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.
The Best Thing
Savage Garden Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Never want to leave
Never want to say what you mean to me
Never want to run
Frightened to believe
You're the best thing about me
Sometimes I feel like this is only chemistry
Shut down turn around feel the ground beneath me
You're so close where do you end
Where do I begin?
Always pushing and pulling
Sometimes vanity takes vacation time on me
I'm in a daze stumbling bewildered
North of gravity head up in the stratosphere
You and I roller coaster riding love
You're the center of adrenalin
And I'm beginning to understand
Never want to fly
Never want to leave
Never want to say what you mean to me
Never want to run
Frightened to believe
You're the best thing about me
Walk on broken glass make my way through fire
These are things I would do for love
Farewell peace of mind kiss goodbye to reason
Up is down the impossible occurs each day
This intoxication thrills me
I only pray it doesn't kill me
Never want to fly
Never want to leave
Never want to say what you mean to me
Never want to run
Frightened to believe
You're the best thing about me
You're the center of adrenalin
And I'm beginning to understand
You could be the best thing about me
Never want to fly
Never want to leave
Never want to say what you mean to me
Never want to run
Frightened to believe
You're the best thing about me
What if you're the best thing about me
In Savage Garden's song, "The Best Thing," the singer expresses doubts about leaving and anxieties about declaration of love. The refrain repeats the phrase "Never want to fly, never want to leave, never want to say what you mean to me, never want to run, frightened to believe, you're the best thing about me." The singer is referring to the person they love, indicating that they never want to be away from them, never want to verbalize their feelings, and are scared to believe that this person is truly the best thing about them.
The song seems to be about the overwhelming feelings that accompany falling in love, and the confusion about taking a step further in a relationship. The second verse reveals the singer's confusion about their relationship with this person. They describe feeling stuck in a maze, always pushing and pulling, and not knowing where they begin and their lover ends. The singer is also experiencing bouts of dizziness and disorientation, suggesting the chaotic emotions that come with falling in love.
Overall, the song's lyrics convey both the thrill and uncertainty of falling in love. The fear of losing oneself in another person, and the overwhelming emotions that come with intense desire. It depicts the turbulence and confusion that many people experience in a love affair, which makes it relatable to many people.
Line by Line Meaning
Never want to fly
I don't want to leave the comfort zone
Never want to leave
I don't want to depart from what is familiar
Never want to say what you mean to me
I struggle with expressing my true feelings for you
Never want to run
I don't want to escape from who we are
Frightened to believe
I am afraid to fully trust and commit to you
You're the best thing about me
You are the most significant and important part of my life
Sometimes I feel like this is only chemistry
I question whether our love is just a physical attraction
Stuck in a maze searching for a way to
I feel trapped and lost, trying to find a solution
Shut down turn around feel the ground beneath me
I want to stop and regain my footing
You're so close where do you end
I don't know where your boundaries lie
Where do I begin?
I am unsure how to approach our relationship
Always pushing and pulling
Our relationship is characterized by ups and downs
Sometimes vanity takes vacation time on me
I sometimes get lost in my own ego and forget about you
I'm in a daze stumbling bewildered
I feel confused and uncertain about our future
North of gravity head up in the stratosphere
My mind is preoccupied with thoughts of you, and I am lost in my emotions
You and I roller coaster riding love
Our relationship has its highs and lows
You're the center of adrenalin
You bring excitement and passion to my life
And I'm beginning to understand
I am starting to comprehend my own feelings
Walk on broken glass make my way through fire
I am willing to endure hardship and pain for you
These are things I would do for love
I am willing to make sacrifices for the sake of our relationship
Farewell peace of mind kiss goodbye to reason
I am willing to give up my own sense of calm and logic for you
Up is down the impossible occurs each day
Our relationship defies logic and reason
This intoxication thrills me
Being in love with you is exhilarating
I only pray it doesn't kill me
I am afraid that this intense love could consume me completely
What if you're the best thing about me
What if my love for you is what defines me as a person?
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DANIEL JONES, DARREN HAYES, DARREN STANLEY HAYES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind