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.

Much Too Much
The Church Lyrics

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There's a fire in the eastern perimeter
There's an alligator in the stew
And everybody who's going to heaven
Would they kindly stand in this queue

Because there's far too many
And there's much too much

When the news sinks in holding on to our skin
I only want to give you a touch

At the break of day I was breaking
At the fall of night well I fell
Like a fool I wept as the starbeams crept
Illuminating this hell

And there's far too many
And there's much too much
When the news sinks in holding on to our skin
And I only want to give you a touch

Don't ask me if I'm ready
I'm standing with my ticket in hand
When the boss comes back and he looks at this crack
He sure aint gonna understand

And there's far too many
And there's much too much

When the news sinks in holding on to our skin
I only want to give you a touch

Overall Meaning

The Church's song Much Too Much presents itself as a somewhat cryptic anthem filled with images that seem chaotic and difficult to grasp, but which ultimately paint a picture of despair and hopelessness. The opening lines convey a sense of destruction and tragedy, as a fire burns in the eastern perimeter and an alligator - a symbol of predatory danger - is found in the stew. The idea of a queue leading the choir of the saved into heaven invites a sense of pressure and urgency that is both spiritual and mundane. The next verses talk about pain, crying, and darkness, alluding to the personal struggles of the singer and perhaps of humanity as a whole. The repeated chorus sounds like a plea for comfort and intimacy amidst the overwhelming scale of events.

Line by Line Meaning

There's a fire in the eastern perimeter
There is a dangerous situation brewing on the horizon

There's an alligator in the stew
There is a threat that lurks within our daily routine

And everybody who's going to heaven
Everyone who wants to attain salvation

Would they kindly stand in this queue
Please line up if you are seeking redemption

Because there's far too many
The number of people seeking salvation is overwhelming

And there's much too much
The scale of our problems is immense

When the news sinks in holding on to our skin
When we finally realize the gravity of the situation

I only want to give you a touch
All I want to do is comfort you

At the break of day I was breaking
I was falling apart at dawn

At the fall of night well I fell
I suffered a great fall at night

Like a fool I wept as the starbeams crept
I felt foolish for crying while the stars shone brightly