"Break Me Shake Me" is the fourth single released by

Savage Garden Savage Garden was an Australian pop duo consisting of Darren Hayes on vocals and Daniel Jones on instruments. Formed in Brisbane, Queensland, in 1993, the duo achieved international success from the mid-1990s to early 2000s with the No. ...

from their eponymous debut album ''

''. "Break Me Shake Me" was released exclusively as a single in Australia in 1997 before being issued in Europe and Japan during the summer of 1998. The song was a hit in Australia, reaching number seven on the

ARIA Singles Chart The ARIA Charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling songs and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA became the offici ...

, and in New Zealand, where it peaked at number eight on the

RIANZ Singles Chart Recorded Music NZ (formerly the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand (RIANZ)) is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell recorded music in New Zealand. Membership of Recorded Mus ...

. Two music videos exist for the song.

Background

On 11 June 2015, prior to the release of ''

The Singles The Singles may refer to: * ''The Singles'' (Basement Jaxx album) by Basement Jaxx * ''The Singles'' (Bikini Kill album) * ''The Singles'' (Blank & Jones album), 2006 * ''The Singles'' (The Bluetones album), 2002 * ''The Singles'' (Chisato Mor ...

'' compilation album, a video was posted on the band's Facebook page to explain the meaning behind the song's lyrics. The lyrics refer to actual arguments Darren Hayes had had with a close friend of his at school, as they debated their musical preferences: ''"She was a

Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone (; ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Widely dubbed the " Queen of Pop", Madonna has been noted for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, a ...

fan, I was a Michael Jackson fan."'' He further added that it is one of his favorite songs to play live, sometimes mashed up with

Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...

music to tribute him as the driving influence behind "Break Me Shake Me". The version of "I'll Bet He Was Cool" that features on the Australian release is around twenty seconds shorter than the version that appears on most other releases. The "acoustic live" version of "I Want You" that features on the European release is the same version that appears on the Japanese ''

Truly Madly Deeply – Ultra Rare Tracks ''Truly Madly Deeply – Ultra Rare Tracks'' is a compilation album released by Australian pop duo Savage Garden on 14 April 1998, exclusively in Japan. Background As none of Savage Garden's first three singles were issued in Japan, Sony made t ...

'' CD. "Break Me Shake Me (Remix)" is the same as "Break Me Shake Me (Broken Mix)", which appears on ''

The Future of Earthly Delites ''The Future of Earthly Delites'' is a compilation album released by Australian pop duo Savage Garden, released to promote their world tour of the same name. The album includes two discs: one featuring their self-titled debut album "'' Savage Ga ...

'' remix album. The full title of the Japanese release is ''Break Me Shake Me + 4 Rare Tracks''. "

Santa Monica Santa Monica (; Spanish: ''Santa Mónica'') is a city in Los Angeles County, situated along Santa Monica Bay on California's South Coast. Santa Monica's 2020 U.S. Census population was 93,076. Santa Monica is a popular resort town, owing to ...

" was originally intended to be released before "Break Me Shake Me", and thus many online retailers made a listing for ''Santa Monica Remixes EP''. However, "Santa Monica" was later released as a separate single. The version of "Tears of Pearls (Tears on the Dancefloor Mix)" is the original, uncorrected version which appeared on the first pressing of ''The Future of Earthly Delites'' remix album.

Music videos

Two music videos were filmed for the song. The first video, which presents Darren Hayes with long hair, and was made for the Australian market, features the band performing the song in a small room, whilst the walls came closer and closer together. The second video, which presents Darren Hayes with short hair, and was made for the European market, features the band driving around in a car, performing in Bombo Headland Geological Site, NSW Australia and some concert footage from their Future of Earthly Delites tour. This video was directed by Adolfo Doring.

Track listings

* Europe Single CD # "Break Me Shake Me" – 3:23 # "Break Me Shake Me" (live acoustic) – 3:26 Maxi CD # "Break Me Shake Me" – 3:23 # "Break Me Shake Me" (live acoustic) – 3:26 # "Break Me Shake Me" (Remix) – 4:18 # "I Want You" (live acoustic) – 2:47 * Australia Standard # "Break Me Shake Me" – 3:23 # "I'll Bet He Was Cool" – 4:39 # "Break Me Shake Me" (live acoustic) – 3:26 Limited edition # "Break Me Shake Me" – 3:23 # "I'll Bet He Was Cool" – 4:39 # "Break Me Shake Me" (live acoustic) – 3:26 # "To the Moon and Back" (Hani's Num Radio Edit) – 3:58 # "To the Moon and Back" (Hani's Num Dub) – 5:17 # "To the Moon and Back" (Escape Into Hyperspace Mix) – 4:38 * Japan # "Break Me Shake Me" – 3:23 # "Tears of Pearls" (Tears on the Dancefloor Mix) – 5:24 # "Carry on Dancing" (Ultraviolet Mix) – 6:46 # "To the Moon and Back" (acoustic) – 3:27 # "Break Me Shake Me" (Broken Mix) – 4:18

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

Release history

References

{{Authority control 1996 songs 1997 singles Savage Garden songs Songs written by Daniel Jones (musician) Songs written by Darren Hayes