Above the moonlit sky
We will find Elysium

Hear the nightingale
Sing a lullaby
Lonely shadow, you'll find a new light

Dawn will be kind,
All will be bright,
Lonely shadow, rise from the darkness

Dream a dream
And see through angel's eyes
A place where we can fly away

Ride with me upon a shining star,
Above the moonlit sky once more

We'll dream a dream
And see through angel's eyes
A place where we can fly away

We'll dream a dream
And see through angel's eyes

A place where we can fly away
In Elysium

Overall Meaning

The Church’s “Dream” is a song that combines abstract and surrealistic imagery with a hauntingly beautiful melody that creates a dreamlike atmosphere. The lyrics of the song reflect the feeling of being lost in one’s own thoughts and emotions, and struggling to escape from a state of loneliness and disillusionment.

The opening lines of the song, “Washed into a sentimental gloom, Loneliness about the”, create a sense of melancholy and longing, which is reinforced by the image of “dark cards look[ing] nothing like my hand”. The mention of Byzantium and its “battle-clad” commands is a nod to the historical significance of the city, which has often been associated with power, struggle and conquest. The following lines, "Lightning strikes a second time, Songbird knows just when to die, Emperor cries immortal from the grime, Sun is in the hole in the sky", further contribute to the surrealistic feeling of the song, making it feel more like a strange dream than a straightforward narrative.

The chorus of the song, “Dream, dream, dream” creates a hypnotic effect, as if urging the listener to dive deeper into the dreamlike state depicted in the lyrics. The second verse continues with strange and abstract images, such as “Interest builds up with perfumed pride, There's an enemy cruising on the plain tonight”. The final lines of the song, “Memories of serpents in the drain, Melting like ice in the rain, As my self grows closer to the grave” leave the listener with a sense of both ephemeral beauty and existential unease.

Line by Line Meaning

Washed into a sentimental gloom
I am immersed in a haze of melancholic emotions.

Loneliness about the
I feel alone.

Battle-clad Byzantium commands
I am encountering tough and strenuous situations.

And these dark cards look nothing like my hand
My life isn't going according to plan.

Lightning strikes a second time
I feel like I've faced this problem before.

Songbird knows just when to die
There is an inevitable cycle of demise.

Emperor cries immortal from the grime
Even those in power face struggles and suffering.

Sun is in the hole in the sky
There is darkness and despair in my life.

Interest builds up with perfumed pride
My ego and desire for status is increasing.

There's an enemy cruising on the plain tonight
I am facing an adversary.

Years it's lost and then it's
Time has flown by, and I am unsure where it went.