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.
Tristesse
The Church Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Still troubled by the rumblings of a million distant cars
Please be good to me tonight, let me find my way
The air has some command in it I cannot disobey
A gunfight in Dodge City, a murder in Bombay
All these deeds and worldly needs I must shrug off today
All my life spent searching for prowess
Left me lying here with you, tristesse
It wasn't Mother Nature that made those trees take root
Your children cannot hear you, they only want your loot
You hold on to their essence like a parachute
They never believed you were in distress
Now you've gone and left them with tristesse
Oh, waters inflamed
Ah, fires burning out
Ah, ice melting down
Ah, fires burnt out
A hotel suite in a rich man's town, a hut in Botany Bay
A prisoner by my own device, a mountain in my way
I'm gonna have to alter my address
"Cause I can't stay much longer with tristesse"
And they call this carnival progress
Invited by our queen tonight, tristesse
The Church's "Tristesse" is a melancholy meditation on the state of the world and the singer's place within it. The opening lines locate the singer in a vast and empty desert, surrounded by the noise of the world, and desperate for a way to navigate his path through life. The imagery of the gunfight in Dodge City and the murder in Bombay suggests a world consumed by violence and corruption, where even the most basic needs of survival must be fought for. The singer admits that all his efforts to attain prowess have left him empty and alone, lying there with "tristesse," the French word for sadness.
The next verse shifts to an image of the singer working in an orchard that grows "the strangest fruit," a possible reference to the poem and song of the same name by Abel Meeropol, which addressed the lynching of Black Americans. The children in the singer's life cannot hear him, and only want his wealth, leaving him alone to hold onto their "essence" like a parachute. The final stanza includes a litany of natural disasters, emphasizing the overwhelming sense of chaos in the world.
The song's title comes from the French word "tristesse," which means "sadness" or "melancholy."
"Tristesse" was first released on The Church's 1982 album "The Blurred Crusade."
The song has been covered by several artists, including Sonic Boom and Dead Meadow.
Lead singer Steve Kilbey has said that "Tristesse" is one of his favorite songs the band has ever written.
The song was written during a period when the band was experimenting with psychedelic drugs, which may have influenced the dream-like quality of the lyrics.
The song has been described as a "sonic painting," with its moody, atmospheric soundscapes.
The Church's music has been associated with the Australian "post-punk" movement of the 1980s.
The music video for "Tristesse" features footage of the band performing the song in a studio, interspersed with scenes of a young woman wandering through an abandoned building.
The song's chord progression is a simple I-IV-IV-I pattern, with a chorus that moves to the V and VI chords.
Chords: (verse) A D G D A D G D (chorus) G D F E A D G D A D G D A D G D.
Line by Line Meaning
Here in this desert, beneath the sun and stars
Despite being surrounded by heavenly bodies, I feel empty and lost.
Still troubled by the rumblings of a million distant cars
The constant noise of society's hustle and bustle can be overwhelming and distressing.
Please be good to me tonight, let me find my way
I seek guidance and comfort, hoping to find direction and purpose.
The air has some command in it I cannot disobey
The atmosphere is a reminder of my inability to control my own destiny and life's natural flow.
A gunfight in Dodge City, a murder in Bombay
News of violent acts that occur around the world can be unsettling and contribute to my feelings of unease.
All these deeds and worldly needs I must shrug off today
I must ignore the external pressures of society and focus on my own inner peace.
All my life spent searching for prowess
The pursuit of success and personal achievements has been a lifelong struggle.
Left me lying here with you, tristesse
Despite reaching various personal goals, I still feel sad and unfulfilled.
I was working in an orchard that grew the strangest fruit
My previous endeavors have taken me to strange and unexpected places.
It wasn't Mother Nature that made those trees take root
The unsettling and unexplainable phenomenon was not a creation of nature but rather something beyond our understanding.
Your children cannot hear you, they only want your loot
My offspring are only concerned with material wealth and have little regard for my emotions or mental state.
You hold on to their essence like a parachute
Despite their indifference, I cling to my children's essence as a safety net and source of comfort.
They never believed you were in distress
My efforts to seek help or express my inner turmoil have gone unheard or unacknowledged.
Now you've gone and left them with tristesse
My absence has left my children with the same melancholic feelings I have experienced.
Oh, waters inflamed
The natural elements of the world can turn violently and unexpectedly without warning.
Ah, fires burning out
The destructive forces of fire will eventually come to an end, but leave devastation in their wake.
Ah, ice melting down
The cold and frozen aspects of our world will eventually thaw and relent, revealing new life and opportunities.
Ah, fires burnt out
The destruction and pain caused by the forces of fire have come and gone, but the scars remain.
A hotel suite in a rich man's town, a hut in Botany Bay
Regardless of one's social status or material possessions, we are all susceptible to feelings of loneliness and despair.
A prisoner by my own device, a mountain in my way
The internal struggles and conflicts we impose on ourselves can be just as difficult to overcome as external obstacles.
I'm gonna have to alter my address
In order to find true happiness and fulfillment, I must make significant changes in my life and surroundings.
"Cause I can't stay much longer with tristesse"
I cannot continue to live in a state of sadness and melancholy.
And they call this carnival progress
The endless pursuit of success and material wealth can feel like a dizzying and exhausting carnival ride.
Invited by our queen tonight, tristesse
Even when surrounded by opulence and luxury, feelings of sadness and apathy can still arise.
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BittersweetSymphony
on You're Still Beautiful
Sometimes I wonder if he is writing about himself