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.
Promises
Savage Garden Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Little indulgence?
Listen to the hunter becoming
Hunted
Everyday there's a million advances
Don't be too forceful you'll ruin
Your chances
Well don't you know that time is a
That splinters against the wall?
But the picture is coming back
Now baby
And I want to take it all
Don't go making all these promises
You know you cannot keep
There's a time to play a king and a
Time to be a thief
Cause if you're making all these
Promises you know you cannot keep
You know time will be the thief and
Your fallen king end up alone
So let your body move a little bit closer
Silent like the sound proceeding a cyclone
Don't you know that powerful thinking
Can be a force you don't want
To relinquish?
Well don't you know that
They say hanging on will justify the wait?
But patience and elated wisdom
Don't share a common phrase
Don't go making all these promises
You know you cannot keep
There's a time to play a king and a
Time to be a thief
Cause if you're making all these
Promises you know you cannot keep
You know time will be the thief and
Your fallen king end up alone
Well I'm only hanging on for what
Goes down
I'm floating high and my feet don't
Touch the ground
I'd take advantage but I can't see
Through this charade
So don't you, don't go make it harder
That hell
Cause it comes down to the making
You'd better be damned sure you can
Take it
Hey baby
Don't go making all these promises
You know you cannot keep
There's a time to play a king and a
Time to be a thief
Cause if you're making all these
Promises you know you cannot keep
You know time will be the thief and
Your fallen king end up alone
Time will be the thief
And your fallen king will end up...
A fool, a fool, a lonely sorry fool
Oh baby, 'cause I told you baby
The lyrics of "Promises" by Savage Garden talk about the dangers of making empty promises, and also highlight the importance of enjoying life's pleasures while being cautious at the same time. The singer pleads with someone not to make promises they cannot keep; he compares the act of making false promises to being a king, which eventually leads to feeling alone and like a fool. He urges his lover to let their body move closer to him, but also warns about the dangerous consequences of powerful thinking.
The lyrics adopt a cautionary tone, highlighting the importance of being patient, cautious and self-aware. The singer acknowledges that while time is precious and should be enjoyed fully, it's also a fragile concept that breaks easily like broken glass if not handled with care. He notes that hanging on too tight can lead to justifying the wait, but that wisdom and patience don't always go hand in hand. He repeats himself throughout the song, emphasizing the need to not make false promises, or it will lead to disappointment and loneliness.
Line by Line Meaning
Well don't you know I need a
Little indulgence?
The singer desires some indulgence
Listen to the hunter becoming
Hunted
The situation has reversed and the hunter is now being hunted
Everyday there's a million advances
Don't be too forceful you'll ruin
Your chances
There are many opportunities, but one should not be too forceful in pursuing them
Well don't you know that time is a
Broken glass
That splinters against the wall?
Time is fragile and easily broken
But the picture is coming back
Now baby
And I want to take it all
The situation is improving and the artist wants to fully enjoy it
Don't go making all these promises
You know you cannot keep
There's a time to play a king and a
Time to be a thief
Do not make false promises; sometimes one must be ruthless to achieve their goals
Cause if you're making all these
Promises you know you cannot keep
You know time will be the thief and
Your fallen king end up alone
If you make promises you can't keep, time will take its toll and you'll be alone
So let your body move a little bit closer
Silent like the sound proceeding a cyclone
Move closer, but do so quietly like the calm before a storm
Don't you know that powerful thinking
Can be a force you don't want
To relinquish?
One should not give up powerful thinking
Well don't you know that
They say hanging on will justify the wait?
But patience and elated wisdom
Don't share a common phrase
While some may say that hanging on is worth it, patience and wisdom do not always agree
Well I'm only hanging on for what
Goes down
I'm floating high and my feet don't
Touch the ground
I'd take advantage but I can't see
Through this charade
So don't you, don't go make it harder
That hell
Cause it comes down to the making
You'd better be damned sure you can
Take it
Hey baby
The singer is waiting for something to happen, but is enjoying the current high; the singer is cautious of the current charade and warns against making things harder
Time will be the thief
And your fallen king will end up...
A fool, a fool, a lonely sorry fool
Oh baby, 'cause I told you baby
If you make false promises, time will take its toll and you'll end up alone and foolish
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: STEPHEN PORTER, KRISTY PATRICIA CLARK, PETER IAN JONES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind