How are your Valentine’s Day preps going? Dinner plans already sorted? Cards and chocolates bought? Ready to press play on that romantic playlist? Good on ya!
But if you’re still struggling with that perfect gift, feel free to impress your Valentine with some fun facts about their favourite love songs made Down Under. So they could never tear you apart.
PART 67 OF “AM I EVER GONNA SEE YOUR FACE AGAIN?” A RANDOM COLLECTION OF UNKNOWINGLY OBVIOUS FACTS ABOUT THE AUSTRALIAN MUSIC SCENE
There are, in fact, two music clips to Savage Garden’s most famous banger. The original one was meant for the home audiences and is much simpler in form. The one that you know, most likely, is the international version, set in Paris.
Regardless of which video you’re familiar with, “Truly Madly Deeply” proved to be a banger in almost every corner of the world. And f you can’t quote the next line after “I want to stand with you on a mountain”, then you must have been living on another planet for the past 24 years.
There are heaps more Valentine’s Day apt songs born in Australia. Last year, I wrote about some of them that are not so obvious, at least not at first sight. This year, on the contrary – I’ve decided to focus on some (14 to be exact) classic anthems, and discover the stories behind them.
But not to give everything away so easily, I’ve put them in a sort of quiz for you. Apart from the fun fact, you’ll also get other clues: two images (one hinting the artist and the other one – the song), and a line from the lyrics.
Some tunes will be easier to guess, some might be a novelty. Mind you, they’re all songs about love in a way (platonic, physical attraction, self-love etc.). That’s why they’ll all have something related to that in the title, directly or metaphorically speaking.
So let’s see how well you know the romantic Aussie music department.
SONG ONE
Fun fact:
After a career spanning four decades, this Australian artist won 2 ARIA Awards in 2020 and was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame.
Lyrics:
“When the sun rise I won’t let you down / Pick you up, I won’t let you down”
SONG TWO
Fun fact:
All three brothers making up the group were born and raised in the UK until the late 1950s. Only one of them is still alive today.
Lyrics:
“‘Cause we’re living in a world of fools /
Breaking us down when they all should let us be”
SONG THREE
Fun fact:
The band, whose charismatic frontwoman used to wear a school uniform on stage, were the first in Australia to be directly signed to an international record deal by Chrysalis Records.
Lyrics:
“I love myself /
I want you to love me”
SONG FOUR
Fun fact:
The band’s frontman is the older brother of Nick Seymour – the bass player for Crowded House.
Lyrics:
“And we may never meet again /
So shed your skin and let’s get started”
SONG FIVE
Fun fact:
The band was originally named after the three brothers who played drums, keyboard and guitar in it. That name was used for three years, between 1977-1980.
Lyrics:
“In the dark of night /
Those small hours”
SONG SIX
Fun fact:
The band was offered to support The Rolling Stones on their Australian tour in 2003. That was before their first album had even been recorded and released.
Lyrics:
“So one, two, three, take my hand and come with me /
Because you look so fine that I really wanna make you mine”
SONG SEVEN
Fun fact:
Before his most famous hit was released, the singer starred in the Australian production of the rock musical Jesus Christ Superstar.
Lyrics:
“And I don’t know if I’m being foolish /
Don’t know if I’m being wise”
SONG EIGHT
Fun fact:
The band, formed in 1978, had gone on hiatus four times already. Until it started playing regularly again in 2010.
Lyrics:
“So you want to watch what you say (watch what you say) /
We could go all the way (go all the way)”
SONG NINE
Fun fact:
This versatile artist briefly dated PJ Harvey in the mid-1990s.
Lyrics:
“I don’t believe in an interventionist God /
But I know, darling, that you do”
SONG TEN
Fun fact:
This singer and guitar player dropped out of high school to tour with a band in Vietnam.
Lyrics:
“Where can I find a woman like that?”
SONG ELEVEN
Fun fact:
The three members of this grunge-influenced band were only 12/13 when they formed it in 1992.
Lyrics:
“I love the way you love /
But I hate the way /
I’m supposed to love you back”
SONG TWELVE
Fun fact:
They were the first Australian group ever to reach no.1 both in the US and the UK, and are the only surviving chart-topping band from the 1960s still performing with all the original founding members.
Lyrics:
“But if I should lose your love, dear /
I don’t know what I’d do“
SONG THIRTEEN
Fun fact:
The band’s frontman is a great-grandson of an Indonesian revolutionary war hero. And the group is based in London.
Lyrics:
“Just stay there /
‘Cause I’ll be coming over”
SONG FOURTEEN
Fun fact:
The band’s sound is often mistaken for Led Zeppelin’s.
Lyrics:
“She had different lockets with no name /
Tellin’ me all things all the same”
That’s it! How many do you think you guessed correctly?
And just like in other quizzes, I can’t leave you without a solution. Here it is, in the form of a playlist.
Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone!
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Silly McWiggles. A blog about Aussie music. 