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 View
The Church Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Regretting their honesty
Shook away their cautious care
Looked right through me like I wasn't there
River came to meet me
Relationships can be like water
Deep and shallow the popular bed
Springs to mind my undetected closure
If you bounce around like an adult ball
Oh yeah, oh yeah, it's nice up there
Be a lighthouse, don't block out your view
Whispers in a cream cake
Sweet and quiet again tonight
Goodness on a rare stick
Sometimes healthy living should be crushed
Now I search for hours
Rubble kills my fingers looks
I'll only stop when it hurts a lot
My heart is slender, my wooden tambourine's drenched in blues
Redesign your answer
If you're the post then prove you're tall
Oh yeah, oh yeah, we slid around
Polish your window and don't block out your view
Take this daring leap
Wake you've been asleep
Go attack your life
The paint is peeling scrape to save what's yours
The Church's song The View has a poetic flair that requires a certain level of understanding for interpretation. The song leaves an abstraction of the experience of relationships and how they can be deep and shallow, like water. The first few lines set the stage for self-discovery, showcasing a moment where someone's honesty allows the singer to reflect on themselves. The metaphorical river in the song represents relationships as they come and go in life, both deep and shallow.
The lyrics about a "wooden tambourine drenched in blues" may be about the pain of love and relationships that the singer has experienced. They have tasked themselves to keep searching for more until they're hurt, maybe trying to test their emotions to find out what they're capable of enduring. The latter part of the song encourages taking risks, waking up from slumber, and attacking life. It suggests that even if things aren't perfect, it's possible to make the most of the present moment.
Line by Line Meaning
Someone fell across me
Someone opened up to me and shared their feelings
Regretting their honesty
Feeling remorseful about being truthful
Shook away their cautious care
Let go of their apprehension and fears
Looked right through me like I wasn't there
Ignored or didn't acknowledge my presence or feelings
River came to meet me
A new connection or relationship formed
Relationships can be like water
Relationships have different depths and can ebb and flow
Deep and shallow the popular bed
There are different types of relationships, some more meaningful than others
Springs to mind my undetected closure
Realizing that I may have been closing myself off without realizing it
You'll only scratch the surface
You'll only understand a small part of someone or something
If you bounce around like an adult ball
If you don't commit fully to something or someone, you won't go very deep
Oh yeah, oh yeah, it's nice up there
Acknowledging that it's tempting to avoid deeper connections or responsibilities
Be a lighthouse, don't block out your view
Be a source of guidance and don't ignore what's in front of you
Whispers in a cream cake
Small, sweet moments
Sweet and quiet again tonight
A peaceful evening
Goodness on a rare stick
Something good in an unexpected or rare package
Sometimes healthy living should be crushed
Sometimes it's okay to let loose and indulge
Now I search for hours
Looking for something that is difficult to find
Rubble kills my fingers looks
Searching through debris and getting hurt in the process
I'll only stop when it hurts a lot
I'll keep searching until it becomes too painful
My heart is slender, my wooden tambourine's drenched in blues
I am feeling sad or depressed
Redesign your answer
Rethink your response or approach
If you're the post then prove you're tall
If you're going to take a position, stand up for it
Oh yeah, oh yeah, we slid around
Acknowledging that sometimes we avoid confrontation or the difficult path
Polish your window and don't block out your view
Take care of yourself and don't ignore what's happening around you
Take this daring leap
Take a risk and do something brave
Wake you've been asleep
Realize that you've been unaware or avoiding things
Go attack your life
Take control and make things happen
The paint is peeling scrape to save what's yours
Things may be falling apart, but you can still salvage what's important
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
BittersweetSymphony
on You're Still Beautiful
Sometimes I wonder if he is writing about himself