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 Time Being
The Church Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
As you notice the sun slips away
A strange turbulence fills the air
Gargoyles and winged monkeys
Descend into the city
Their teeth are bared, their claws outstretched
Down in the pit
I sense the unforgiving night rain down on the overworld
As the temptation fades out
You jerk back into yourself
As if falling from a dream
Down comes the rain
Hot clear rain
Washing away our sins
Washing away the statues of Sharon Stone
Erosion of my solitude
Begins its race
And worms finally penetrating the warmth of my hiding place
Slithering in the blackness
All their coldness repels me
I use a .45 to give them some stick
Lightning and thunder cause the walls to shake
And someone searching through the debris
For the photograph of his wife
Oh I want life
I want it now and forever
I want to rise up out of this chamber and clamber into the sky
The Church's song The Time Being paints vivid imagery with its descriptive lyrics, evoking a sense of unease and chaos amidst a changing world. The song starts off with the sun setting, and a "strange turbulence" filling the air as gargoyles and winged monkeys descend into the city. The imagery portrayed here is perhaps symbolic of impending danger, with teeth bared and claws outstretched. The "pit" referenced in the song might refer to a subterranean layer, creating a sense of isolation and detachment from the outside world. The overworld is portrayed as restless, with temptation fading out and a sense of sudden realization. Down comes the rain, hot and clear, washing away sins and the statues of Sharon Stone (possibly indicative of obsession and idolization). The rain is a purifying symbol, eroding solitude and embracing change.
The second paragraph portrays a darker picture as worms penetrate the warmth of the hiding place. The .45 is a symbol of self-defense as the coldness of worms repels the subject. The lightning and thunder show that changes are not easy, they cause the walls to shake, but the subject still seeks life. The search for the photograph of his wife might symbolize a search for meaning or someone to hold on to as the world goes through changes. The last line is a powerful one, portraying the desire to rise up and embrace the ever-changing world, despite the fear and anxiety that it brings.
Line by Line Meaning
Every day
The routine of daily life
As you notice the sun slips away
The passage of time
A strange turbulence fills the air
Anxiety and unrest
Gargoyles and winged monkeys
Imagery of dark and foreboding creatures
Descend into the city
The descent into danger and uncertainty
Their teeth are bared, their claws outstretched
The aggression and hostility of the creatures
Down in the pit
The depths of despair or darkness
I sense the unforgiving night rain down on the overworld
A sense of darkness and malaise permeating everyday life
And its souls' unrest
The spiritual unrest of humanity
As the temptation fades out
The loss of desire or passion
You jerk back into yourself
A return to reality
As if falling from a dream
The end of an idealistic or unrealistic mindset
Down comes the rain
A cleansing or purging of negativity
Hot clear rain
A transformative force
Washing away our sins
Seeking redemption or absolution
Washing away the statues of Sharon Stone
Cleansing the superficial or the idolatrous
Erosion of my solitude
The wearing down of isolation or loneliness
Begins its race
The beginning of a process
And worms finally penetrating the warmth of my hiding place
The invasion of unwanted elements
Slithering in the blackness
A sense of fear or danger
All their coldness repels me
A feeling of disgust or aversion
I use a .45 to give them some stick
Fighting back against adversity
Lightning and thunder cause the walls to shake
A metaphorical representation of chaos or disruption
And someone searching through the debris
The aftermath of destruction
For the photograph of his wife
A quest for meaning or purpose
Oh I want life
A desire for vitality and meaning
I want it now and forever
A longing for permanence
I want to rise up out of this chamber and clamber into the sky
A desire for transcendence or escape from the present circumstances
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: TAREK SMALLMAN, GARETH SKINNER, FERGUS HUNT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
BittersweetSymphony
on You're Still Beautiful
Sometimes I wonder if he is writing about himself