Ramblings of a retiree in France
This week’s prompt is Heaven/Hell. So what do I have in my musical archives in response to Jim Adams’ Song Lyric Sunday Challenge? There are loads of possibilities but I’m plumping for Truly Madly Deeply by Savage Garden.
Savage Garden was an Australian pop duo consisting of Darren Hayes on vocals and Daniel Jones on instruments. Formed in Logan City, Queensland, in 1994, the duo achieved international success in the late 1990s and early 2000s with the No. 1 hit singles “I Want You”, “To the Moon and Back”, “Truly Madly Deeply”, “The Animal Song” and “I Knew I Loved You”.
Truly Madly Deeply the band’s third Australian single, from their debut studio album Savage Garden, was released in March 1997 and soon became their signature song. In their native Australia, it won the 1997 ARIA Music Award for Single of the Year and Highest Selling Single and was nominated for Song of the Year. The song is a reworking of a song called “Magical Kisses” that the pair wrote together during the recording of their debut album.
The song reached number one in Australia, Canada and the United States. In November 2019, the song was added to the Australian National Film and Sound Archive’s selection of recordings. The songs added to the list provide a snapshot of Australian life and have “cultural, historical and aesthetic significance and relevance”.
Two music videos were made for the song. The original Australian video, which presents Hayes with long hair, features the band in a white room with several other people. Hayes is on a red sofa singing the song while Daniel performs on the piano. It was directed by Tony McGrath. The video (below) used for the European market, which presents Hayes with short hair, was filmed in Paris. It was directed by Adolfo Doring.
The video depicts the story of two lovers, a young man and a lady, who have been separated by circumstances. The woman arrives in Paris, possibly at Gare du Nord station, in search of her lover, who is also waiting for her. He is wandering in various places within the Montmartre area, including the Soleil de la Butte restaurant. In between the scenes involving the two lovers, Hayes can be seen walking around Paris, in locations such as the Place de la Concorde and the Jardin des Tuileries. He is singing, thereby acting as a narrator to the story involving the two lovers. Towards the end of the video, Hayes enters a small concert hall where Daniel Jones is playing guitar. Shortly afterwards, the young lady manages to find her lover, right in the centre of Paris, at the feet of the Tour Saint-Jacques. They are both filled with emotion on seeing each other again. The video ends with Hayes and Jones coming out of the concert hall, and coming across the two lovers who are rejoicing in their reunion.
The band’s two studio albums, Savage Garden and Affirmation, reached No. 1 in Australia and peaked in the top ten in both the United Kingdom and United States. These albums sold 23 million copies worldwide. The group won a record number of ten ARIA Music Awards in 1997 for their debut album and its related singles. They disbanded in the end of 2001 and Hayes continued as a solo artist.
I’ll be your dream, I’ll be your wish, I’ll be your fantasy
I’ll be your hope, I’ll be your love, be everything that you need
I love you more with every breath truly, madly, deeply do
I will be strong, I will be faithful ’cause I’m counting on
A new beginnin’
A reason for livin’
A deeper meaning, yeah
I wanna stand with you on a mountain
I wanna bathe with you in the sea
I wanna lay like this forever
Until the sky falls down on me
And when the stars are shining brightly in the velvet sky
I’ll make a wish, send it to heaven and make you want to cry
The tears of joy for all the pleasure and the certainty
That we’re surrounded by the comfort and protection
Of the highest powers
In lonely hours
The tears devour you
An’ I wanna stand with you on a mountain
I wanna bathe with you in the sea
I wanna lay like this forever
Until the sky falls down on me
Oh, can you see it, baby?
You don’t have to close your eyes
It’s standin’ right before you
All that you need will surely come
Ooh, yeah
I’ll be your dream, I’ll be your wish, I’ll be your fantasy
I’ll be your hope, I’ll be your love, be everything that you need
I’ll love you more with every breath truly, madly, deeply do
I wanna stand with you on a mountain
I wanna bathe with you in the sea
I wanna lay like this forever
Until the sky falls down on me
I wanna stand with you on a mountain
I wanna bathe with you in the sea
I want to live like this forever
Until the sky falls down on me
Source: Musixmatch.com
Songwriters: Daniel Jones / Darren Hayes
Truly Madly Deeply lyrics © Sony/atv Music Publishing/savage Garden
Love this song
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Thanks
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Great choice! I love this song! I remember back in high school, we would record MTV Unplugged on VHS and would play the Savage Garden session on loop because of this song 🙂
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Happy to bring back great memories
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This is such a perfect song for the prompt Sheree. I love listening to this.
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Thanks
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Ahhh yes! I’ve always loved this song. Good to hear it again. 🙂
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My pleasure
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Nice! 🙂
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Thanks
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Pingback: Musical Monday: Savage Garden – View from the Back
Thank you for the introduction to the group I have never heard of!
Joanna
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My pleasure Joanna
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