Music Friday: Savage Garden Opened Its Live Shows With 'Tears of Pearls'

Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you great songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the lyrics or title. Today, our spotlights shines on Savage Garden, an Australian pop duo that loved to open its live shows with an over-the-top, dancing-in-the-aisles rendition of "Tears of Pearls."

Pearls are referenced throughout the song to represent emotions that are so private and so precious that they are locked away for nobody to see. When the emotions can no longer be contained, they bubble to the surface resulting in "tears of pearls."

Vocalist and co-writer Darren Hayes sings, "Your kisses are like pearls / So different and so rare / But anger stole the jewels away / And love has left you bare / Made you cry / These tears of pearls."

First appearing in March of 1997 as the third track on the group's self-titled debut album, "Tears of Pearls" was finally released as the seventh and final single from the album in May of 1999. The album would go on to sell more than 12 million copies worldwide.

Bandmembers Hayes and Daniel Jones shared the writing credits for "Tears of Pearls," but the backstory reveals the collaboration was an unusual one, where Jones took directions from Hayes to achieve a "hipster-retroist" tribute to the New Wave acts of the 1980s. The resulting high-energy, theatrical "Tears of Pearls" became the song that would open Savage Garden's live shows and tours.

Formed in Logan City, Queensland, in 1994, Savage Garden earned international acclaim in the late 1990s with its chart-topping hits "I Want You," "To the Moon and Back," "Truly Madly Deeply," "The Animal Song" and "I Knew I Loved You." The group disbanded in 2001.

Please check out the official video Savage Garden performing "Tears of Pearls." The lyrics are below if you'd like to sing along…

"Tears of Pearls"
Written by Darren Hayes and Daniel Jones. Performed by Savage Garden.

And we stare each other down
Like victims in the grind
Probing all the weakness and
Hurt still left behind and we cry
The tears of pearls
We do it. Oh we do it.
Is love really the tragedy the way you
Might describe?
Or would a thousand lovers
Still leave you cold inside?
Make you cry
These tears of pearls

All these mixed emotions
We keep locked away like stolen pearls
Stolen pearl devotions we
Keep locked away from all the world

Your kisses are like pearls,
So different and so rare
But anger stole the jewels away
And love has left you bare,
Made you cry
These tears of pearls

Well I could be the tired joker
Pour my heart to get you in
Sacrifice my happiness just so I could win
Maybe cry
These tears of pearls
All these mixed emotions
We keep locked away like stolen pearls
Stolen pearl devotions we
Keep locked away from all the world

We twist and turn where angels burn
Like fallen soldiers we will learn
Once forgotten, twice removed
Love will be the death
The death of you

All these mixed emotions
We keep locked away like stolen pearls
Stolen pearl devotions we
Keep locked away from all the world

Credit: Screen capture via YouTube.com / sgvideos.

Landfill Workers Go Above and Beyond to Rescue NC Woman's Bridal Jewelry

A team of landfill workers in New Hanover County, NC, went above and beyond the call of duty to rescue an engagement ring and wedding band that had been accidentally put out with the trash. The green-vested team worked for hours sorting through layer upon layer of garbage bags until the right one was found — just minutes before closing time.

The drama played out last week when Pam Smith was cleaning the house and realized her precious bridal jewelry was missing.

“I just was frantic that I couldn’t find my rings,” Pam told NBC affiliate WECT in Wilmington. “But, I knew in my heart I had thrown them, accidentally in the trash.”

The waste collection truck was still in the Smith's neighborhood when Pam realized her mistake. A few minutes later, Pam and her husband, Chuck, caught up with the truck, which was about 25 houses away.

“When they flagged me down, I didn’t know what was going on,” said crew member Elliott Holliday (not "Holiday" as seen in the graphic). “I just knew I saw a couple in distress.”

The Smiths told Holliday that their precious keepsake was likely in the back of his truck. The SRWS (Select Recycling Waste Services) professional could not safely dump the load right there on the street, so instead, he called ahead and alerted the New Hanover County landfill that they had a special situation.

Holliday and his partner, Kendrick Grady, were directed to a flat, open piece of land at the landfill where they unloaded the contents of their big rig.

Landfill specialist Kedar Brunson was inspired when he saw Pam Smith praying in front of his bulldozer.

"So I called my wife," said Brunson, "and we were praying with her saying ‘Lord, show this woman favor.’”

A half-dozen workers snapped into action, picking through a seemingly endless mountain of trash bags.

“It’s like we went through every bag. We went through, literally, the last bag before we found it,” said Grady. “It was truly a miracle.”

Pam Smith was so moved by the incredible efforts of the landfill workers that she penned a letter to thank them.

She wrote, in part, “The events of that day made for an eventful time in our lives and we will forever remember the compassionate and understanding way we were treated. You have very professional staff and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts.”

Pam Smith told WECT, “I just want people to remember there are a lot of good people on this Earth who are willing to help. And God is good.”

The New Hanover County Twitter account acknowledged the landfill workers in a special tweet on Friday.

It read, "If you need a #FeelGoodFriday - here it is. Thank you to our incredible #NHCgov Environmental Management team for going above and beyond in service to our community. We are so grateful for you and your limitless commitment to helping others!

The tweet was linked to the page on the WECT website, where the story was prominently displayed.

Credits: Screen captures via wect.com.

NRF: Record-Breaking 2021 Mother's Day Sales Will Be Spurred by the Jewelry Category

Mother’s Day spending for jewelry items is expected to reach $6.1 billion in 2021, making it the fastest-growing and highest-volume gift-giving category, according to an annual survey released by the National Retail Federation (NRF). The jewelry spending number is up from $5.3 billion in 2020, an increase of just over 15%.

Overall Mother’s Day spending in 2021 will set a record at $28.1 billion, up from $26.7 billion in 2020. Nearly 60% of that annual increase is reflected in the strength of the jewelry category, where purchases are slated to jump by $800 million.

Exactly 35% of respondents said they will be buying jewelry for their moms this year, with the average spending per person pegged at $47.76, up more than 18% from 2020. Forty-five percent of men and 27% of women said they will be gifting jewelry this Mother's Day.

“There is a lot of consumer optimism around Mother’s Day this year as more people are getting vaccinated and stimulus checks are being distributed,” NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay said. “For many, this is a chance to make up for last year’s Mother’s Day when we were under lockdown.

While the portion of people reporting that they will be celebrating Mother’s Day with a gift in 2021 is consistent with previous years at 83%, this year’s gift-givers will be spending more.

The average Mother’s Day outlay is expected to be a record $220.48, up from $204.47 in 2020.

Surprisingly, consumers ages 25-34 are likely to spend the most at $367.08. The amount is $99 more than 2020. The NRF reported that in addition to buying gifts for their own moms, these younger shoppers are more likely to be buying for spouses and other recipients, such as grandmothers or friends.

The second-highest-spending age range is 35-44 ($280.19), followed by those 18-24 ($266.50) and 45-54 ($207.73).

Men are expected to outspend women significantly ($284.90 compared with $159.27).

Nearly half (49 percent) of respondents said they are planning a special Mother's Day outing, such as a brunch or other activity. While this is up slightly from last year, it is still below pre-pandemic levels.

The 2021 survey, which asked 7,818 consumers about their Mother’s Day plans, was conducted by Prosper Insights & Analytics from April 1 to 9 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 1.1 percentage points.

Credit: Image by Bigstockphoto.com.