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.
^The Animal Song (US & Canadian CD single liner notes). Savage Garden. Columbia Records. 1999. 38K 79112.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^The Animal Song (US cassette single sleeve). Savage Garden. Columbia Records. 1999. 38T79112.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^The Animal Song (UK CD1 liner notes). Savage Garden. Columbia Records. 1999. 667588 2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^The Animal Song (UK CD2 liner notes). Savage Garden. Columbia Records. 1999. 667588 5.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^The Animal Song (UK cassette single sleeve). Savage Garden. Columbia Records. 1999. 667588 4.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^The Animal Song (European CD1 liner notes). Savage Garden. Columbia Records. 1999. COL 666939 1.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^The Animal Song (European CD2 liner notes). Savage Garden. Columbia Records. 1999. COL 666939 2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^The Animal Song (Japanese CD single liner notes). Savage Garden. SME Records. 1999. SRCS 8908.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^Mayfield, Geoff; Caulfield, Keith; Graybow, Steve (6 March 1999). "Hot 100 Spotlight". Billboard. Vol. 111, no. 10. p. 109. Meanwhile, the Feb. 23 retail drop of Savage Garden's 'The Animal Song'...
^"Discography". savagegarden.com. Archived from the original on 18 October 2000. Retrieved 18 June 2023. To view release date, click on Discography.