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.
Lost
The Church Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I feel it's all beginning right before my eyes.
I must go back, reexamine my love.
Here she comes with the penetrated stare.
I don't know when, but I wish I knew where.
Quick calculation, there's not nearly enough.
Because we're lost, because we're lost.
They are so lost.
Follow her down to worship some god.
Who never speaks to me, I wonder if that's odd.
Then he says you're never listening.
The pursuit of adulation is your butter and your bread.
It's an exquisite corpse and its lips are red
And its teeth are glistening.
But you are lost, but you are lost.
Now hang up 'cause the lines are all crossed,
You are so lost.
If you're alone and you're feeling blue,
Everyone in Persia probably feels like that too.
I just hope they don't believe like you do.
Here she comes with her unforgiving web.
Almost forever I've been drinking these dregs.
It must be time to change our brew, cruel, view.
Before we're lost, before we're lost.
Look at the map, add up the cost,
Before we're lost.
The Church's song Lost is a complex piece with a somewhat cryptic message that touches on themes of alienation, disconnection, and loss. The opening couplet, "Sometimes I'm wondering under prehistoric skies, I feel it's all beginning right before my eyes," speaks to the deeply rooted sense of nostalgia and longing that permeates the entire song. The singer's sense of dislocation is heightened by his awareness of the vast scope of time and evolution, which seems to render his entire existence insignificant.
The repeated refrain, "because we're lost," underscores this feeling of rootlessness, which is juxtaposed with a longing for connection and meaning. The singer seeks "to reexamine" his love, which hints at a past relationship that may have failed or left him feeling disillusioned. The woman with the "penetrated stare" symbolizes this quest for meaning, but her arrival also suggests that the singer's efforts are fraught with uncertainty and misdirection.
The song's cryptic lyrics and enigmatic imagery leave many questions unanswered, but they also provide a canvas for multiple interpretations. The reference to "Persia" and the suggestion that "everyone...probably feels like that too" may speak to the idea that alienation and loss are universal human experiences. The mention of "worship[ping] some god" who "never speaks" suggests a critique of organized religion and its failure to provide real answers or solace.
Overall, Lost is a fascinating song that rewards careful listening and interpretation. Its haunting melodies and evocative lyrics create a powerful, dreamlike atmosphere that lingers long after the music has ended.
Line by Line Meaning
Sometimes I'm wondering under prehistoric skies.
Occasionally, I contemplate life under ancient skies and wonder about the beginning of everything.
I feel it's all beginning right before my eyes.
I sense that the start of something new is happening in front of me at this moment.
I must go back, reexamine my love.
I need to return to my past relationships, and take a closer look at the love and affection that was shared between us both.
Here she comes with the penetrated stare.
She approaches me with a look of deep scrutiny and inspection piercing into me.
I don't know when, but I wish I knew where.
I am uncertain about when something will happen, but I long for knowledge of the specific location where it will occur.
Quick calculation, there's not nearly enough.
After a brief assessment, I realize that there is insufficient resources to accomplish the task at hand.
Because we're lost, because we're lost.
Our aimlessness and lack of direction leaves us in a state of being completely lost.
Cold desert stars, feel them sparkle and frost, They are so lost.
Looking up at the glittering and icy stars in the barren desert, it's evident that they too have lost their way.
Follow her down to worship some god.
I trail after her as she goes to pay homage to a deity.
Who never speaks to me, I wonder if that's odd.
I can't help but find it strange that I never receive any messages or communication from the god she worships.
Then he says you're never listening.
The god speaks up and accuses me of not paying attention to his teachings and guidance.
The pursuit of adulation is your butter and your bread.
My obsession with receiving admiration and worship from others is an integral part of my life.
It's an exquisite corpse and its lips are red, And its teeth are glistening.
The object in question is a beautiful and perfect corpse, with vivid red lips and shining white teeth.
But you are lost, but you are lost.
Despite possessing this prized possession, you remain lost and searching for something more.
Now hang up 'cause the lines are all crossed, You are so lost.
I end the call, as it's clear that the connection is poor and my lost state of mind is highlighted.
If you're alone and you're feeling blue, Everyone in Persia probably feels like that too.
If you're experiencing loneliness and sadness, then the people in Persia most likely share that feeling to the same degree.
I just hope they don't believe like you do.
I wish for the people in Persia to not hold the same belief values as you do.
Here she comes with her unforgiving web.
She approaches me with her unyielding and trapping plans.
Almost forever I've been drinking these dregs.
For a very long time, I've been consuming only the worst remnants and scraps of what's available.
It must be time to change our brew, cruel, view.
It's high time we change our perspective on life and strive to be less harsh and savage towards ourselves and others.
Before we're lost, before we're lost.
We must take action before we become even more lost and directionless.
Look at the map, add up the cost, Before we're lost.
We need to examine our circumstances and consider the cost of our choices before we lose our way entirely.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: PAT MC GEE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
BittersweetSymphony
on You're Still Beautiful
Sometimes I wonder if he is writing about himself