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 both 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".
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==