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.
The Theatre And Its Double
The Church Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Baby, don't go, you got the wrong idea
Baby, don't say there's people out there laughing
Baby, that way it's gonna take me years
You're blowing hot and cold
I want you heart and soul
A critique of pure reason
Some day I think that nothing outside matters
Some day you blink, you miss a thousand years
Some day I pray, falling dumbly to my bed
Some day you stay 'til the audience appears
You're blowing hot and cold
I want you heart and soul
A critique of pure reason
Won't give me what you sow
"The Theatre And Its Double" by The Church is a song that explores the importance of perception, communication and intention. The lyrics centralize on the perception of people about the world they live in, the struggle to control and communicate their view of the truth while also acknowledging the presence of opposing views. The opening verse, "Baby, I know there's people out there starving, Baby, don't go, you got the wrong idea" points out to the fact that while people may be suffering some are ignorant of their plight. The singer insists that there needs to be a shift in perspective and understanding to truly see the world as it is. The repetition of "Baby" in each line suggests that the message being communicated is directed towards one specific individual, reinforcing the idea of reaching out to someone and trying to convince them to see things differently.
The chorus, "You're blowing hot and cold, I want you heart and soul/ A critique of pure reason, Won't give me what you sow" centers on the difficulty of communicating and understanding each other in the world. It highlights the divide that exists between people that think and act according to reasoning, and those that are influenced by their emotions. The lines "A critique of pure reason, won't give me what you sow," implies that being critical and judgmental of others do not yield any tangible results. In the end, mutual respect and empathy are essential elements for establishing a healthy relationship.
The second half of the lyrics emphasizes that the perception of the external world is subjective and constantly changing, "Some day I think that nothing outside matters/ Some day you blink, you miss a thousand years/ Some day I pray, falling dumbly to my bed/ Some day you stay 'til the audience appears." The line, "Some day you blink, you miss a thousand years," depicts how quickly time flies, and how a blink of an eye can cause us to miss important events happening around us. The reference to the audience highlights how people's views can change depending on the audience they are speaking to.
Line by Line Meaning
Baby, I know there's people out there starving
I am aware of the injustices and struggles faced by those less fortunate
Baby, don't go, you got the wrong idea
Please don't leave, you have misunderstood my intentions
Baby, don't say there's people out there laughing
Do not deny the existence of joy and happiness in the world
Baby, that way it's gonna take me years
If you continue down this path, it will take me a long time to understand you
You're blowing hot and cold
Your actions and words are inconsistent
I want your heart and soul
I desire a deep and meaningful connection with you
A critique of pure reason
Logic and rational thought cannot explain everything
Won't give me what you sow
You will not receive what you do not attempt to cultivate
Someday I think that nothing outside matters
There may be a day where external forces hold no significance
Someday you blink, you miss a thousand years
Time can pass by quickly and opportunities can be missed in an instant
Someday I pray, falling dumbly to my bed
There may be a day where I am helpless and vulnerable
Someday you stay 'til the audience appears
One day, you may wait for an audience or validation of your actions
You're blowing hot and cold
Your actions and words are inconsistent
I want your heart and soul
I desire a deep and meaningful connection with you
A critique of pure reason
Logic and rational thought cannot explain everything
Won't give me what you sow
You will not receive what you do not attempt to cultivate
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing, Universal Music Publishing Group, WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC
Written by: STEVEN JOHN KILBEY, PETER KOPPES, TIM GUY GERARD POWLES, MARTIN HOWARD WILLSON-PIPER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
BittersweetSymphony
on You're Still Beautiful
Sometimes I wonder if he is writing about himself