Life In Lyrics
(UK Cosmo Girl, July)

Strange Relationship by Darren Hayes

IT'S ABOUT: "A relationship that isn't good for you but it's addictive. One of those friendships or romantic links, which is at times the best thing and then at others the worst - yet it's still exciting and passionate. It's not strictly true of my own relationships but with my album, Spin, I had a lot of fun stepping outside myself and upping the friction quota!"

WHERE I WROTE IT: "I wrote my entire album last year at home in San Francisco. I dedicated a year to writing and recording so I was in a comfortable, relaxed phase of my life."

HOW I WROTE IT: "I was so disciplined and spent four months nine to five, Monday to Friday, writing songs. I treated it as a full-time job. Sometimes I'd sit down with my co-writer and we'd come up with a few chords and base the melody around it. Other times a melody would come to me just before I went to sleep or when I was on a train and then I'd ring my phone at home and record it on my voicemail."

MY FAVOURITE LINE IS: "The opening one, 'Do you love me? Or am I just another trip in this strange relationship?' I remember a period of my life when I was a little confused about someone so that line really strikes a chord. It became the foundation for the entire song."

I WISH I'D WRITTEN: "With Or Without You by U2. It's just simple and to the point but so powerful. I love the twist on the line, 'I can't live with or without you.' I like songs that don't show love in its perfect sense but show it as something real with flaws. That's exactly what that track does."

DARREN HAYES STRANGE RELATIONSHIP