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.

Now I Wonder Why
The Church Lyrics

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In a moment of triumph, I find defeat uncontrolled
In the second of honor, a despair sharp and old
She gives me a taste, please show me some etiquette
I wasn't looking for you and I don't want to find you yet

At an uncurtained window, in a street full of rooms
Watching the gardens, and pursuing the blooms
This world is so white, they never see me anymore

But I trusted you then, and I'm trusting you still

It's just that I'm not quite sure
Now I wonder why, I thought I could ever lose
But the gain is hardly what I'd choose
Now I wonder why

It was somebody, a woman, it was a delicate crime
And I've been waiting for ages, yes I've been here all the time
There was this greed in my blood, she let me take the easy way
She helps me hide the vagabond, that was myself yesterday

And after the acting, I found that I couldn't sleep
And during my drifting, I found that I was too deep
By the virtue of faith
I knew that I could be lost

Beyond this dark place
Unprepared to pay the cost

Overall Meaning

The Church's song Now I Wonder Why speaks of the paradoxical feelings of triumph and defeat, honor and despair, and trust and uncertainty. The song seems to be about a man who is struggling with a personal conflict or decision, with the help of a woman who seemingly aided him in resolving his issues. The lyrics "She gives me a taste, please show me some etiquette / I wasn't looking for you and I don't want to find you yet" could suggest that he feels indebted to this woman and is hesitant to continue whatever relationship they might have. He is looking out of an "uncurtained window" and is observing a world that is "so white", almost ignoring him. Yet he still feels he can trust this woman.

The man's internal conflict and uncertainty become more apparent in the chorus: "Now I wonder why, I thought I could ever lose / But the gain is hardly what I'd choose / Now I wonder why". The juxtaposition of "lose" and "gain" could mean that he's caught between two choices where the outcome of each is uncertain, and he's not sure which one to choose. He then talks about a "delicate crime" and how he's been waiting for ages. It could suggest that he's faced this dilemma before and is still waiting for an answer. The lyrics "By the virtue of faith / I knew that I could be lost / Beyond this dark place / Unprepared to pay the cost" could mean that he knows that choosing his path could lead to loss or consequences, but he's still not sure if he's ready to take the risk.

Line by Line Meaning

In a moment of triumph, I find defeat uncontrolled
Despite the feeling of victory I experienced, I still feel like I lost and couldn't control the outcome

In the second of honor, a despair sharp and old
Even though I was in a position of high regard, I felt an acute and familiar sadness

She gives me a taste, please show me some etiquette
A woman showed me something new, and I ask that she teach me how to properly understand and approach it

I wasn't looking for you and I don't want to find you yet
I wasn't seeking a relationship with anyone at this time and still don't desire one

At an uncurtained window, in a street full of rooms
I am watching the many lives happening in homes near me from an undisguised window

Watching the gardens, and pursuing the blooms
I'm fascinated by the gardens and flowers that I see, and eagerly pursue them

This world is so white, they never see me anymore
I feel invisible to the world due to being overlooked and not standing out

But I trusted you then, and I'm trusting you still
I had faith in someone in the past and continue to believe in them

It's just that I'm not quite sure
I have reservations about something and am uncertain

Now I wonder why, I thought I could ever lose
I question why I believed that losing was a possibility

But the gain is hardly what I'd choose
The outcome that I ended up with is not what I had hoped for or preferred

Now I wonder why
I'm still pondering and questioning my choices and experiences

It was somebody, a woman, it was a delicate crime
A woman committed a subtle wrongdoing that affected me

And I've been waiting for ages, yes I've been here all the time
I've been waiting and in this same position for a long time

There was this greed in my blood, she let me take the easy way
I was driven by greed and the woman enabled me to take the simple, less challenging route

She helps me hide the vagabond, that was myself yesterday
The woman assists me in concealing the wandering, aimless person that I was previously

And after the acting, I found that I couldn't sleep
Following the pretense, I was unable to rest

And during my drifting, I found that I was too deep
While moving aimlessly, I discovered that I had gone too far and was in too deep

By the virtue of faith
Due to my belief, trust, and dedication

I knew that I could be lost
I was aware that it was possible for me to become lost in the situation

Beyond this dark place
Outside of this situation of sadness and confusion

Unprepared to pay the cost
I am not ready or unwilling to suffer the consequences of my actions

Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: KILBEY

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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