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.
Hunter
The Church Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It is the night of our dear Savior's birth
Long lay the world in sin and error pining
'Til He appears and the soul felt its worth
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn
Fall on your knees; O hear the Angel voices!
O night divine, O night when Christ was born
Truly He taught us to love one another;
His law is love and His Gospel is Peace
Hmmmm...
Chains shall He break, for the slave is our brother
And in His name, all oppression shall cease
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we
Let all within us Praise His Holy name
Christ is the Lord; O praise His name forever!
O night divine, O night when Christ was born
O night, O Holy night, O night divine!
It is a very interesting choice to request an interpretation of the lyrics of "Hunter" by The Church, as the lyrics provided are actually from the classic Christmas carol "O Holy Night". Nevertheless, I would be happy to provide an interpretation of the lyrics to "O Holy Night", which is a powerful and moving hymn celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ.
The first verse sets the stage, describing the deep darkness and despair that had gripped the world prior to the arrival of Jesus: "Long lay the world in sin and error pining". But with the arrival of Christ, there is a "thrill of hope" that sweeps over the people, and they begin to rejoice at the prospect of a new and glorious future. The second verse elaborates on this theme of hope, emphasizing that Christ's teachings emphasized love and peace, and that he came to break the chains of oppression and bring freedom to all people. The final verse is a call to action, urging everyone to join in a grateful chorus of praise to God for sending his son, and to never forget the significance of that night when Christ was born.
Overall, "O Holy Night" is a powerful reminder of the transformative power of hope, love, and the message of the Gospel. It is a hymn that has been sung for centuries, and continues to inspire people around the world with its profound message of redemption and salvation.
Line by Line Meaning
O Holy night! The stars are brightly shining
The night of Jesus Christ's birth was illuminated by bright stars.
It is the night of our dear Savior's birth
The night represents the birth of Jesus Christ, who is our Savior.
Long lay the world in sin and error pining
The world was struggling with sin and error for a long time until the arrival of Jesus Christ.
'Til He appears and the soul felt its worth
When Jesus Christ arrived, people realized the true value and worth of their souls.
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices
The arrival of Jesus Christ brought a sense of hope to the tired and exhausted world.
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn
A brand new and glorious morning has arrived with the birth of Jesus Christ.
Fall on your knees; O hear the Angel voices!
The audience is urged to fall on their knees and listen to the voices of the Angels rejoicing in the birth of Jesus Christ.
O night divine, O night when Christ was born
The night that Jesus Christ was born is a divine and holy occasion.
O night, O Holy night, O night divine!
The night that Jesus Christ was born is so holy and divine that it deserves to be celebrated over and over again.
Truly He taught us to love one another;
Jesus Christ taught us the importance of showing love and kindness towards one another.
His law is love and His Gospel is Peace
The Gospel of Jesus Christ is centered on the idea of love and peace.
Chains shall He break, for the slave is our brother
Jesus Christ will break the chains of slavery, as we are all brothers and sisters in His eyes.
And in His name, all oppression shall cease
Jesus Christ's name has the power to end all forms of oppression.
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we
We sing sweet hymns of joy in gratitude for the arrival of Jesus Christ.
Let all within us Praise His Holy name
We should praise Jesus Christ's holy name with all our heart, mind, and soul.
Christ is the Lord; O praise His name forever!
Jesus Christ is the Lord, and we should praise His name forever.
O night divine, O night when Christ was born
The night that Jesus Christ was born is so holy and divine that it deserves to be celebrated over and over again.
O night, O Holy night, O night divine!
The night that Jesus Christ was born is so holy and divine that it deserves to be celebrated over and over again.
Lyrics © DistroKid
Written by: Placide Cappeau
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
BittersweetSymphony
on You're Still Beautiful
Sometimes I wonder if he is writing about himself