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.

I Kept Everything
The Church Lyrics

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I kept everything
Mornings and days paraded through space
And stripped of all their meaning
I saved everything
But this afternoon I just ran out of room
I haven't got the foggiest
Yeah (yeah, yeah) let me get this straight
If it's a matter of luck (yeah, yeah)

Or a matter of fate
I'm a tiny little flash in a damaged universe
You know what makes it better only makes it worse
Trying to find you
Try to remind you
Trying to find you
I see everything
Glitter and glamor, the bitter, the hammer
That smashes up the evening
I heard everything
Buzzes and creaks, cymbals and shrieks
I haven't got a feeling left
Wait (yeah, yeah)
Let me sort this out
If it's a question of faith (yeah, yeah)
Or a question of doubt
You're an undiscovered wonder in a desolated place
I wonder who's representing you, handling your case
Trying to find you
Try to remind you
Trying to find you

(Yeah, yeah)
(Trying to find you) (Oh, oh)

Overall Meaning

The Church's song "I Kept Everything" is a reflective and introspective track about the accumulation of memories and experiences over time. The singer in the song is someone who has held onto everything that has happened to them, from "mornings and days paraded through space" to "glitter and glamor, the bitter, the hammer," but they have reached a point where they can no longer keep everything. The singer is overwhelmed and unable to process all of their experiences, and the clutter of memories leaves them feeling lost and confused. They are searching for something, represented by the lines "Trying to find you, try to remind you, trying to find you," but it's unclear what that something is.

The song raises questions about the nature of fate and luck, faith and doubt, and the individual's place in the universe. The singer muses that they are a "tiny little flash in a damaged universe," but also that "what makes it better only makes it worse." They wonder if finding what they're looking for is a matter of luck or fate, or if it's a question of faith or doubt. They see themselves as an "undiscovered wonder in a desolated place" and question who is "handling [their] case."

Line by Line Meaning

I kept everything
I held onto all my memories and possessions

Mornings and days paraded through space
Days felt endless and meaningless

And stripped of all their meaning
Time felt devoid of significance

I saved everything
I held onto all my possessions and memories

But this afternoon I just ran out of room
I reached a point of saturation in holding onto things

I haven't got the foggiest
I have no clue

Yeah (yeah, yeah) let me get this straight
Let me try and understand this

If it's a matter of luck (yeah, yeah)
If success is based on chance

Or a matter of fate
Or if destiny determines outcomes

I'm a tiny little flash in a damaged universe
I feel small and insignificant in a world full of problems

You know what makes it better only makes it worse
Some solutions can cause more problems

Trying to find you
Attempting to connect with someone

Try to remind you
Reminding someone of something important

Trying to find you
Trying to reach out to someone

I see everything
Observing everything around me

Glitter and glamor, the bitter, the hammer
Seeing the good and the bad

That smashes up the evening
Seeing destruction and chaos

I heard everything
Noticing all the sounds around me

Buzzes and creaks, cymbals and shrieks
Hearing various sounds, both pleasant and unpleasant

I haven't got a feeling left
Feeling emotionally numb

Wait (yeah, yeah)
Hold on for a second

Let me sort this out
Let me figure this out

If it's a question of faith (yeah, yeah)
If it's a matter of belief

Or a question of doubt
Or if it's a matter of uncertainty

You're an undiscovered wonder in a desolated place
You are special and unique in a bleak environment

I wonder who's representing you, handling your case
Wondering who is advocating for you

Trying to find you
Searching for someone

Try to remind you
Bringing an important matter to someone's attention

Trying to find you
Attempting to locate someone

Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing, Universal Music Publishing Group, BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: STEVEN JOHN KILBEY, PETER KOPPES, TIM GUY GERARD POWLES, MARTIN HOWARD WILLSON-PIPER

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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