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.

Song For The Asking
The Church Lyrics

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(I am a sailor on the water, did not find me through the dark)
I don't know, I don't know, I don't know where you go
I don't know, I don't know why I loved you so
You said it was alright
It stayed with me all night
I don't care, I don't care, I don't care where you are
I don't care, (I don't care), I don't care, I don't care who you are
You said it was too hard

You took out your trump card
Song for the asking
Song for you obviously
Song for a singer
Song for a be movie
Song for the asking
Song for you and me
I don't think, (I don't think), I don't think I've ever been to the brink
I don't think, (I don't think), I don't think I'll have another drink
You said it was enough
Then you called my bluff
Song for the asking
Song for you especially
Song for the singer
Song for a be movie
Song for the asking
Song for you and the sea
I don't guess, I don't guess the answer will be yes
I don't guess, (I don't guess), I don't guess you can't wait to undress
You said it was ready
I held myself steady
Song for the asking
Song for you especially
Song full of nothing
Song for the royalty

Song for the asking
Song for you and the sea

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of The Church's "Song For The Asking" may appear somewhat opaque at first glance, but closer inspection reveals quite a bit of information. The song appears to speak of a lost love or broken relationship, with the singer uncertain of where the other person has gone or why they fell in love with them in the first place. Despite this, they are still holding on to some hope that the relationship can be salvaged, punctuating their musings with the repeated phrase "Song for the asking," which seems to imply the desire for some form of reconciliation.

The song's use of repetition throughout reinforces this sense of doubt and uncertainty, with lines like "I don't know, I don't know, I don't know where you go" and "I don't care, I don't care, I don't care where you are" underscoring the singer's confusion and desperation. Despite this, there is a sense of plaintive beauty to the lyrics, particularly in the repetition of the titular refrain, which carries with it a sense of both sadness and a longing for connection.

Line by Line Meaning

I am a sailor on the water, did not find me through the dark
I am someone searching for something, but I haven't found it in darkness

I don't know, I don't know, I don't know where you go
I am uncertain about where you go and what you do

I don't know, I don't know why I loved you so
I am unaware of why I had such deep feelings for you

You said it was alright It stayed with me all night
Even though you told me everything was okay, it still bothered me throughout the night

I don't care, I don't care, I don't care where you are
I have lost interest in knowing your whereabouts

I don't care, (I don't care), I don't care, I don't care who you are
I have lost interest in knowing anything about you as a person

You said it was too hard You took out your trump card
You admitted that it was difficult and then you played your best move

Song for the asking Song for you obviously
This song is a request, and it's clearly for you

Song for a singer Song for a be movie
This song can be for a singer or it can be in a movie

Song for the asking Song for you and me
This song is for both you and I

I don't think, (I don't think), I don't think I've ever been to the brink
I don't believe that I have ever been that close to the edge

I don't think, (I don't think), I don't think I'll have another drink
I don't believe that I will indulge in another drink

You said it was enough Then you called my bluff
You stated that you had had enough but then you questioned whether I was really telling the truth

Song for the asking Song for you especially
This song is a request and it's especially for you

Song full of nothing Song for the royalty
This song is about nothing, but it's fit for royalty

Song for the asking Song for you and the sea
This song is for both you and the sea

I don't guess, I don't guess the answer will be yes
I guess that the answer will most likely be no

I don't guess, (I don't guess), I don't guess you can't wait to undress
I guess that you are very eager to undress

You said it was ready I held myself steady
You stated that everything was set, and I managed to remain calm and collected

Song for the asking Song for you especially
This song is a request, and it's specifically for you

Song full of nothing Song for the royalty
This song is about nothing, but it's suitable for royalty

Song for the asking Song for you and the sea
This song is for both you and the sea

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: STEVEN JOHN KILBEY, PETER KOPPES, TIM GUY GERARD POWLES, MARTIN HOWARD WILLSON-PIPER

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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