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.
Fading Away
The Church Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
White stars reflecting dust and sand
That perfume makes me think of grief
Shake the faith shake the belief
Who's there to say that we're living this moment
Feels like I'm in a play
The sets and the props of this, your apartment
Seem to be fading away, fading away
I feel the orbit of the moons
And I dream what I become
And all's forgotten by the sun
The Church's "Fading Away" draws upon sentiments of nostalgia and uncertainty, juxtaposing images of dust and white stars. With the lyrics, "Don't come to pieces in my hand, white stars reflecting dust and sand," the band seems to be addressing a sense of timelessness and uncertainty, expressing a desire to hold onto the present moment while also acknowledging that it is fleeting. The song's repeated refrain - "Fading away, fading away" - speaks to the ephemeral nature of human experience.
In the second verse, the band further explores this theme of transience through the line, "Who's there to say that we're living this moment? Feels like I'm in a play." Here, The Church seems to be questioning the very nature of reality and whether the present moment is truly happening, or if it is merely an illusion. The song's imagery of a fading apartment suggests that our physical surroundings are likewise subject to decay and fading away. Interestingly, while the song acknowledges the inevitability of change and decay, it also expresses a sense of hopefulness and possibility through the line, "And I dream what I become, and all's forgotten by the sun."
Line by Line Meaning
Don't come to pieces in my hand
Please don't fall apart while I am holding you
White stars reflecting dust and sand
The stars above us shine bright, even on the dusty and sandy earth
That perfume makes me think of grief
The fragrance reminds me of heartbreak and sorrow
Shake the faith shake the belief
Questioning our beliefs and faith can be unsettling but necessary
Who's there to say that we're living this moment
There is no guarantee that we are truly present in this moment
Feels like I'm in a play
Life often feels scripted like we are acting in a play
The sets and the props of this, your apartment
The things around us, such as our home, seem to be temporary and fading
Seem to be fading away, fading away
Everything around us appears to be disappearing little by little
So I wander through these rooms
I aimlessly move around these spaces
I feel the orbit of the moons
I sense the gravity and pull of the celestial beings in the sky
And I dream what I become
I imagine what I will eventually evolve into
And all's forgotten by the sun
The sun rises and sets, and life goes on, leaving everything in the past forgotten
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Rob Philpott
Quite simply one of the best bands ever. I remain mystified as to why they have not received greater recognition.
Abdul Basir Al-Armini
They competed with U2, just like The Alarm, this automatically placed them in the shadows.
Ross. Elvin
Great song. Great band. Great guitars. The Church is on my lifetime favorites list.
Iñaki Etxeberria Labayen
The best album from this band is "heyday"
Michael Ross
You know it!
Tom Green
I forgot how much I love this whole album.
Wellington Anderson
gosto demais dessa música.
Gordon Fitterer
this song gives me goosebumps , , ,
HomeSpecial
Awesome song!
Massimiliano Ligabue
It has a rainy mood...love it