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.
Volumes
The Church Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Put plastic back where metal's sold
Men in quarries connect their bomb
One two three a new Saigon
Check the bottle is it full?
Have you found which pin to pull?
Boys in shirts get dirty hands
Smoke kills seagulls on the sands
To read and to learn they're heavy to carry
And easy to burn
Volumes have secrets, take them on holiday
Book them a room, save them a moment
Swallow their swoon
Pretty things all in a row
Flowers who can't seem to grow
Finding the pearls then finding the blood
Then finding the water is wood
The something I wanted has just flown by
It looked at me sideways and told me to try
I hope it's a message from someone obscure
I hope it's the man next door
The lyrics to The Church's "Volumes" seem to be a juxtaposition of modern consumerism and the value of literature, with references made to the Vietnam War in the line "one two three a new Saigon." The opening lines "Borrowed grapes from stores of gold, put plastic back where metal's sold" suggest a desire for material possessions without the means to attain them, leading to a feeling of emptiness. This is contrasted with the line "volumes have secrets, take them on holiday, book them a room, save them a moment, swallow their swoon" which speaks to the transformative and enriching power of literature. The idea that books are like precious objects, to be savored and immersed in, stands in stark contrast to our modern world of disposability and superficiality.
The imagery used in the song can be seen as a metaphor for the quest for fulfillment and meaning in life. The reference to "boys in shirts getting dirty hands" suggests a disconnect between the value of manual labor and the pursuit of intellectual growth. The line "smoke kills seagulls on the sands" can be interpreted as a commentary on the impact of pollution on the natural world. The idea of finding "the pearls then finding the blood, then finding the water is wood" suggests that what we seek may ultimately be unattainable or illusory.
Overall, "Volumes" presents a thought-provoking commentary on the world we live in and the eternal quest for meaning and purpose.
Line by Line Meaning
Borrowed grapes from stores of gold
Taking things that don't belong to you, like grapes from a wealthy person's collection
Put plastic back where metal's sold
Putting things in the wrong place or not taking care of them properly
Men in quarries connect their bomb
People working in dangerous situations or with explosives
One two three a new Saigon
Referencing the Vietnam War and the idea that history has a tendency to repeat itself
Check the bottle is it full?
Being cautious and making sure you have everything you need
Have you found which pin to pull?
The idea of taking risks and figuring out which choices to make
Boys in shirts get dirty hands
The idea of hard work and not being afraid to get your hands dirty
Smoke kills seagulls on the sands
The impact of pollution and human activity on the natural environment
They have pages, they take ages
Books can take a long time to read and understand
To read and to learn they're heavy to carry
The weight of knowledge can be a burden
And easy to burn
The fragility of knowledge and how it can be lost or destroyed
Volumes have secrets, take them on holiday
Books contain hidden knowledge and can be a source of escape or enjoyment
Book them a room, save them a moment
The idea of preserving and cherishing books as a valuable resource
Swallow their swoon
The emotional impact of literature and how it can affect us deeply
Pretty things all in a row
The superficiality and uniformity of modern society
Flowers who can't seem to grow
The difficulty of thriving in difficult circumstances
Finding the pearls then finding the blood
The idea of discovering hidden truths and the pain that can come with it
Then finding the water is wood
The realization that things are not always what they seem
The something I wanted has just flown by
The feeling of losing something important or desired
It looked at me sideways and told me to try
A message of encouragement or inspiration to keep trying
I hope it's a message from someone obscure
The idea of finding meaning or purpose in unexpected places or people
I hope it's the man next door
The idea of finding support and guidance from those around you
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
BittersweetSymphony
on You're Still Beautiful
Sometimes I wonder if he is writing about himself