The Message Behind the Music-February 12

Inspiration Behind I Knew I Loved You:

Savage Garden was trying to build upon their success of their previous hit Truly Madly Deeply. This duo realized that their best chance was in a love ballad, a genre that would speak to a broad audience. I Know I Loved You was written in 40 minutes. The inspiration came from Darren Hayes who was going through a divorce at the time this song was written. Love at first sight isn’t an ideal way to start a relationship, but for someone who knows what they are searching for in a soul mate, marriages can stand the test of time.

Biblical Application:

Then he prayed, “Lord, God of my master Abraham, make me successful today, and show kindness to my master Abraham. ¹³ See, I am standing beside this spring, and the daughters of the townspeople are coming out to draw water. ¹⁴ May it be that when I say to a young woman, ‘Please let down your jar that I may have a drink,’ and she says, ‘Drink, and I’ll water your camels too’—let her be the one you have chosen for your servant Isaac. By this I will know that you have shown kindness to my master.” ¹⁵ Before he had finished praying, Rebekah came out with her jar on her shoulder. She was the daughter of Bethuel son of Milkah, who was the wife of Abraham’s brother Nahor. ¹⁶ The woman was very beautiful, a virgin; no man had ever slept with her. She went down to the spring, filled her jar and came up again, Genesis 24:12-16.

Exegesis of I Knew I Loved You:

Oh, oh, oh, ohh
Maybe it’s intuition
Somethings you just don’t question
Like in your eyes, I see my future in an instant
And there it goes, I think I’ve found my best friend

Some people immediately know after an initial conversation, encounter or glance, that they are going to spend the rest of their life with this individual. Most people need more time to realize that they’ve just met their future best friend.

I know that it might sound
More than a little crazy
But I believe

To the analytical, deep thinkers and sophisticated, this seems crazy. Yet for Darren, he believed in love at first sight.

I knew I loved you before I met you
I think I dreamed you into life
I knew I loved you before I met you
I have been waiting all my life

The chorus describes the woman of Darren’s dreams. Someone he has been waiting to meet his entire life.

There’s just no rhyme or reason
Only a sense of completion
And in your eyes, I see the missing pieces
I’m searching for, I think I’ve found my way home

Darren can’t come up with a logical explanation for how he feels. To quote Jerry Maguire, Darren believed that his wife completed him.

I know that it might sound
More than a little crazy
But I believe

Darren is not thinking rationale as he’s smitten by love.

I knew I loved you before I met you
I think I dreamed you into life
I knew I loved you before I met you
I have been waiting all my life

The chorus reinforces Darren’s thought that this is the woman of his dreams.

Ooh hoo ooo, hoo hoo ooo ohh
A thousand angels dance around you
(Ooh hoo, hoo ooo hoo ooo hoo hoo hoo)
I am complete now that I have found you

Darren believes his wife was sent by God to complete his life, surrounded by angels.

I knew I loved you before I met you
I think I dreamed you into life
I knew I loved you before I met you
I have been waiting all my life

Intuition is leading Darren.

I knew I loved you before I met you
I think I dreamed you into life
I knew I loved you before I met you
I have been waiting all my life

Darren is overwhelmed by love.

I knew I loved you before I met you, I knew I loved you
(Ooh hoo ooo, hoo hoo ooo)
I knew I loved you before I met you, I knew I loved you
(Ooh hoo ooo, hoo hoo hoo)
I knew I loved you before I met you
(Oh oh, ohh ohh, oh oh oh ay ay yea oh)
I knew I loved you before I met you, I knew I loved you
I knew I loved you before I met you

Perhaps, this song was meant to serve as a plea to win his wife back. Or a powerful reminder of the love still present in his heart.

Final Thoughts:

When I met my wife Leanne in 1993, I had been avoiding the dating scene as a youth pastor. It took me about a year to realize that she was the one for me. Yet, after meeting me, Leanne knew that I would one day become her husband. Thirty plus years later, love at first sight can lead to a joyful marriage.

by Jay Mankus