In 1987, Steve Kilbey and Karin Jansson were living together, and armed with a joint and a piano, one night they came up with the bones of Under The Milky Way. It became a hit for The Church as part of their fifth studio album, Starfish, and since then it’s featured in almost every list of great Australian rock songs (and a fair few car ads too). On Cover Story, Andy is joined by poet, singer-songwriter and academic Kate Fagan, and Youth Group member, singer-songwriter, academic Toby Martin to analyse the song’s wide – and wild – range of versions.

Music details:

Under the Milky WayComposed by Steve Kilbey and Karin JanssonOriginally recorded by The Church for the album Starfish (1988) on Mushroom Records

Covers by:

Emily Barker, Lukas Drinkwater, Fanny Lumdsen - Room 822 (2022)The James Valentine Quartet- The Power and the Passion (2011)George - Special Ones (2001)The Cherry Pickers - Hand Picked (2016) John Kane & Ian Simpson - Banjo Australis (2013)Strawpeople - Broadcast (1994)Jimmy Little - Messenger (1999)The Church and the George Ellis Orchestra - Live at the Sydney Opera House (2014)

Kate Fagan's latest book is Song in the Grass (Giramondo 2024), and she's doing an author event talk at Megalong Books in Leura on 5 March. 

Toby Martin's latest album is Dang Lan and Toby Martin, 'Song Khúc Lượn Bay (Two Sounds Gliding) (ABC Music). 

The Music Show is made on Gadigal and Gundungurra Country. Technical Production by Hamish Camilleri and Bethany Stewart