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.
In This Room
The Church Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Shiver in the way of her stare
I will admit that she never loved me
But I admit that I didn't care
And it's too damned late to buy the gate
And why close it if your heart isn't there
And since you know it all
I could give you a call
My eyes begin to ache in the cold electric light
There are no windows in this room
In which we've been sitting all our lives
Some incredible distance
Some incredible place
Sometimes I think, sometimes I sink
In some incredible race
And it's too damned soon for a man of fortune
To have to run or lose his face
And since you know it all
I could give you a call
I could give you a lot more than a taste of yourself, too
The Church's "In This Room" is a haunting, introspective song that touches on themes of regret, missed opportunities, and the passage of time. In the first few lines, the singer describes the avenging angel, presumably his former lover, whose gaze is enough to cause him to shiver. He admits that she never loved him, but he didn't care. This seems to suggest a relationship that was one-sided, with the singer more interested in being in a relationship than in whether or not it was reciprocated.
The singer then mentions that it's too late to "buy the gate," a metaphor for closing the door on a relationship. He questions why anyone would bother to close the gate if their heart wasn't in it in the first place. It's clear that the singer is grappling with the end of a relationship, and is perhaps looking to assign blame or find a reason why things didn't work out. He admits that he knows it all, but this doesn't bring him any comfort or closure.
As the song continues, the singer describes the room in which he and his former lover have been sitting "all our lives." He notes that there are no windows and the only light comes from electric bulbs. This adds to the sense of claustrophobia and sadness that infuses the song. The singer also mentions an "incredible distance" and an "incredible place," perhaps a reference to the vastness of time and space that separates us from those we've loved and lost. He talks about feeling like he's in an "incredible race," perhaps a metaphor for the frenzied pace of modern life.
Throughout the song, the singer seems to be trying to find some kind of meaning or understanding in the wake of a failed relationship. He wants to reach out to his former partner, to maybe try again, or at least offer her something to compare herself to. But it's clear that he knows it's too late, and there's no going back. The song ends on a melancholy note, with the singer admitting that he could give his former lover "a lot more than a taste of yourself, too," but ultimately deciding not to try.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh the avenging angel
Referring to a woman who is seeking revenge
Shiver in the way of her stare
Her gaze is intimidating and makes people feel uneasy
I will admit that she never loved me
Acknowledging that a woman did not have feelings of love for the singer
But I admit that I didn't care
The artist was indifferent to the woman not loving him
And it's too damned late to buy the gate
It's too late to change the outcome of a situation
And why close it if your heart isn't there
Questioning the purpose of continuing a relationship when there are no feelings of love
And since you know it all
Addressing someone who believes they have all the answers
I could give you a call
Suggesting that the artist can provide more information or perspective on the situation
I could give you something fine to compare yourself to
Implying that the artist can provide a point of reference for comparison purposes
My eyes begin to ache in the cold electric light
Experiencing physical discomfort in the current environment
There are no windows in this room
Feeling trapped or confined in a particular place or situation
In which we've been sitting all our lives
Feeling as though life has been stagnant and unchanging
Some incredible distance
Referring to a great distance or space
Some incredible place
Referring to an extraordinary location
Sometimes I think, sometimes I sink
Experiencing fluctuating emotions or thoughts
In some incredible race
Feeling as though life is a competition or a race to achieve something
And it's too damned soon for a man of fortune
It's too early for someone who has achieved success to lose or fail
To have to run or lose his face
To have to flee or lose their reputation
I could give you a lot more than a taste of yourself, too
Implying that the singer has much more to offer than what the other person believes
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: KILBEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Okamoto Ken
Peter Kopps' guitar is purely beautiful.
NicBunnymen
sure is mate
NicBunnymen
GREAT ....LOVE THE CHURCH.