Savage Garden Demos - Info

[pjcohen]

Hi, all...

Seeing as the Savage Garden demo recordings are a frequent topic of conversation on this forum, I thought I'd try to consolidate all that we've discussed and learned into one post thread. If someone has a question about the demos, please refer them here.

The demo tapes were recorded/distributed around 1994, presumably under the name Bliss (Darren and Daniel were not yet known as Savage Garden). They are fairly complete arrangements, even though the music is just keyboard sounds. There are two different tapes that were made.

One is five tracks long, and about 150 copies were distributed to producers. The track listing is:

To The Moon And Back
Mine
A Thousand Words
Stepping Stone
Universe

This tape is probably the one that got them their record deal, through John Woodruff. Only a very few originals remain today, and fans have not been able to get any or they would have been reproduced.

The other tape is fifteen tracks long and was originally two sides of a shorter tape, in which the A-side contained the songs up to She (which is cut off at the end of the side). I'm unsure as to how many original copies were made, but this tape has now been reproduced many times by fans and now all the tracks are on one side of a long tape. It's track listing is:

Tell Me It's Okay
Promises
Fire Inside The Man
Violet
To The Moon And Back
Tears Of Pearls
Magical Kisses
She
In This Lifetime
Free
Carry On Dancing
Mine
All Around Me
Aubergine Girl
Secret Silver Gypsy (AKA SS Gypsy)

Some songs from the demo tapes never made it into the studio, or changed names during the recording process. The completely unreleased songs are:

Stepping Stone
Tell Me It's Okay
She
In This Lifetime
Aubergine Girl
SS Gypsy

Remnants of two of these songs *did* make it to the studio however - Stepping Stone was completely rewritten and eventually became Break Me Shake Me, and She evolved into I'll Bet He Was Cool. Magical Kisses was also rewritten slightly - the tempo was slowed and a new chorous was written and now it is Truly Madly Deeply. Free was not rewritten, but was renamed slightly to become You Can Still Be Free.

For more info and discussion, see the following links:
http://forums.darrenhayescentral.com...p?t=84&start=0
http://forums.darrenhayescentral.com...er=asc&start=0
http://forums.darrenhayescentral.com...er=asc&start=0

For those songs which were unreleased, or completely rewritten, here are my interpretations of the lyrics, for the most part based on a copy of the 15-track demo digitally recorded and then processed for clarity and noise reduction. They may contain slight inaccuracies but should be close unless noted differently.


Stepping Stone

(The only known lyrics to this song can be found on the back of the Future Of Earthly Delites 2xCD set re-release of the debut album. See also: http://fan.inkstigmata.net/lyrics.html Presumably from the chorous, the lyrics are as follows)

She'll push you for another person
She can lie
She can blame
But the facts still remain
She'll take you for a ride
If you can't be her saviour
You'll be a stepping stone

Tell Me It's Okay

(Verse One)

So many people wonder why
In a world where you and I
Can belong to one another
Can be strong for one another
Where did the friendship that I know
Dissapear where did it go
How can laughter and smiles
Turn into hating each others lies

(Pre-chorous)

The time of thinking is over, done
The cards are dealt, let's have some fun

(Chorus)
Ooh, someone tell me it's okay
Say it's true, 'cause I don't wanna believe it

(Verse Two)

I don't believe you when you say
You don't have time in your day
To induldge a little humor
Crack a smile, afraid that you might
Tear to pieces your own soul
But I think that you should know
I have seized my desire
Only branded a liar

(Chorus)

(Bridge)

Is it okay?
Don't know here that it's okay
Yeah...

(Verse Three)

If there's a reason for descent,
Into lonely nothingness
Go on throw 'em in the fire
Take the rope, swing it higher
Under the amber autumn sun
May the prophet come undone
for a world without sorrow
Is a day with no tomorrow

(Pre-chorous)

(Chorus)

(Chorous with "Oh Yeah" and "Oh No" to fade)

Magical Kisses

(Intro)

I'm going to plant a kiss
Like a magic seed
And watch it grow into everything for you and me

(Verse One)

I’ll be your dream
I’ll be your wish ill be your fantasy
I’ll be your hope ill be your love
Be every thing that you need
I’ll 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 beginning
A reason for living
A deeper meaning

(Chorous)

Cause I’ve got all your magical kisses
Magical kisses
On my lips now
Magical kisses
Magical kisses
On my lips now

(Verse Two)

And when the stars are shining brightly in the velvet sky
I’ll make a wish send it to heaven
Then 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 power
In lonely hours
The tears devour

(Chorous)

(Bridge)

All that you need will surely come
And your seed will soon be gone

(Intro)

(Verse Three)

I’ll be your dream
I’ll be your wish I'll be your fantasy
Hey woman, how bout it, your magic kissin' now
I’ll love you more with every breath
Truly madly deeply do
Hey woman, how bout it, your magic kissin' now

Kisses for a new beginning
A reason for living
A deeper meaning

(Chorous)

Magical kisses
Hey woman, how bout it, your magic kissin' now
Magical kisses
Hey woman, how bout it, your magic kissin' now
On my lips now
Magical kisses
Hey woman, how bout it, your magic kissin' now
Feel the love as it grows all around
Magical kisses

She

(Verse One)

She
sacrifices time
Yeah, I know she
Sells her dreams for mine

(Chorous)

(She) Anything you want now baby
(She) Say the word, she won't say maybe

(Verse Two)

She
Is beauty undefined
Yeah, I know she
Would search through space and time
For me

(Chorous)

(Bridge)

And like a mother with an infant child
So protective, standing tall, waiting
She
Would do it all for
Love

When sleep will lay to rest the fire that I know
And magic dreams are in your head
Well I lay beside you so that you can...
(tape cuts off)

In This Lifetime

(Several parts of these lyrics are unclear and open to interpretation. Follow this link: http://forums.darrenhayescentral.com...er=asc&start=0 for some discussion of the unclear portions)

(Daniel's Intro part)

Well life they say (possibly "Well like they say")
Always delivering (possibly "Always deliberate")
Blood makes beauty
Love is human (Possible "Love equals human" or "Love deepens human")

(Verse One)

A man takes a firing step through the wire
The flames are long and the tempatures high
Bound by the fear he hides so well
A silent pain but time will tell

(Pre-chorous One)

That love decayed without you knowing
But bitter tears will keep on flowing
Oh why?

(Chorous)

Fight some years in human war - In this lifetime
Still no different than before - In this lifetime
Men kill men with army game - In this lifetime
Fights and knives feel the same - In this lifetime

(Verse Two)

He's tought to love that heals and mends
But what if the fighting never ends?
Four little words can steal your bread
When there's a cure there'll be none left

(Pre-chorous Two)

Love decayed without you knowing
Bitter tears will keep on flowing
Awhile

(Chorous)

(Bridge)

And we slowly come undone
Pray for the king who never comes
But we never question why
We just keep holding on 'cause
Love's enough to keep us going

(Pre-chorous Three)

Love decays without you knowing
But bitter tears will keep on flowing
Oh why?

(Chorous x2)

Fight some years in human war
Still no different than before
Men kill men with army game
Fights and knives feel the same

Aubergine Girl

(Chorus)

Aubergine girl,
I'll give you all, I'll give you up,
But I'll never give in
Aubergine girl,
I'll be alone, I'll be your fool
And I'll believe you aubergine

(Verse One)

I've got your picture (Baby) on the bedroom wall, yeah
Well your silky moments are on my mind, yeah
And I just can't believe
A girl with your discretion
Would be so blind she can't see
What's in front of her eyes
Girl, you don't notice (Well I think you do)

When things are moving way too slow,
I just dream of places we could go
'Cause you're my...

(Chorus)

(Verse Two)

I've see the other girlies in the magazines, yeah
But that kinds of beauty is not my style, no
The way you're looking at me
I guess I can't believe it
You know, I'm usually shy
But I'm willing to try
Girl, I think i want you (Baby)

I don't want to take you home
I just want someone to call my own
'Cause you're my...

(Chorus)

(Bridge)

I want you baby, you know I really need you baby
Well I love you and I want you baby
You know I really need you baby

(Daniel's break-down part)

It's a pretty fine line between boy and a girl
But but believe me aubergine, you rule my world

'Cause you're my...

(Chorous)

(Chorous with Bridge)

(Bridge)

SS Gypsy

(Verse One)

It was a secret silver gypsy
That knocked upon my door
I'd turned her away
but she won't take "no" anymore
Well I've been sliding down the door
And I've been peeling up the walls
Just to make sense and reason
But I, I can't resist your shine
And when she's say'
Just sayin'

(Chorus)
"I'll move you
Push through you
I'll take your mind into mine"
And she won't stop

(Verse Two)

Well silently she takes you
Inhibitions fade away
Well if you'd gladly be her captive
You would dream your day away
Well You'll be crawling on the ceiling
To escape what you are feeling
But the pleasure carries on
Well You'll be sliding down the door
And you'll be peeling up the walls
Just to make sense and reason
But ah, you can't resist the shine

(Chorus)

(Bridge)

And it goes on, on, on
On, on, on
And it goes on, on, on, on
Hey, she'll move through!

Secret Silver Gypsy Lady
She got the ways to make you crazy
Secret Silver Gypsy Lady
She got the ways to make you crazy

She'll show you things you've never done (Secret Silver Gypsy Lady)
She'll be your picture, baby (She got the ways to move you baby)
There ain't no love (Secret Silver Gypsy Lady)
That I won't give (She got the ways to move you baby)
You don't know where she's going (Secret Silver Gypsy Lady)
She will move you, push through you (She got the ways to move you baby)
She'll take your mind into her mind (Secret Silver Gypsy Lady)
Da-da-da (She got the ways to move you baby)

(Continue to fade)

In addition to these lyrics, there are some slightly noticable changes in some demos from their studio-released counterparts. The Promises demo starts with the line "Don't you know I need a little divulgence" rather than "indulgence" and doesn't contain the line "Don't you go making it harder than hell." Violet contains some rather cheesy lines spoken by Daniel which didn't make it into the studio version, as follows:

Try it, buy it, multiply it
Feels so good you can't deny it
Takes a second to supply it
Check you later, it must be Violet

A line from Tears of Pearls is peformed in the demo as "You see the kisses were like pearls, each one different each one rare / but anger stole the jewels away and pearls have left you bare, it's true." Free (or later, You Can Still Be Free) has the line "Come now the ancient bird, the wound unhealing," and Carry On Dancing has the line "And the groove tonight / is something more than a techno beat."

That's about everything I know, please feel free to discuss more here. If you're trying to find out where to hear the demos, that shouldn't be discussed in this forum but Private Messaging is fine. I'll edit this post if any more info arises.

-- Phill

*Note for Toby: Shouldn't the FAQs go in the General Chat group? Seeing as they pertain to both SG and Darren. Just a thought - I'll leave it in your hands*

[AndyFallonFan]

Wow....that's thorough. I was especially interested in the last few lines of 'She', which I had never seen interpereted previously.

AndyFallonFan

[pjcohen]

Actually, I'm not entirely sure about that part. I could swear Darren says "hair" but "Magic dreams are in your hair" doesn't really make sense.

-- Phill (Waiting to see if Toby has read the note)

[Mr X]

Thought about that but the General Chat group is really for topics which don't actually have to be related to either SG or DH ... right now I don't plan on moving it :0

Edit: Just separated the FAQ's

[elizabeth2002]

Thanks Phill. Your information is really a detailed one.

[Anonymous]

can someone tell me what are the sources or how do you know with complete exactitude and rightness (this word doesn't really exist), the tracklisting of the rare demo tape that has stepping stones.. and how are you sure it has stepping stones?? nobody has it; no body wants to talk about it but them where did you get the tracklisting; what's the degree of expeculation here? .. I know sometimes Darren and Daniel say.. we are fortunate to include to the moon and back in our demo tape; it's probably the reason why we got a record deal, they may have say that too for a thousand words which is the first song they wrote together...
sorry I don't believe anything I read on the internet; even if it's here.
thank you and I don't doubt of your word, just want to know

[Mr X]

I think the stuff on the demo tapes was compiled based on various sources of information. It is quite possible that the information isn't 100% correct but based on what information is available it is considered to be fairly accurate (as far as it can be without having any information from an official source).

[Anonymous]

as I guessed..
I don't think that in that demo tape stepping stones is as stepping stones;. I might better thing that is as break me shake me.. after what I've heard too. not 100% either.. all that needs confirmation.

[Mr X]

It is impossible to get any info officially to confirm the tracklisting ... believe me I have tried.

[CrashAndBurn]

By the way, did you notice that in the demo of "Carry on Dancing", Darren pronounced the word "Dancing" and "Romancing" as Da(ncing) and (Ro) Ma (ncing), and in the album version, he pronounces it as De(ncing) and (Ro) me(ncing).

What do you think would be better for those two words? like the demo, or like the original (album version)?