In July of 1996, under Roadshow Music, the duo released their debut single I Want You. The single was a hit in Australia and became the year's highest-selling by an Australian artist. The success of the single garnered much interest from many U.S. record labels and in September, Columbia Records won the bidding war to sign the band. In November a second single, To The Moon And Back, was released and was another chart hit—reaching No. 1 in January of the following year.
"I Want You" was released in the United States in February 1997, where it peaked at No. 4 and quickly achieved gold status. Truly Madly Deeply, the band's third Australian single, was released in March and reached No. 1 just before "I Want You" was released across Europe in April. The duo’s debut album, Savage Garden, entered the Australian charts at No. 1 in March and remained at that peak for 17 weeks—it was released around the world two weeks later. At the end of May, “To The Moon And Back” became the most played song on U.S. radio.
In June 1997, a fourth single, Break Me, Shake Me was released in Australia as the band's debut album sat at No. 3 on the U.S. charts and was certified gold by the ARIA. By the end of August, the album was seven-times platinum in Australia, triple-platinum in Canada, and double-platinum in New Zealand and Singapore. At the end of August, Savage Garden received a record 13 ARIA awards nominations. The 10 ARIAs won by them in September was also a record, and one that still stands today. Riding this massive wave of popularity was the release of their fifth Australian single, Universe. By November that year, "Truly Madly Deeply" became their third U.S. release, shooting up the charts to blow Elton John’s "Candle In The Wind 1997" out of its 14-week run at the number-one spot. By the end of 1997, Darren and Daniel had become international stars.
In January 1998, All Around Me, a sixth single, was released just as the band kicked off their worldwide tour in Cairns, Australia. By the end of the year, "Truly Madly Deeply" was the most-played song on U.S. radio and the only one-sided single to spend a full year in the Top 30 of the Billboard Hot 100.
The Animal Song (featured in the Disney film The Other Sister), the first single from the follow-up album Affirmation was released in February 1999 and became a hit in Australia and the US. That September saw the release of a new single previewing their forthcoming album; the smooth, romantic ballad, I Knew I Loved You.
The duo's second album, Affirmation, was released in November 1999 globally. It took a month for it to go platinum in the US, largely due to the success of the single "I Knew I Loved You," which hit #1 on the charts, eventually going platinum and becoming the most-played single on US radio for the year.
Affirmation saw a new turn for Savage Garden; their looks had more similarities to that of mainstream pop and some of their new songs possessed a more adult contemporary sound.
The group finished out the year by winning two Billboard Music Awards: Adult Contemporary Single of the Year and Hot 100 Singles Airplay of the Year.
In February 2000, as Crash and Burn became the third single from their second album, 1997's "Truly Madly Deeply" was amazingly still on the Monitor/Billboard Adult Contemporary Airplay Chart, breaking the record for length of time of any single on that chart. It would finally drop off the chart after 123 weeks.
In June, Darren Hayes performed O Sole Mio at Italian tenor Luciano Pavarotti's annual charitable benefit concert Pavarotti and Friends. Savage Garden's great success was reflected once again at the Billboard Music Awards, where they won Best Adult Contemporary Video and No. 1 Adult Contemporary Song of the Year, for "I Knew I Loved You", and No. 1 Adult Contemporary Artist of the Year. "I Knew I Loved You" stayed on the Monitor/Billboard Adult Contemporary Airplay Chart for 124 weeks – overtaking the duo's own record previously set by "Truly Madly Deeply".
In October 2001, the band split and Darren Hayes went on to enjoy further success with albums Spin (2002), The Tension And The Spark (2004) and This Delicate Thing We've Made (2007).
As of 2005, the band’s debut album had been certified 12-times platinum in Australia, six-times platinum in the United States, and double-platinum in the United Kingdom.
I'll Bet He Was Cool
Savage Garden Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I shoot the breeze I spend my time
I talk about silly things
I like to talk about Jesus Christ
'Cos I wonder what would happen if he passed you by
Would you be scared? Would you believe in him?
Would you bust your asses to get him institutionalized?
I bet that he smelt divine
I'm not talking about Calvin Klein's Obsession
Just one of those people smell good all the time
There's no reason why
What would he wear? Would he wear Tommy Hilfiger?
Or prefer Urban Outfitted? I don't think so
Well, I bet he liked Gaultier
but you'd never find him in it; I bet he liked Gaultier
Lord I need your protection spend some time in my direction
I need your protection spend some time in my direction
I need your protection spend some time in my direction
You know every once and a while
I shoot the breeze I spend my time
I talk about silly things
And tonight I'd like to talk to you about Jesus Christ
'Cos I wonder how we'd deal if He just passed you by
I bet he'd be a star
I bet my star wars figures He would be a movie star
A Quentin Tarantino next-big-thing
Prima Donna, then He'd appear on Oprah
You know what? I don't think so
Could you imagine him hanging
Piccadilly Circus, Times Square, The Walk of Fame At
Christies He could easily become a regular
D'you know what? I don't think so
I bet my speeder bike he'd turn his back on all of that
Lord I need your protection spend some time in my direction
I need your protection spend some time in my direction
I need your protection spend some time in my direction
Some people have just got it
You know like standing next to Elvis Presley
Well then multiply that feeling by 1 million
and you know whatI'm talking about
Well I'll bet he was cool
Man I bet that cowboy was so damn good looking Baby
In "I'll Bet He Was Cool," Savage Garden, the Australian pop duo consisting of Darren Hayes and Daniel Jones, explore the nature of fame and the way we perceive it. The song imagines various scenarios involving the figure of Jesus Christ, wondering how people would react and how He might feel about it. The lyrics are playful and ironic, with a touch of irreverence that doesn't undermine the spiritual themes at the heart of the song.
The first stanza sets up the scenario, with the singer shooting the breeze and talking about silly things. He then brings up Jesus Christ, wondering how people would react if He were to pass by. The reference to institutionalization suggests the idea that people might not recognize Jesus for who He is and might try to control Him in some way.
The second stanza focuses on Jesus Christ's appearance and fashion style. The singer imagines Him as a cool, good-looking guy who smells divine, without any artificial perfume but with a natural, heavenly scent. The reference to Tommy Hilfiger and Urban Outfitted highlights the idea of brand names and marketing, while the mention of Gaultier, a famous fashion designer, suggests that Jesus might have appreciated high fashion but not in a pretentious way.
The chorus repeats the line "I bet He'd be cool" and adds a few variations, such as "damn good looking" and "a star." The singer imagines Jesus as a movie star, a prima donna, and a regular guy who wouldn't care about fame and fortune. The reference to Star Wars figures and speeder bikes shows a playful side while also hinting at the mythology and storytelling aspects of culture.
The final stanza amplifies the sense of awe and admiration, comparing the feeling of standing next to Jesus to that of standing next to Elvis Presley multiplied by a million. The final phrase, "Man I bet that cowboy was so damn good looking Baby," is a playful remark that suggests the song has been a tribute to Jesus all along but in a way that doesn't take itself too seriously.
Line by Line Meaning
You know every once in a while
I shoot the breeze I spend my time
I talk about silly things
I like to talk about Jesus Christ
'Cos I wonder what would happen if he passed you by
Would you be scared? Would you believe in him?
Would you bust your asses to get him institutionalized?
Sometimes I have casual conversations about random things. One topic that interests me is Jesus Christ. I often wonder how you would react if you met him. Would you be afraid or believe in him? Or would you try to put him in an institution?
Well, I bet he'd be cool; I bet he'd be damn good looking
I bet that he smelt divine
I'm not talking about Calvin Klein's Obsession
Just one of those people smell good all the time
There's no reason why
I imagine that Jesus would be pretty cool and attractive. I bet he'd even smell amazing, without needing some expensive cologne. There's no reason why he wouldn't.
What would he wear? Would he wear Tommy Hilfiger?
Or prefer Urban Outfitted? I don't think so
Well, I bet he liked Gaultier
but you'd never find him in it; I bet he liked Gaultier
I wonder what kind of clothing Jesus would prefer. I don't think he would wear designer brands like Tommy Hilfiger or Urban Outfitted. However, I bet he would still appreciate fashion, maybe even like Gaultier, but he wouldn't be seen wearing it.
Lord I need your protection spend some time in my direction
I need your protection spend some time in my direction
I need your protection spend some time in my direction
I feel vulnerable and in need of protection. I'm asking for some guidance and support from a higher power.
You know every once and a while
I shoot the breeze I spend my time
I talk about silly things
And tonight I'd like to talk to you about Jesus Christ
'Cos I wonder how we'd deal if He just passed you by
I bet he'd be a star
I bet my star wars figures He would be a movie star
A Quentin Tarantino next-big-thing
Prima Donna, then He'd appear on Oprah
You know what? I don't think so
Once again, I'm having a casual conversation, this time about Jesus with you. I wonder how we would react if Jesus just walked past us. I bet he would be a star in today's world, becoming a movie star or the next Quentin Tarantino. However, I don't think he would like the fame and attention.
Could you imagine him hanging
Piccadilly Circus, Times Square, The Walk of Fame At
Christies He could easily become a regular
D'you know what? I don't think so
I bet my speeder bike he'd turn his back on all of that
It's hard to imagine Jesus hanging out at popular places like Piccadilly Circus or Times Square, because I don't think he would enjoy the attention. I bet he would turn his back on all of that and focus on more important things.
Some people have just got it
You know like standing next to Elvis Presley
Well then multiply that feeling by 1 million
and you know whatI'm talking about
Well I'll bet he was cool
Man I bet that cowboy was so damn good looking Baby
Some people just have a certain aura or presence about them, like standing next to Elvis Presley. I can only imagine how much stronger that feeling would be if you were around Jesus. I bet he was incredibly cool and handsome, like a cowboy in the movies.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DANIEL JONES, DARREN HAYES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind