Hayes' first solo album Spin was released in 2002, carrying on in the same musical vein as Savage Garden, with a less soft rock sound and more edgy R&B vibe, although the first single Insatiable was a ballad, reaching Number 3 in Australia. Other singles "Strange Relationship", "Crush (1980 Me)" and "I Miss You" also performed well in charts.
Hayes spent two years working on his second solo album, The Tension And The Spark. Other than the track "I Forgive You" which was produced with Madonna collaborator Marius De Vries, the entire album was produced by Darren himself and Robert Conley (with whom he had previously toured and recorded Crush (1980 Me) for Spin). The album marked a bold change of direction from Hayes. Conley's production was almost entirely electronic, with acoustic instruments buried under walls of sequenced sounds. Although artistically this was a huge step forward and earned Hayes the strongest praise of his career, it seemed to alienate a large portion of his audience who were expecting another album of radio friendly pop songs. The first single Pop!ular was released on July 12, 2004. This single reached Number One on the US Dance Charts, and fared well in the UK. His follow up single, Darkness, failed to chart, leaving Dublin Sky - the planned third release - in limbo. Ironically, "Dublin Sky" was considered by many to be one of the strongest and most accessible songs on the album and the most likely to be a hit.
Truly Madly Completely, Savage Gardens greatest hits album was released in late 2005 and featured two new songs - So Beautiful and California. The tour, 'A Big Night In with Darren Hayes' followed in 2006. In July 2006, Hayes announced that he had married his boyfriend of two years, Richard Cullen, in a Civil Partnership Ceremony.
Hayes released a double album, This Delicate Thing We've Made, on 20 August 2007 on his newly formed independent label ''Powdered Sugar''. "The record features 25 songs recorded with the help of a Vintage 1983 Fairlight CMI syth - a cinematic, theatrical and epic Pop Opus." The first single to come from Hayes' third album was On the Verge of Something Wonderful to be followed by Me, Myself and (I) later in 2007.
In mid 2010, Hayes announced the completion of this fourth solo album. It is being mixed by Robert Orton. The album will be released in 2011.
The first single from Darren's new album Secret Codes and Battleships is called 'Talk Talk Talk' and will be released on iTunes worldwide on June 24 the same day it is delivered to radio and the music video is released online and debuts on T.V.
Darren wrote and recorded the song in Sweden with producer Carl Falk - it was mixed by Robert Orton and mastered by Bob Ludwig.
On iTunes there'll also be a b-side - Darren's cover version of Madonna's 'Angel'.
2022: Do You Remember?
On 26 January 2022, Hayes released a new single, "Let's Try Being in Love". A music video for the song was released the same day, starring Hayes and featuring actor Scott Evans. The video was directed by Andrew Putschoegl.[20] Referred to as a "queer anthem"[21] by NME, in promotional interviews, Hayes explained “I’ve been married to Richard [Cullen] for almost 17 years, [and] I’m in this really comfortable place in my life. But at the same time at mid-life I’m grieving the fact I never got to celebrate who I really was at the period of my life where I was most famous. I look at this world we live in now where someone like Lil Nas X can push forward his true self, full of pride and self-love and have the chance to be loved for who he truly is [...] A lot of the time I was my most famous, I was deeply sad.” Less than 24 hours of release, "Let's Try Being in Love" debuted at number 96 on the Official UK Singles Download Chart Top 100 and at number 98 on the Official UK Singles Sales Chart Top 100.[22][23] “I wanted to show I love the feminine in me, be proud of the gay me. There’s a dance scene that is so passionate, everything’s alive and thriving and blooming. That’s how I feel in general about music. And that’s a hugely sharp contrast to how I felt 10 years ago.”
On 27 January 2022, Hayes announced he would be headlining the 2022 Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade and would be performing on 5 March 2022.[24] Hayes performed "The Animal Song", "I Want You", "Affirmation" plus, live for the very first time, "Let's Try Being in Love".[25][26][27]
Since 2013, Hayes stopped his music career and tried to build stand-up comedy career. At the same time, he kept creating short singing videos in his social media accounts for his fans. In 2018 Hayes briefly returned on stage with one-off performance of two songs, including "I Knew I Loved You". In 2019, Hayes featured on Cub Sport’s single “I Never Cried So Much in My Whole Life”. He did not appear in the official video. In 2020 he recorded a new version of "Truly Madly Deeply" with slightly modified lyrics. The video of his studio performance was released on YouTube on 24 April.
On 2 March 2022, Hayes announced the "Do You Remember?" Tour that would be performed in six Australian cities between January and February 2023 and would feature songs from his musical career as part of Savage Garden and as a solo artist. On 10 March 2022, Hayes released the single "Do You Remember?",[28][29][30] following with the official video on 16 March 2022.[31]
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Neverland
Darren Hayes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Far below when little hands are making shapes in the room
The shadows they dance and they cheer up this place
The face that's staring through a tiny crack in the door
Eyes so wide, he's never seen a woman fall on the floor
I swear daddy's killed her this time
Should I try to fly away?
Should I make a hammer?
Should I try to smash his face?
Should I make a bullet?
Should I try to shoot the gun?
I'm sure the judge will let me off real soon
Long ago when saturn tried to find a way past the sun
Deep inside a little boy is turning pain into fun
The pencils, the crayons, the paint colors run
The plans are forming slowly made with scissors and glue
Eyes so wide, he's telling mommy all the things he can do
He'll sketch a contraption to save them for sure
He can draw an alien
He can come and take them home
He can draw a cartoon
He can draw a safety hatch
He can draw a hot bath
He can plug a toaster in
And wait till daddy's nice and warm
Toss it in
And then when he's gone
There's a neverland of fun
Take a loaded gun
Take a shot of rum
Take a poison rat
There's a lesson in that
No more closing fist
No more face to hit
No more bloody nose
Or apologetic roses
Long ago when mercury descended high above the moon
(Should I make a rocket? Should I try to fly away?)
Far below little hands are making shapes in the room
(Should I make a hammer? Should I try to smash his face?)
Long ago when saturn tried to find a way past the sun
(Should I draw a cartoon? Should I draw an alien?)
Deep inside a little boy is turning pain into fun
(Should I draw a hot bath? Should I plug a toaster in?)
The lyrics of Darren Hayes's song Neverland describe the thoughts and feelings of a child who is experiencing abuse and violence at the hands of his father. The opening lines depict a scene where the child is playing with his hands, making shapes in the room, while the shadows dance and cheer around him. However, the child's peace is suddenly disrupted by the sound of his mother falling to the ground, possibly due to the father's violence. The child is traumatized by the violence he has witnessed, and he expresses his confusion and anger by wondering whether he should build a rocket or a bullet to escape from the violence or take revenge.
The second verse describes how the child copes with the pain and trauma inflicted on him by his father. He retreats to his imaginary world, where he draws pictures of aliens, cartoons, and safety hatches, which provide solace and comfort to him. He imagines a place where he can escape from the abuse and find freedom. The chorus emphasizes the child's desire to escape from the violence by using drugs, alcohol, or poison. He sees this as a way to end the misery and find the happiness he craves.
The song is a powerful indictment of child abuse and domestic violence. It is a poignant portrayal of the emotional and psychological impact of these crimes on children. The lyrics capture the sense of helplessness and despair that victims of abuse feel, as well as the coping mechanisms they develop to protect themselves. The song also highlights the importance of creating safe spaces for children, where they can find refuge from violence and abuse.
Line by Line Meaning
Long ago when mercury descended high on the moon
In the past, when there was chaos and confusion, and things were difficult to understand.
Far below when little hands are making shapes in the room
Even though there are problems, life still goes on and children are still playing and having fun.
The shadows they dance and they cheer up this place
Even in difficult times, there is still some light and joy.
The face that's staring through a tiny crack in the door
A child who is scared and hiding, witnessing something violent or traumatic.
Eyes so wide, he's never seen a woman fall on the floor
The child is experiencing something that is confusing and scary, possibly domestic abuse.
I swear daddy's killed her this time
The child thinks his father has killed someone this time and is scared for his own safety.
Should I make a rocket?
A child is trying to cope with trauma by playing and trying to escape from reality.
Should I try to fly away?
The child is hoping to escape their current situation by running away or finding a way to leave.
Should I make a hammer?
The child is considering fighting back or taking action against the abuser.
Should I try to smash his face?
The child is thinking about violence as a solution to their problem.
Should I make a bullet?
The child is contemplating suicide or murder as a way out of their situation.
Should I try to shoot the gun?
The child is considering violence or self-harm as a solution to their pain and trauma.
I'm sure the judge will let me off real soon
The child is naive and thinks that they will be able to get away with violence or self-harm and move on with their life.
Deep inside a little boy is turning pain into fun
The child is trying to cope with their trauma by turning it into something fun or distracting.
The plans are forming slowly made with scissors and glue
The child is making a plan to escape or fight back against their abuser using whatever resources are available to them.
Eyes so wide, he's telling mommy all the things he can do
The child is excited about their plan to escape or fight back and feels like they have a chance to make things better.
He'll sketch a contraption to save them for sure
The child is using their imagination to come up with a plan to escape or protect themselves and their family.
He can draw an alien
The child is using their imagination as a way to distract themselves from their trauma.
He can come and take them home
The child is imagining being rescued or saved from their situation by an outside force.
He can draw a cartoon
The child is concentrating on drawing or creating something as a way to distract themselves from their trauma.
He can draw a safety hatch
The child is imagining ways to protect themselves and their family from their abuser.
He can draw a hot bath
The child is imagining ways to take care of themselves and find comfort in difficult times.
He can plug a toaster in
The child is considering using violence or self-harm as a way to escape from their situation.
And wait till daddy's nice and warm
The child is considering using violence or self-harm as a way to get revenge on their abuser.
Toss it in
The child is considering using violence or self-harm as a way to escape from their situation or harm their abuser.
And then when he's gone
The child is imagining a world where their abuser no longer has power over them and they are free from fear and trauma.
There's a neverland of fun
The child is imagining a world where they are free from fear and trauma and can simply have fun and be a child.
Take a loaded gun
The child is considering using violence or self-harm as a way to escape from their situation or harm their abuser.
Take a shot of rum
The child is considering using drugs or alcohol as a way to escape from their situation or numb their pain.
Take a poison rat
The child is considering using suicide as a way to escape from their situation or stop their pain.
There's a lesson in that
The child is trying to learn from their trauma and find some meaning or purpose in what they have experienced.
No more closing fist
The child is imagining a world where they are free from violence and abuse.
No more face to hit
The child is imagining a world where they are free from violence and abuse.
No more bloody nose
The child is imagining a world where they are free from violence and abuse.
Or apologetic roses
The child is imagining a world where apologies are not necessary because there is no violence or abuse.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: DARREN HAYES, JUSTIN SHAVE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
sarah mostafa
This is pure genius , its sarcastic, inventive yet heart breaking yet with a clever dark sense of humor
You will always be one of the most talented singer and songwriter ever
Kathy Miller
I absolutely love the song. I always love everything he does.
Ardit I.
This man is far more talented than given credit.....the world is missing much.....
Андрій Зайченко
It's perfect!
Tracy Nottage
I like it, nice one 👍