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
Wrecking Ball
Darren Hayes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Take me down where the city never sleeps
Where the heart is in the people
And the people call the big shots
I'll go 'round 'cause my love is pretty tall
I will tease them from their houses
I will find them on the floor
O, whoa, like a demolition crew
Oh whoa, I will find a way to you
Oh whoa, oh, oh, oh, whoa, oh, whoa, oh, oh
I'll go 'round like a wrecking ball
Just say that you love me, say that you love me
I'll go 'round, I'll break down the walls
'Til you say that you love me, say that you love me
Just like a wrecking ball
Call me up to the highest point of view
Where the sun is always shining
And the love is such a long shot
I swoop down with my fingers in your heart
I will whisper you a melody that's been there from the start
Oh whoa, all the fortresses you build
Oh whoa, gotta see them tumbling
Oh whoa, oh, oh, oh, whoa, oh, whoa, oh, oh
I'll go 'round like a wrecking ball
Just say that you love me, say that you love me
I'll go 'round, I'll break down the walls
'Til you say that you love me, say that you love me
Just like a wrecking ball
There'd be nobody else that identifies in me
But your rejection is a turn-on
So segregated, so plain to see
I've been a fighter since the day I was born
I may not get what I want
But I might get what I need
Oh, oh, oh, whoa, oh, whoa, oh, oh
I'll go 'round like a wrecking ball
Just say that you love me, say that you love me
I'll go 'round, I'll break down the walls
Until the dirty streets feel the carnage of my love
'Round like a wrecking ball
Just say that you love me, say that you love me
(Just like a wrecking ball)
I'll go 'round, I'll break down the walls
'Til you say that you love me, say that you love me
(Just like a wrecking ball)
I'll go 'round like a wrecking ball
Just say that you love me, say that you love me
(Just like a wrecking ball)
I'll go 'round, I'll break down the walls
'Til you say that you love me, say that you love me
(Just like a wrecking ball)
Oh, oh, oh, whoa, oh, whoa, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh, whoa, oh, whoa, oh, oh
The lyrics of Darren Hayes's song "Wrecking Ball" express a boisterous determination to go to great lengths to win someone's love. The singer yearns to be taken to the city that never sleeps, where "the heart is in the people," and they "call the big shots." He's incredibly confident in his love, believing it to be "pretty tall," and he'll stop at nothing to get to the object of his affection. He'll tease them from their houses, find them on the floor and ultimately level their fortresses until he gets them to say they love him.
The chorus, with its ever-building repetitions of "just say that you love me," is a clear attempt to convince the person he's infatuated with to reciprocate his feelings. The singer compares himself to a wrecking ball, using his passionate love as a powerful force to break down walls and reveal the vulnerability behind them. He's willing to be relentless, leaving the "dirty streets" filled with the "carnage" of his love.
Overall, the lyrics of "Wrecking Ball" convey the intensity of love and the lengths people will go to in search of it. While the singer may seem a bit overly aggressive, his vulnerability shines through in his yearning for his love interest to reciprocate his feelings.
Line by Line Meaning
Take me down where the city never sleeps
Take me to a bustling city where people are active 24/7
Where the heart is in the people
Where the vitality and soul of the city is in its people
And the people call the big shots
Where the people have the power and influence
I'll go 'round 'cause my love is pretty tall
I'll traverse the city because my love is strong and mighty
I will tease them from their houses
I'll provoke and excite people out of their homes
I will find them on the floor
I'll connect with people on a deep, emotional level
Oh whoa, like a demolition crew
I'll shake things up like a destructive force
Oh whoa, I will find a way to you
I'll do whatever it takes to get to you
I'll go 'round like a wrecking ball
I'll power through any obstacle to reach you
Just say that you love me, say that you love me
Express your feelings for me openly
I'll go 'round, I'll break down the walls
I'll overcome any barriers that stand in my way
'Til you say that you love me, say that you love me
Until you reciprocate my feelings
Call me up to the highest point of view
Let me experience extreme happiness with you
Where the sun is always shining
Where the environment is always filled with positivity
And the love is such a long shot
When the path to love is difficult and unpredictable
I swoop down with my fingers in your heart
I'll reach in and touch your innermost emotions
I will whisper you a melody that's been there from the start
I'll soothe your soul with a tune that's always been with you
All the fortresses you build
All the walls and defenses you put up to guard your heart
Gotta see them tumbling
I want to see them crumble and fall
There'd be nobody else that identifies in me
No one else would understand me like you do
But your rejection is a turn-on
Your disinterest only makes me want you more
So segregated, so plain to see
So alone and isolated, it's clear for everyone to see
I've been a fighter since the day I was born
I've had to struggle and fight my whole life
I may not get what I want
I may not receive your love in return
But I might get what I need
But what I truly need is your love
Until the dirty streets feel the carnage of my love
Until the whole city feels the intensity of my love
Contributed by Zachary D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.