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.
It Doesn
The Church Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Touch you as the air is turning cold
Another place I look for you
The heights above an almost perfect view
Seeing things just rest a while
As the tide sweeps out another mile
Inside the man, the pleasure dome
Strangers in their naked skin
Waiting for their sweet oblivion
Close to you, hear all you say
Even though you're continents away
The perfumed air, the taste of fear
Shrug your shoulders and they disappear
Take this gift and let it grow
Let it be all the hope you know
It doesn't change
The first verse is describing the feeling of loss and searching for something that is no longer there. The sinking silk and burning gold represent a feeling of textures and brightness fading away, and the air turning cold symbolizes a change in the atmosphere, perhaps as a metaphor for a change in a relationship or situation. The singer is searching for someone or something, and they are looking from a high point for a better view, representing a desire to gain perspective on their situation. The second verse describes a moment of peace in the midst of chaos, represented by the tide sweeping out and the man inside the pleasure dome, which is a reference to the poem by Samuel Taylor Coleridge. The singer is reflecting on a past world they used to know, which may be a place or a person, but is now lost to them.
The third verse shifts the focus to other people, described as strangers in their naked skin, waiting for their sweet oblivion, which could be a reference to death or simply an escape from their current reality. The singer is close to someone they care about, even though they are physically far away, suggesting a strong emotional bond. The perfumed air and taste of fear represent the contrast between pleasant and unpleasant experiences in life, and the ability to let go of them and move on. The last line, "It doesn't change," is repeated throughout the song and could mean that despite all the ups and downs in life, some things remain constant.
Line by Line Meaning
Sinking silk, and burning gold
The feeling of sinking silk and burning gold can be compared to the sensation of losing something valuable while being consumed by something beautiful
Touch you as the air is turning cold
The feeling of losing something valuable while being consumed by something beautiful can be felt as the temperature drops and fall sets in
Another place I look for you
In my search for meaning and connection, I find myself searching for you in various places
The heights above an almost perfect view
I try to find you in places with beautiful, breathtaking views that are almost perfect
Seeing things just rest a while
Sometimes it's necessary to take a break and rest, in order to properly see the world around you
As the tide sweeps out another mile
The passage of time can be felt like the swell of the tide sweeping out, carrying away moments that can never be retrieved
Inside the man, the pleasure dome
There is a place within oneself where pleasure is king, a pleasure dome of sorts
This is the world that I once called home
This pleasure dome is a world I used to inhabit, though it is now only a distant memory
Strangers in their naked skin
People are unknown and vulnerable in their natural state, stripped of any facade or armor
Waiting for their sweet oblivion
Despite this vulnerability, people often seek their own form of oblivion to protect themselves from the pain and harshness of the world
Close to you, hear all you say
When I am near you, I can hear and understand every word you speak
Even though you're continents away
Even when you are an immeasurable distance away, the connection we share transcends physical space
The perfumed air, the taste of fear
In life, there are moments of beauty as well as those filled with fear, and sometimes these can be intertwined in unexpected ways
Shrug your shoulders and they disappear
Sometimes to deal with these difficult moments, one can simply shrug their shoulders and let them go, making them disappear
Take this gift and let it grow
Take what life gives you and let it develop and flourish, creating something beautiful
Let it be all the hope you know
Focus on this beautiful development as the hope that you hold for the future
It doesn't change
Despite the highs and lows of life, this cycle of beauty and pain, this hope and growth, never truly changes
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: KILBEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
qls 06
I'd be mad as hell if my wife told the pastor my income. That's no one's business
kneisha francois
now see this real life scenario’s
DCAM
I know that's right
Mr. Boddie
Damn right 👍
T. Cheeze
She run dude anyway
Rosa Nelson
Terry is too funny. He said " They gave a half of a pig and one leg"
I don't think that a person should be told how much a person should give
Because one may not have tithes every week. I know 5hat you are supposed to pay tithes however sometimes you may have and other times you may not. I don't think it's up to a Pastor to tell a person how much they should give.
Gwendolyn Campbell
The last time I went to the office I was in class Terry is hilarious 😂
The Aliens
Mrs. Campbell I told the church and the pastor how much you make and he said something don't add up.
Cheryl Simmons
😂😂😂😂Terry was funny as heck
Henry Witherspoon
The pastor really out here pocket watching Terry 😂😂😂