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.
Easy
The Church Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In the broad moonlight
Underneath the blooming trees a seasons greeting's beating up the shore
So open up your door
Easy baby
You don't have to say a word
Easy now
You'll protect me with your arts and it all starts again surrounding me
Inevitably
Hiding in your haven, maybe stark and maybe raving, completely sane
It's just so plain arcane
Easy baby
You don't have to act so hard
Easy now
You don't have to be like that
Any day now you'll hear me ringing, hear me singing down the line
Or just in your mind
You'll embrace me, turn to face me, try to replace me, it will be too late
Now that's all I'll say
Easy baby
It's so hard to walk away
Easy now
You don't have to end like this
The Church's song "Easy" seems to be a love song with a hint of nostalgia. The song describes the singer's imminent arrival at his lover's doorstep, perhaps after a long time apart. The lyrics evoke a sense of familiarity and longing, as the singer steps into the "broad moonlight" and walks "underneath the blooming trees." The chorus repeats the word "Easy," trying to reassure the lover that they don't have to say or do anything special to make the singer happy.
The second verse of the song hints at the drama and complexity of the singer's relationship with his lover. The singer trusts his lover's "arts" to protect him, but acknowledges that their relationship is sometimes "stark and maybe raving." However, the singer claims that this is all part of the "plain arcane" nature of love, which is part mystery and part truth. In the end, the singer insists that he will always return to his lover, no matter what happens.
Overall, "Easy" is a song about the ups and downs of love, and the sense of comfort that comes from returning to a familiar place after a long journey. The chorus, with its repeated mantra of "Easy," suggests that the singer is trying to reassure himself as much as his lover, that things will be alright.
Line by Line Meaning
Any day now you'll see me coming rambling down your street at night
Soon I'll be coming to your street at night
In the broad moonlight
In the bright moonlight
Underneath the blooming trees a seasons greeting's beating up the shore
The trees are blooming and the season's greeting is evident
So open up your door
Please open the door for me
Easy baby
It's simple, my love
You don't have to say a word
You don't have to speak at all
Easy now
Relax now
You don't have to do a thing
You don't have to act, just be yourself
You'll protect me with your arts and it all starts again surrounding me
Your creativity will protect me and we'll start again
Inevitably
Without a doubt
Hiding in your haven, maybe stark and maybe raving, completely sane
I'll be hidden in your peaceful retreat, maybe in a crazy way but still grounded
It's just so plain arcane
Mysterious but obvious
You don't have to act so hard
You don't have to pretend
You don't have to be like that
You don't have to behave that way
Any day now you'll hear me ringing, hear me singing down the line
Soon you'll hear me calling, singing to you
Or just in your mind
Even if it's in your thoughts
You'll embrace me, turn to face me, try to replace me, it will be too late
You'll try to hold me, face me but it'll be too late to be with me
Now that's all I'll say
That's all I have to say
It's so hard to walk away
It's tough to leave
You don't have to end like this
We don't have to part this way
Contributed by Samuel S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
BittersweetSymphony
on You're Still Beautiful
Sometimes I wonder if he is writing about himself