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.
Unguarded Moment
The Church Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I knew you'd find me crying
Tell those girls with rifles for minds
That their jokes don't make me laugh
They only make me feel like dying
In an unguarded moment
So long, long between mirages
Tell those men with horses for hearts
That their jibes don't make me bleed
They only make me feel like shrinking
In an unguarded moment
So deep, deep without a meaning
I knew you'd find me leaving
Tell those friends with cameras for eyes
That their hands don't make me hang
They only make me feel like breathing
In an unguarded moment
The Church's song "The Unguarded Moment" is an introspective and emotionally charged piece that explores the themes of vulnerability and disillusionment. The lyrics describe the singer's struggle to find inspiration and meaningful connections with others, encapsulated in the refrain "...in an unguarded moment".
The first verse addresses the singer's reaction to the superficial humor of others, specifically directed towards women ("Tell those girls with rifles for minds / That their jokes don't make me laugh / They only make me feel like dying"). The use of the metaphorical image of rifles alludes to the sharp and cutting nature of the jokes, which instead of eliciting laughter, bring about feelings of sadness and hopelessness.
The second verse continues along the same lines, this time addressing men ("Tell those men with horses for hearts / That their jibes don't make me bleed / They only make me feel like shrinking"). The metaphor of "horses for hearts" suggests that the men in question are insensitive and lacking in empathy. Their attempts to belittle the singer have a similar effect to the jokes in the first verse, causing him to feel small and diminished.
The final verse turns inward, as the singer reflects on his own lack of direction and purpose in life ("So deep, deep without a meaning"). The use of the recurring phrase "I knew you'd find me" suggests a sense of inevitability and resignation to his circumstances. However, the line "They only make me feel like breathing" offers a glimmer of hope - even in the midst of despair, there is still the instinctive desire to continue living and moving forward.
Overall, "The Unguarded Moment" is a poignant and evocative song that captures the complex emotions of its protagonist with elegant simplicity.
Line by Line Meaning
So hard finding inspiration
It's really difficult to get inspired to create something worthwhile
I knew you'd find me crying
I knew you'd find me in this emotional state
Tell those girls with rifles for minds
That their jokes don't make me laugh
They only make me feel like dying
These people who try to cut me down with their words only make me feel worse about myself
In an unguarded moment
At a time when I wasn't prepared to defend myself
So long, long between mirages
It feels like it's been a really long time since anything good has come my way
I knew you'd find me drinking
I knew you'd find me seeking solace in alcohol
Tell those men with horses for hearts
That their jibes don't make me bleed
They only make me feel like shrinking
These people who are so callous only make me feel small and insignificant
So deep, deep without a meaning
I feel like I'm in a really deep and dark place without any sense of purpose
I knew you'd find me leaving
I knew you'd find me trying to escape my problems
Tell those friends with cameras for eyes
That their hands don't make me hang
They only make me feel like breathing
These people who are always watching me don't have the power to push me over the edge - I'll keep living and breathing
In an unguarded moment
When I wasn't expecting it and didn't have my guard up
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: MICHELLE PARKER, STEPHEN KILBEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Claire Sawyer
So hard finding inspiration
I knew you'd find me crying
Tell those girls with rifles for minds
That their jokes don't make me laugh
They only make me feel like dying
In an unguarded moment
So long, long between mirages
I knew you'd find me drinking
Tell those men with horses for hearts
That their jibes don't make me bleed
They only make me feel like shrinking
In an unguarded moment
So deep, deep without a meaning
I knew you'd find me leaving
Tell those friends with cameras for eyes
That their hands don't make me hang
They only make me feel like breathing
In an unguarded moment
The Triumph of the Thrill
One of the all-time greats. One of the most flawless tracks ever. The Church truly left their mark with this.
Seven T Scott
Under the Milky Way left an even bigger mark in America
Pamela Hay
And definitely also in home country Australia… you just have to lay on your back and stare skywards on any clear night outside the cities to be totally blown away by the Brilliance of the Milky Way, Downunder…..✨💫✨💫✨💫✨
Claire Sawyer
So hard finding inspiration
I knew you'd find me crying
Tell those girls with rifles for minds
That their jokes don't make me laugh
They only make me feel like dying
In an unguarded moment
So long, long between mirages
I knew you'd find me drinking
Tell those men with horses for hearts
That their jibes don't make me bleed
They only make me feel like shrinking
In an unguarded moment
So deep, deep without a meaning
I knew you'd find me leaving
Tell those friends with cameras for eyes
That their hands don't make me hang
They only make me feel like breathing
In an unguarded moment
Cloudy Wishes
Thanks
Chas B
Lyrics are top drawer
donald christy
Amazing song and words
Lorenzo Antonio
So 😎 cool
The unguarded moment
Rodney West
beautiful, sad, haunting, thoughtful lyrics. love it, love it
Phteven Warny
The most underestimated song in Aussie Punk Rock History. This song is a fucking Masterpiece.