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.
Texas Moon
The Church Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Some would say we bathed like a harpoon
Followed politely south it feels like treason
Live out my days beneath the Texas moon
Started out a cardshark in Palm City
Playing for another tablespoon
Lost my fancy vest and both my kidneys
Two red jacks and one red Texas moon
Their leader was a loathsome old baboon
He had those rascals hooked on homemade soma
Hooked on that yeah and the Texas moon
He knew a house that opened up in Dallas
I'll stick it in her darkened sweetened room
She said "I pray you can't accept that fallacy"
"But lie down here and feel the Texas moon"
Crying is no substitute for laughter
I would have felt but now I'm feeling used
I'm hell bent for the here and everafter
Cold white fire like the Texas moon
And I expect to find life there unpleasant
My exit will be most inopportune
I'm leaving while I can see this crescent
The crescent of the ghostly Texas moon
It can't be any hotter than this jail
It can't be any colder than this mood
It can't be any deader than a doornail
Or half as live as the Texas moon
Mother send no flowers for my passing
Surely life is just one long lampoon
Brother end your vigilance and your fasting
I'm going down beneath the Texas moon
The Church's "Texas Moon" is a song about a man who is journeying through Southern US states and finding himself in a variety of complicated and potentially dangerous situations. The track opens with the singer acknowledging that he may forget his reason for being on the road, but proceeds to paint a vivid picture of his travels. He speaks about meeting questionable characters and making reckless decisions in order to survive in a world that he might not fully understand. The song also contains a sense of dark introspection, as the singer contemplates his own mortality and the inevitability of his demise.
Each verse of the song tells a different story, with the singer facing new challenges and encountering different people. In one verse, he recounts his time spent gambling in Palm City and losing everything, including his vest and kidneys. In another, he meets a group of "fools" in Oklahoma who are hooked on homemade soma, and are led by a "loathsome old baboon". The singer eventually ends up in Dallas, seduced by a woman who invites him into her darkened room under the "Texas moon". Despite the complications and dangers of his journey, the singer seems to accept his fate, acknowledging that he is "hell bent for the here and everafter" and that he is "going down beneath the Texas moon".
"Texas Moon" is a song that explores themes of recklessness, danger, and mortality, while painting a picture of the Southern United States as a wild and unpredictable place. The song's protagonist is a flawed and complicated figure, but one who is ultimately accepting of his fate. The dark and haunting feel of the song captures the ever-present sense of danger and mystery that can be found in the south of the United States.
Line by Line Meaning
One more day I may forget my reason
I may lose track of the purpose of my journey soon.
Some would say we bathed like a harpoon
Our way of living might be considered harsh and cruel by some.
Followed politely south it feels like treason
Going south seems wrong and betraying, despite the apparent politeness.
Live out my days beneath the Texas moon
I'll spend the rest of my life under the influence of what the Texas moon represents.
Started out a cardshark in Palm City
I began my life as a skilled gambler in Palm City.
Playing for another tablespoon
Taking risks and playing for meager rewards.
Lost my fancy vest and both my kidneys
I have lost everything of value and am barely surviving.
Two red jacks and one red Texas moon
I have been dealt two jacks in a card game and am now influenced by the Texas moon.
I met a bunch of fools in Oklahoma
I encountered some foolish people in Oklahoma.
Their leader was a loathsome old baboon
Their leader was a repulsive and contemptible individual.
He had those rascals hooked on homemade soma
He had brainwashed those scoundrels with homemade drugs.
Hooked on that yeah and the Texas moon
They were addicted to those drugs and the effects of the Texas moon.
He knew a house that opened up in Dallas
He was aware of a house that recently opened in Dallas.
I'll stick it in her darkened sweetened room
I'll have sex with a woman in a room that is dark and has a pleasant scent.
She said "I pray you can't accept that fallacy"
She expressed her hope that I won't fall for her lies.
"But lie down here and feel the Texas moon"
"But stay here and experience the emotions invoked by the Texas moon."
Crying is no substitute for laughter
Crying won't replace the joy and happiness that laughter provides.
I would have felt but now I'm feeling used
I might have felt something, but now I feel exploited and taken advantage of.
I'm hell bent for the here and everafter
I'm determined to experience something beyond my current reality.
Cold white fire like the Texas moon
A burning sensation that affects everyone under the Texas moon.
And I expect to find life there unpleasant
I anticipate my experience under the Texas moon to be unpleasant.
My exit will be most inopportune
My departure will be poorly timed and will cause inconvenience to others.
I'm leaving while I can see this crescent
I'm departing while I can still see the shape of the moon.
The crescent of the ghostly Texas moon
The shape of the moon under the influence of the mysterious Texas moon.
It can't be any hotter than this jail
My current situation is dire and I can't imagine things getting worse.
It can't be any colder than this mood
The atmosphere is so bleak that nothing could make it worse, not even the cold.
It can't be any deader than a doornail
Things can't get any worse than the current state of things, it's as bad as it can be.
Or half as live as the Texas moon
The Texas moon is so alive and powerful that nothing can compare to it.
Mother send no flowers for my passing
Don't bother with any traditional mourning rituals when I die, they'll be pointless.
Surely life is just one long lampoon
Life is just one extended satirical joke or mockery.
Brother end your vigilance and your fasting
Stop worrying and depriving yourself, there's nothing to worry about.
I'm going down beneath the Texas moon
I'm going to die or experience something significant under the influence of the Texas moon.
Contributed by Anna F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
BittersweetSymphony
on You're Still Beautiful
Sometimes I wonder if he is writing about himself