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]
http://www.darrenhayes.com
http://www.myspace.com/darrenhayes
http://www.youtube.com/darrenhayes
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darren_Hayes
Where You Want to Be
Darren Hayes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Do you remember?
You were a part of my life
Early December
Think I remember?
Sentiment cuts like a knife
The seasons are changing
Life's rearranging
Would a have beens
It's all your fault
And where've you been
And how times goes
And though I don't even know
How to fill in the spaces
of the love you've erased in my life
Are you where you wanted to be?
Did you get there easily?
Did I make you sacrifice?
Did you make a sharp left
When you should have turned right?
Are you where you wanted to be?
Did you sell off all of your gold
Did you trade it in?
Did you wait for love
Or settle for somebody to hold?
And barely symphonic
But strangely ironic
Moments contained in one glance
Oh how I adored you
But now I'm ignored by you.
Nowhere a tint of romance
And now it's vaguely familiar
I think I remember sharing every single intimacy
It doesn't seem so strange to me that we barely entertained
Even the politest of phrases
But sometimes at night
I conjure you up in my mind.
Are you where you wanted to be?
Did you get there easily?
Did I make you sacrifice?
Did you make a sharp left
when you should have turned right?
Are you where you wanted to be?
Did you sell off all of your gold
Did you trade it in?
Did you wait for love
Or settle for somebody to hold.
While I was busy
Perfecting the art
Of deflecting compliments
I took it too far
And I let a ripple run right through my heart
Of battle stations we're building
You and I just grew apart
We grew apart
While I decided
To make everyone else happy
I just put aside
My foolish pride
I guess I denied
My own desire
I was too busy pleasing
To ever be pleased
I forgot how to breathe
Or question anything
Or ask why?
Am I?
Am I where I wanted to be?
Did I get here easily?
Did I make a sacrifice?
Did I take a sharp left
When I should have turned right?
Am I where I wanted to be?
Can I sell off all of my gold?
Can I trade it in?
Will I wait for love
Or settle for somebody to hold.
I'd settle for somebody to hold now
You know that I've been up and I've been down
I've been picked up and spun around
I'd do it all again
If I could just have somebody to hold now
I just need somebody to hold me now
Could somebody hold me now?
I just want somebody to hold me now
I'd do it all again
In Darren Hayes's song Where You Want to Be, the singer addresses a stranger who was once a part of his life, specifically early December. He remembers every single detail of the intimacy they shared, and the sentiment of it cuts him like a knife. He is confused with how time goes by and how he cannot fill in the spaces of the love that has been erased from his life. The seasons are changing and life is rearranging, but he still thinks about his past relationship with this person. Even though there was no tint of romance, he still conjures the person up in his mind at night.
The song reflects on the idea of wanting to understand if the person in question is where they wanted to be in life and if they got there easily, and if he made them sacrifice anything. He questions if the other person chose to settle for somebody they did not truly love or hold out for love instead. The song then turns to the singer questioning if he himself is where he wanted to be and if he took a sharp left when he should have turned right. He ponders if he sacrificed anything and if he was too busy pleasing others and forgot to please himself.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey there stranger
Addressing someone who used to be close to him, but now feels distant and unfamiliar
Do you remember?
Asking if the other person has fond memories of the past, specifically a time in early December
You were a part of my life
Acknowledging the other person's role in his past, suggesting they once held significance to him
Early December
Referring to a specific time in the past that holds sentimental value, potentially a time when he was with the other person
Think I remember?
Uncertain if his recollections are accurate, questioning his memories and the emotions they bring up
Sentiment cuts like a knife
Memories of his past with the other person bring back strong emotions that feel painful, as if he is being cut by a knife
The seasons are changing
Metaphorically referencing how life experiences are always shifting and evolving
Life's rearranging
Suggesting life is always changing, often without our control or input
Full of could have dones
Regretful of missed opportunities or choices not taken
Would a have beens
Wondering about alternative realities that could have been, but never were
It's all your fault
Blaming the other person for his current feelings of loss and regret
And where've you been
Asking why the other person isn't around now, after once being such an important part of his life
And how times goes
Reflecting on how quickly time can pass and how much can change in a short period
And though I don't even know
Admitting uncertainty about his own thoughts and feelings towards the situation
How to fill in the spaces
Struggling to emotionally reconcile the void that the other person's absence has created in his life
Of the love you've erased in my life
Feeling as if the other person has taken away a part of his life that he held dear, specifically the love they shared
Are you where you wanted to be?
Questions about the other person's current state in their life, specifically whether or not they have achieved what they once desired
Did you get there easily?
Asking if the other person faced difficulties or challenges in order to reach their desired place in life
Did I make you sacrifice?
Recognizing the potential role he played in holding the other person back from achieving their dreams, leading to sacrifices being made
Did you make a sharp left, when you should have turned right?
Wondering if the other person made a mistake or took a wrong turn that led them away from where they wanted to be in life
Did you sell off all of your gold, Did you trade it in?
Asking if the other person has given up something valuable or important in order to get where they are now
Did you wait for love or settle for somebody to hold?
Questioning the other person's choices and motivations when it comes to love and relationships
While I was busy perfecting the art
Admitting to being too consumed in his own flaws and inadequacies instead of working on himself and his life
Of deflecting compliments
Not taking compliments or positive feedback well, and instead shrugging off the praise
I took it too far
Acknowledging that he went too far in deflecting compliments, potentially leading to negative consequences
And I let a ripple run right through my heart
Implication that his lack of self-confidence and self-love resulted in negative emotions and feelings
Of battle stations we're building
Metaphorical language used to describe the tension and conflict being created between himself and the other person
You and I just grew apart
Realizing that his relationship with the other person had run its course and they no longer had the same connection they once shared
While I decided to make everyone else happy
Acknowledging his tendency to prioritize other's happiness over his own, potentially leading to neglect of his own needs and desires
I just put aside my foolish pride
Recognizing that he valued his pride too much and it held him back from doing what he really needed to be happy
I guess I denied my own desire
Acknowledging that he ignored his own wants and needs, potentially due to fear or insecurity
I was too busy pleasing
Putting other's happiness above his own even to the point of sacrificing his own well-being
To ever be pleased
Unable to find satisfaction with his own life or accomplishments, despite how much he prioritizes others
I forgot how to breathe
Hyperbolic language to describe how overwhelmed he is with his own thoughts, feelings, and circumstances
Or question anything
Acknowledging that he wasn't willing to question authority or examine his own life more deeply
Or ask why?
Confused about his own life and circumstances, unsure of what steps he needs to take to find happiness
Am I where I wanted to be?
Acknowledging that he may not be completely satisfied with his own life, and questioning if he's in the right place
Can I sell off all of my gold?
Asking if he has anything of value or importance that he could sell in order to help him achieve what he wants in life
Can I trade it in?
Asking if there is a way to exchange what he has for something that might make him happier
Will I wait for love or settle for somebody to hold?
Questioning whether he is willing to wait for someone he truly loves or if he would settle for someone to keep him company
You know that I've been up and I've been down
Acknowledging that life isn't always full of happiness, and that he's struggled in the past
I've been picked up and spun around
Metaphorical language used to describe the ups and downs of life, specifically moments of being lifted and turned around by life's events
I'd do it all again
Implies that despite the hardships, he would still live his life over again
If I could just have somebody to hold now
Feeling lonely and longing for someone to comfort him
I just need somebody to hold me now
Reiterating his desire for physical touch and connection in his life
Could somebody hold me now?
Asking if anyone is willing to provide him with the comfort he desires
I just want somebody to hold me now
Repeating the theme of loneliness and desire for affection
I'd do it all again
Despite the hardships, he would still choose to live his life over again
Contributed by Elijah L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
余建輝
Where are you want to be
Hey there stranger
Do you remember?
You were a part of my life
Early December
Think I remember?
Sentiment cuts like a knife
The seasons are changing
Life's rearranging
Full of could have dones
Would a have beens
It's all your fault
And where've you been
And how times goes
And though I don't even know
How to fill in the spaces
of the love you've erased in my life
Are you where you wanted to be?
Did you get there easily?
Did I make you sacrifice?
Did you make a sharp left
When you should have turned right?
Are you where you wanted to be?
Did you sell off all of your gold
Did you trade it in?
Did you wait for love
Or settle for somebody to hold?
And barely symphonic
But strangely ironic
Moments contained in one glance
Oh how I adored you
But now I'm ignored by you.
Nowhere a tint of romance
And now it's vaguely familiar
I think I remember sharing every single intimacy
It doesn't seem so strange to me that we barely entertained
Even the politest of phrases
But sometimes at night
I conjure you up in my mind.
Are you where you wanted to be?
Did you get there easily?
Did I make you sacrifice?
Did you make a sharp left
when you should have turned right?
Are you where you wanted to be?
Did you sell off all of your gold
Did you trade it in?
Did you wait for love
Or settle for somebody to hold.
While I was busy
Perfecting the art
Of deflecting compliments
I took it too far
And I let a ripple run right through my heart
Of battle stations we're building
You and I just grew apart
We grew apart
While I decided
To make everyone else happy
I just put aside
My foolish pride
I guess I denied
My own desire
I was too busy pleasing
To ever be pleased
I forgot how to breathe
Or question anything
Or ask why?
Am I?
Am I where I wanted to be?
Did I get here easily?
Did I make a sacrifice?
Did I take a sharp left
When I should have turned right?
Am I where I wanted to be?
Can I sell off all of my gold?
Can I trade it in?
Will I wait for love
Or settle for somebody to hold.
I'd settle for somebody to hold now
You know that I've been up and I've been down
I've been picked up and spun around
I'd do it all again
If I could just have somebody to hold now
I just need somebody to hold me now
Could somebody hold me now?
I just want somebody to hold me now
I'd do it all again
Yulia Shegay
2019 year... Darren Hayes is still the greatest artist I ever heard 💯🎶
Janie Holland
His melodies are fantastic and his vocal range is amazing. I have the words "Savage Garden" tattooed on the top of my left arm in bamboo writing. Had it done as soon as I knew they were splitting up.
Junior vong
I agreed
Lelouch
Some of his best songs are his B-sides.
Spongebobs Codpiece
knux911 Darren has no “B” sides 🙂 all are A sides x
Channeling Science + 🐼
What a powerful man. Powerful song. Powerful love.
Yulia Shegay
Heartbreaking song... Darren is very powerful Man. No one compares to him.
Robbie Louis
Written about Daniel. This song is heartbreaking. The words, the yearning, the regret ... should have been a single. Perfection.
Kitaruth Kawshik
This is real music, very few people can do it like this¥
mmafan2223
Used to date a girl and we were both huge fans of Savage Garden. We used to sing the songs to each other, so in love were we. We drifted apart. Many years have now passed, and we've started our own families and careers. Through it all it feels like we both matured along with Darren over the years on this journey we call life. This song is so appropriate and bitter sweet for us, yet ultimately I wouldn't change a thing :)