The Animal Song Explained

The Animal Song
Cover:AnimalSong.jpg
Type:single
Artist:Savage Garden
Album:Affirmation
Genre:Pop
Length:4:39
Label:Roadshow Music
Producer:Savage Garden, Walter Afanasieff
Prev Title:Santa Monica
Prev Year:1998
Next Title:Tears of Pearls
Next Year:1999

"The Animal Song" is a song by Australian pop music duo Savage Garden, released as a single on 23 February 1999. The song was written for the soundtrack of the film The Other Sister and also appeared on their second studio album, Affirmation (1999), as well as their compilation album, . It was the band's first song to be produced by Walter Afanasieff, a producer well known for his work with Mariah Carey. Afanasieff would later produce the group's Affirmation album, and also Darren Hayes' first solo album, Spin.

Background

The video for the song was directed by Jim Gable. It features Hayes walking through a parade, with intercut scenes from The Other Sister with Juliette Lewis. The song is also used in the "Shamu Rocks" seasonal nighttime show at SeaWorld, America. "The Animal Song" became the group's third Canadian number one single, topping the singles chart for three weeks, from 27 March 1999. It also peaked at number three in their native Australia and New Zealand, number 19 in the United States, and number 16 on the UK Singles Chart.

In June 2015, singer Darren Hayes explained that Savage Garden had been offered to record a song for Runaway Bride. However they passed up on the proposal and instead chose to compose a song "for the film that flopped".[1] Daniel Jones described "The Animal Song" as a "transitional song" between their first and second albums and a "fun song that made you feel good".

The lyrics of the song deal with the struggles experienced by individuals suffering from mental illnesses, and more generally with the difficulty in expressing one's emotions and finding compassion in a confusing world that stultifies individuals with all kinds of rules. According to Darren Hayes, his longing for life in the tropical climes of Australia while living in the United States provided further inspiration for the lyrics.

Track listings

Australia

CD single[2]

  1. "The Animal Song" (radio edit)
  2. "The Animal Song" (album version)
  3. "Santa Monica" (Bittersweet remix)

United States and Canada

CD and cassette single[3] [4]

  1. "The Animal Song" (album version) – 4:40
  2. "Santa Monica" (Bittersweet remix) – 5:00

United Kingdom

CD1[5]

  1. "The Animal Song" (radio edit) – 3:41
  2. "Carry on Dancing" (Ultra Violet mix) – 6:44
  3. "The Animal Song" (instrumental) – 4:17

CD2[6]

  1. "The Animal Song" – 4:40
  2. "All Around Me" – 4:09
  3. "Break Me Shake Me" (Broken mix) – 4:18

Cassette single[7]

  1. "The Animal Song"
  2. "All Around Me"

Europe

CD1[8]

  1. "The Animal Song" – 3:50
  2. "Santa Monica" (Bittersweet remix) – 5:00

CD2[9]

  1. "The Animal Song" (radio edit) – 3:50
  2. "Carry on Dancing" (Ultra Violet mix) – 6:44
  3. "The Animal Song" (instrumental) – 4:40
  4. "All Around Me" – 4:09
  5. "Break Me Shake Me" (Broken mix) – 4:18

Japan

CD single[10]

  1. "The Animal Song" – 4:40
  2. "The Animal Song" (radio edit) – 3:43
  3. "The Animal Song" (7-inch vocal mix) – 4:21
  4. "The Animal Song" (instrumental version) – 4:42
  5. "The Animal Song" (a cappella) – 3:46

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1999)Peak
position
Czech Republic (IFPI)[11] 10
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[12] 38
Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40)[13] 23
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40 Tipparade)[14] 6

Year-end charts

Chart (1999)Position
Australia (ARIA)[15] 18
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[16] 25
Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)[17] 62
Romania (Romanian Top 100)[18] 45
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[19] 40
US Adult Top 40 (Billboard)[20] 72
US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard)[21] 83

Decade-end charts

Release history

RegionDateFormat(s)Label(s)
Australia23 February 1999CDRoadshow Music
United StatesColumbia[23] [24]
Canada9 March 1999CD[25]
Japan25 March 1999SME[26]
United Kingdom28 June 1999Columbia[27]

Notes and References

  1. https://www.facebook.com/SavageGarden/posts/
  2. The Animal Song. Savage Garden. 1999. Australian CD single liner notes. Roadshow Music. 102045-2.
  3. The Animal Song. Savage Garden. 1999. US & Canadian CD single liner notes. Columbia Records. 38K 79112.
  4. The Animal Song. Savage Garden. 1999. US cassette single sleeve. Columbia Records. 38T79112.
  5. The Animal Song. Savage Garden. 1999. UK CD1 liner notes. Columbia Records. 667588 2.
  6. The Animal Song. Savage Garden. 1999. UK CD2 liner notes. Columbia Records. 667588 5.
  7. The Animal Song. Savage Garden. 1999. UK cassette single sleeve. Columbia Records. 667588 4.
  8. The Animal Song. Savage Garden. 1999. European CD1 liner notes. Columbia Records. COL 666939 1.
  9. The Animal Song. Savage Garden. 1999. European CD2 liner notes. Columbia Records. COL 666939 2.
  10. The Animal Song. Savage Garden. 1999. Japanese CD single liner notes. SME Records. SRCS 8908.
  11. Web site: Oficiální Česká Hitparáda – Pro týden. IFPI ČR. cs. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/19990829142859/http://www.ifpicr.cz/radio.htm. August 29, 1999. April 4, 2022.
  12. Eurochart Hot 100 Singles. Music & Media. 16. 29. 9. 17 July 1999. 10 June 2020.
  13. News: Íslenski Listinn (19.3–26.3. 1999). Dagblaðið Vísir. is. 10. 19 March 1999. 5 October 2019.
  14. Web site: Tipparade-lijst van week 32, 1999. Dutch Top 40. March 12, 2023.
  15. Web site: ARIA Top 100 Singles for 1999. Australian Recording Industry Association. 31 March 2021.
  16. RPM 1999 Top 100 Hit Tracks. RPM. Library and Archives Canada. 12 April 2018.
  17. RPM 1999 Top 100 Adult Contemporary. RPM. Library and Archives Canada. 12 April 2018.
  18. Web site: Romanian Top 100: Top of the Year 1999. Romanian Top 100. ro. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20050122081829/http://www.rt100.ro/topul-anului-1999.html. 22 January 2005. 27 April 2020.
  19. Web site: Årslista Singlar, 1999. Sverigetopplistan. sv. 27 April 2020.
  20. Most Played Adult Top 40 Songs of 1999. Airplay Monitor. 7. 52. 47. 24 December 1999.
  21. Most Played Mainstream Top 40 Songs of 1999. Airplay Monitor. 7. 52. 54. 24 December 1999.
  22. Web site: Top 100 singles of the 1990s. Lwin. Nanda. Jam!. https://web.archive.org/web/20000829070927/http://www.jamshowbiz.com/JamMusicCharts/100_1990.html. 29 August 2000. 26 March 2022.
  23. Hot 100 Spotlight. Mayfield. Geoff. Caulfield. Keith. Graybow. Steve. Billboard. 111. 10. 109. 6 March 1999. Meanwhile, the Feb. 23 retail drop of Savage Garden's 'The Animal Song'....
  24. Web site: Discography. savagegarden.com. https://web.archive.org/web/20001018073327fw_/http://www.savagegarden.com/newsFr.html. 18 October 2000. 18 June 2023. To view release date, click on Discography.
  25. Web site: Album Releases: March 1999. Jam!. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20000817160842/http://jamshowbiz.com/JamMusicReleases1999/mar99.html. 17 August 2000. 6 January 2023.
  26. Web site: Savage Garden. Sony Music Entertainment Japan. https://web.archive.org/web/19991002221820/http://www.sme.co.jp/Music/International/Arch/SR/SavageGarden/. 2 October 1999. 25 August 2023. Click on Discography.
  27. New Releases – For Week Starting 28 June, 1999. Music Week. 25. 26 June 1999. 22 July 2021.

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