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.
Santa Monica
Savage Garden Lyrics
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The lazy streets so undemanding
I walk into the crowd
In Santa Monica you get your coffee from
The coolest places on the promenade
Where people dress just so
Beauty so unavoidable
Everywhere you turnIt's there
I sit and wonder what am I doing here?
But on the telephone line I am anyone
I am anything I want to be
I could be a supermodel or Norman Mailer
And you wouldn't know the difference
Or would you?
In Santa Monica, all the people got
Modern names
Like Jake or Mandy
And modern bodies too
In Santa Monica, on the boulevard,
You'll have to dodge those in-line skaters
Or they'll knock you down
I never felt so lonely,
Never felt so out of place
I never wanted something more than this
But on the telephone line I am anyone
I am anything I want to be
I could be a supermodel or Norman Mailer
And you wouldn't know the difference
On the telephone line, I am any height
I am any age I want to beI could be a caped crusader, or
Space invader
And you would know the difference
Or would you?
The lyrics of Savage Garden's song Santa Monica explore themes of identity, loneliness, and the search for meaning in a world that can feel superficial and disconnected. The singer finds himself in Santa Monica during the winter, a setting that seems to embody both the beauty and the emptiness that can characterize modern life. He observes the people around him, noting their carefully crafted appearances and modern names, but also feeling disconnected and out of place. The chorus reveals his desire to escape this sense of alienation and become something else entirely, imagining the freedom and anonymity that the telephone line represents.
The lyrics are reminiscent of the ideas explored in the French existentialist novel "Nausea," in which the singer confronts the fundamental emptiness and absurdity of human existence. Similarly, the singer of Santa Monica feels lost in a world that seems to value appearances above all else, but he also recognizes the seductive power of reinventing oneself and pursuing experiences that transcend the mundane. The juxtaposition of the physical setting, with its picturesque streets and flock of in-line skaters, and the singer's internal state highlights the tension between external appearances and internal realities.
Line by Line Meaning
In Santa Monica in the winter time
The song sets the scene in Santa Monica during winter, hinting at a certain emptiness and a lack of demand in the streets.
The lazy streets so undemanding
The tranquil streets of Santa Monica present an easy-going atmosphere inviting the singer to unwind.
I walk into the crowd
The singer ventures into the lively crowd, perhaps to find some sort of inspiration or company.
In Santa Monica you get your coffee from the coolest places on the promenade
Santa Monica's promenade boasts of fashionable coffee shops where the city's most modish spend their time.
Where people dress just so
The people in Santa Monica exude an impeccable sense of style and pay great attention to their looks.
Beauty so unavoidable everywhere you turn
The singer cannot help but notice the beauty that surrounds him everywhere he turns in Santa Monica.
I sit and wonder what am I doing here?
Despite the beauty and vibe of Santa Monica, the singer finds himself questioning what he's doing there, perhaps due to some feeling of displacement.
But on the telephone line I am anyone. I am anything I want to be.
The artist muses that on the telephone, he can be whoever or whatever he wants, highlighting the potential disconnect between reality and fantasy.
I could be a supermodel or Norman Mailer, and you wouldn't know the difference. Or would you?
The artist alludes to the power of pretending on the telephone, suggesting that people might not always reveal who they truly are and that there's a potential for misunderstanding.
In Santa Monica all the people got modern names like Jake or Mandy, and modern bodies too
The people in Santa Monica have fashionable, modern names, hinting at their appearances, seemingly reflecting the city's trendsetting culture.
In Santa Monica on the boulevard you'll have to dodge those in-line skaters or they'll knock you down
Santa Monica's boulevard is a bustling place full of activity, and the singer must be careful not to get run over by the skaters.
I never felt so lonely, never felt so out of place. I never wanted something more than this
Despite being in a lively and attractive place like Santa Monica, the artist still feels alone and out of place, probably yearning for something more meaningful in his life and struggling with his own identity.
On the telephone line I am anyone. I am anything I want to be. I could be a supermodel or Norman Mailer
The singer reflects once again on the power of the telephone to be anyone, highlighting the potential for an escape or comfort zone from difficult situations.
And you wouldn't know the difference. On the telephone line, I am any height. I am any age I want to be. I could be a caped crusader, or space invader. And you would know the difference. Or would you?
The song concludes with the singer pondering whether people would truly know the difference between the person on the telephone and the true self, highlighting the conflict between reality and perception.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DANIEL JONES, DARREN HAYES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind