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.

Laughing
The Church Lyrics

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Five o' clock, fade away the shadows
Leaving by the window or the door
And they're laughing
Laughing at you anyway
Yeah they're laughing
Laughing at you every day
Eight o' clock, underneath the lamplight
Slow poison from a tiny little wound

And they're laughing
Laughing at you anyway
Yeah they're laughing
Laughing at you every day
I understood before I knew
I realized I'd spend my life coming back to you
Twelve o'clock, in the building of the mirrors
Recoil from my elongated twin
And he's laughing
Laughing at you anyway

Yeah he's laughing
Laughing at you every day

Overall Meaning

The Church's song "Laughing" is a hauntingly beautiful tune that explores the feeling of being an outsider in society. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of a person who is constantly being ridiculed and mocked by those around them, even though they don't understand why. The opening line of the song, "Five o'clock, fade away the shadows," sets the tone for the rest of the piece, as the singer begins to describe their isolation from the world around them. They describe leaving by the window or the door, but regardless of how they leave, they are met with laughter and mocking from those they encounter.

As the song progresses, the singer continues to describe the ways in which they feel alienated from society. They recall an experience in which they were poisoned by a "tiny little wound," which leads to a sense of paranoia and mistrust of those around them. Finally, in the third verse, the singer describes an encounter with their "elongated twin" in a building of mirrors. This metaphorical image serves as a representation of the internal conflict the singer is experiencing as they attempt to reconcile their own sense of identity with the expectations of the society around them. The twin that is laughing represents the inner voice of self-doubt and self-criticism that the singer is struggling to overcome.

Overall, "Laughing" is a powerful and poignant exploration of the human experience, particularly as it relates to the feeling of being an outsider. The imagery and metaphors used throughout the song are evocative and thought-provoking, inviting listeners to reflect on their own experiences of isolation and marginalization.

Line by Line Meaning

Five o' clock, fade away the shadows
It's evening and the shadows are being covered by darkness.

Leaving by the window or the door
Someone is leaving through either the window or the door.

And they're laughing
Others are laughing at the person who is leaving.

Laughing at you anyway
They laugh at this person all the time, regardless of the situation.

Yeah they're laughing
The laughter continues.

Laughing at you every day
This person is laughed at every single day.

Eight o' clock, underneath the lamplight
It's eight in the evening and the person is standing underneath a lamplight.

Slow poison from a tiny little wound
This person is being slowly and painfully hurt from a small wound.

I understood before I knew
This person had a feeling about something before they truly knew what was happening.

I realized I'd spend my life coming back to you
This person knew that they would repeatedly return to someone or something.

Twelve o'clock, in the building of the mirrors
It's midnight and the person is in a building full of mirrors.