
"Under the Milky Way" is a 1988 song by Australian alternative rock band The Church. Written by the band's vocalist and bassist, Steve Kilbey, and his then-girlfriend Karin Jansson, the song was originally released on The Church's Starfish album and won the Australian ARIA award for best song in 1989. The song was the band's only international hit, staying in the US top 40 for several weeks, and charting in Canada (#69) and the UK (#90). In their native Australia, "Under The Milky Way" was also a hit, peaking at #22. However, it was not their biggest homeland hit: The Church placed two singles slightly higher in the Australian charts in their career ("Almost With You" at #21, and "Metropolis" at #19). Unlike most of the band's songs, "Under the Milky Way" featured a 12-string acoustic guitar melody along with a solo that, although sounding like a bagpipe, was actually an EBow on a Fender Jazzmaster. According to a press release issued with Starfish, the song was written about an Amsterdam music and cultural venue called Melkweg (Dutch for "Milky Way"), which Kilbey used to frequent. The single was released in several configurations (7", double 7", 12", CD single), in many countries, with at least five different cover art designs. The main b-sides were "Musk" and "Warm Spell." Spanish versions added "Anna Miranda" and "Perfect Child." Sheet music for "Under The Milky Way" was published by Hal Leonard. A colorfully cinematic music video was filmed for the song; it is <b>...</b>
The Church
Under The Milky Way
Starfish
Australian Rock
alternativa rock
1980's
studio recording
Donnie
Darko