Career
Hansard quit school at age 13 to begin busking on local Dublin streets. He formed his own band The Frames in 1990, and the group have been gigging regularly in Ireland since. Hansard came to international attention as guitar player Outspan Foster in the 1991 Alan Parker film The Commitments. He has often stated that he regretted taking the role because he felt it distracted him from his music career. In 2003, he presented the television programme Other Voices: Songs from a Room, which showcased Irish music talent on RTÉ.
On 22 April 2006, he released his first album without The Frames, The Swell Season, on Overcoat Recordings in collaboration with Czech singer and multi-instrumentalist Markéta Irglová, Marja Tuhkanen from Finland on violin and viola, and Bertrand Galen from France on cello. Hansard also spent part of 2006 in front of the cameras for the music-infused Irish film Once, in which Hansard plays a Dublin busker, and Irglová an immigrant street vendor. The film had its United States premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in 2007 and received the Festival's World Cinema Audience Award. During the promotional tour, he and Irglová began dating. Said Hansard about his relationship with Irglova: "I had been falling in love with her for a long time, but I kept telling myself she's just a kid".
Hansard had recorded a version of Bob Dylan's "You Ain't Goin' Nowhere" for the film I'm Not There in 2007. In 2009, Hansard said that he and Irglova were no longer romantically linked, and that they are now "good friends".
Aside from his projects with The Frames and Irglová, Hansard also took part as a member of the band on the 2006 Oxfam charity album, The Cake Sale. Hansard has recorded several cover songs, both alone and with band member Colm Mac Con Iomaire, for the Today FM discs Even Better than the Real Thing. Songs that he has recorded include Justin Timberlake's "Cry Me a River" on Even Better than the Real Thing Vol. 1 and Britney Spears' "Everytime" on Vol. 2.
He voiced a role on an episode ("In the Name of the Grandfather") on The Simpsons as an Irish busker. A new album of original songs recorded as The Swell Season with Markéta Irglová and entitled Strict Joy was released on 27 October 2009 on the ANTI- record label.
In the summer of 2011, he joined Eddie Vedder on his American solo tour in support of Vedder's solo album, Ukulele Songs. He played a solo concert at the opening of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Guitar Heroes exhibit in New York City in May 2011. and on Cape Cod at the Cape Cinema on 17 June.
In September 2011, he played at Pearl Jam's 20th Anniversary Festival PJ20 at the Alpine Valley Theatre outside of East Troy, Wisconsin. Hansard plays several guitars, including a very recognisable battered Takamine NP15 acoustic guitar (even sporting a large hole), which he calls "The Horse".
In a November 2011 interview in The Huffington Post with Irglova, it was revealed that Hansard was preparing a solo album and that there was a very possible third release from The Swell Season. This solo album was later revealed to be titled Rhythm and Repose.
American Songwriter included Hansard's "Love Don't Leave Me Waiting" on its The Muse July Sampler. Another song of his featured in a film soundtrack is This Gift, which appears in The Odd Life of Timothy Green.
Hansard sang the song "Take the Heartland" on the soundtrack for the 2012 film The Hunger Games. Another song he wrote, "Come Away to the Water", is featured on the soundtrack, but is covered by Maroon 5 and Rozzi Crane. Hansard can be found singing "Come Away to the Water" on the deluxe edition of his first solo album Rhythm and Repose. He guest-starred in an episode of the TV series, Parenthood, playing himself. In the episode, "Trouble in Candyland", he performed "High Hope", a single from his solo debut album Rhythm and Repose. In 2015, Hansard and Lisa Hannigan recorded a song, "On Love", for the soundtrack for the 2014 film Kahlil Gibran's The Prophet. Hansard sang Coyote at the Joni Mitchell 75th birthday concert Joni 75: A Birthday Celebration in Los Angeles in December 2018.
Influences
Hansard has remarked about his musical influences: "In my house, when I was a kid, there was the holy trinity, which was Leonard Cohen, Van Morrison, and Bob Dylan with Bob sitting centre." Hansard and The Frames toured as the support act for Bob Dylan in Australia and New Zealand in August 2007 and Hansard often performs Van Morrison's songs in concert. Two such songs include "Into the Mystic", and "And the Healing Has Begun" which were included on the collector's edition of the soundtrack for the film Once.
Hansard is a devotee of Krishna and performed for the 80th birthday of Swami Prabhupada in London, staying at a manor donated to the Hare Krishna movement by The Beatles' George Harrison, who was a Hare Krishna devotee. In July 2013, he sang with Bruce Springsteen at Nowlan Park, Kilkenny, Ireland. In July 2015, he performed "Raglan Road" with Ed Sheeran in Croke Park, Dublin.
Other
In 2008, Hansard took a four-week filmmaking workshop at the New York Film Academy.
In 2016, Hansard was a prominent member of the Home Sweet Home Group, a coalition of activists and homeless. The group broke into Apollo House in Dublin and illegally occupied it. They eventually had to vacate the premises due to trespassing.
Fallen from the Sky
Glen Hansard Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You must have shattered on the wrong way
You brought so many to the light
And now you're by yourself
There comes a point in every fight
Where giving up seems like the only way
When everyone has said goodbye
If you need somewhere to fall apart
Somewhere to fall apart
When the rules of Cain, the rights you made
The hours did crawl for those to blame
The broken glass, the fool that asked
The moving arrow to stop
You must have fallen from the sky
You must have come here in the pouring rain
You took so many through the light
And now you're on your own
If you need somewhere to fall apart
Somewhere to fall apart
Well the ruins of man, the bloody rag
Neither fool the bull, the powdered hag
The nights they make the rattle rag
The wolves that follow the outed man
The falling star, the way we are, divine
The rules that never ever multiply
You must have fallen from the sky
You must have come here on the wrong way
You came among us every time
But now you're on your own
If you need somewhere to fall apart
Somewhere to fall apart
Well, they call you saint, the basket case
The rules of thumb you have to break
The raging skull, the rag to the bull
The nails that drag in either hand
Well, I will make my work of that
I know this place, I know this task
You must have fallen from the sky
The song Fallen from the Sky by Glen Hansard is a slow and melancholic tune that speaks about someone who has fallen from grace and is now struggling on their own. The opening lines suggest that the person in question was once revered as someone special, like a guardian angel that had come to Earth. However, something went wrong along the way, and they were shattered and left to fend for themselves. They had once led many people towards a better life, but they now must navigate the world alone.
The lyrics then move on to describe the struggles that this person is facing. They reached a point where surrender seems like the only option, and everyone they once knew has abandoned them. The song suggests that this is a trying time for the individual, and they need a space to come apart and regroup. The middle verses speak of the "ruins of man" and the "rag to the bull," indicating that the world can be a ruthless place that chews people up and spits them out. The singer knows this well and is offering his support if needed, remarking that he knows this place and the task at hand.
The song's chorus returns to the opening lines about the person falling from the sky and how they now find themselves alone after helping so many others. The repeated invitation to find somewhere to fall apart highlights the difficulties of coming to terms with a fall from grace and the need for support in such situations. The song overall is one of compassion and understanding toward those who have been knocked down and left to pick up the pieces of their lives.
Line by Line Meaning
You must have fallen from the sky
You seem like a miracle, a savior sent from above.
You must have shattered on the wrong way
Somewhere along the way, you lost your way and got hurt.
You brought so many to the light
You helped so many find hope and guidance in their lives.
And now you're by yourself
Despite all that you've done for others, you're alone and struggling now.
There comes a point in every fight
Eventually, every struggle becomes overwhelming and defeating.
Where giving up seems like the only way
At this point, it feels like surrender is the only option.
When everyone has said goodbye
When everyone has left and abandoned you to face your struggles alone.
And now you're on your own
You're alone and facing your struggles without support or guidance.
If you need somewhere to fall apart
If you need a safe space to break down and express your pain.
When the rules of Cain, the rights you made
The laws and morals that govern us, and the choices we make in pursuit of justice.
The hours did crawl for those to blame
The time drags by slowly for those who are held accountable for their actions.
The broken glass, the fool that asked
The shards of shattered dreams, and the naive question that led to their destruction.
The moving arrow to stop
Trying to halt the inevitable or change the course of events that have already been set in motion.
You must have come here in the pouring rain
You arrived in a difficult and trying circumstance, amidst chaos and tumultuous emotions.
You took so many through the light
You helped so many find their way through the darkness and despair.
Well the ruins of man, the bloody rag
The remnants of human civilization, marked by violence and pain.
Neither fool the bull, the powdered hag
Nothing can deceive or control the powerful and influential.
The nights they make the rattle rag
The dark and lonely hours that cause us to lose our strength and stability.
The wolves that follow the outed man
The predators and opportunists who seek to take advantage of those who are exposed and vulnerable.
The falling star, the way we are, divine
The sense of wonder and awe at the mysterious and beautiful nature of life and the universe.
The rules that never ever multiply
The unwritten laws and principles that govern the world and our lives, which never seem to get any easier or more clear.
You must have come here on the wrong way
You arrived here in an unfortunate or difficult circumstance, perhaps lost or misguided.
You came among us every time
Despite the difficulties and challenges you've faced, you've always been there to help others.
Well, they call you saint, the basket case
Some see you as a hero or a savior, while others see you as someone who is struggling or broken.
The rules of thumb you have to break
The guidelines and norms that don't seem to apply to your unique situation and struggles.
The raging skull, the rag to the bull
The intense emotions and fierce determination that drive us to face our challenges head-on.
The nails that drag in either hand
The painful burdens and challenges that weigh us down, making it difficult to move forward.
Well, I will make my work of that
I will take responsibility for the challenges and hardships in my life, and use them to grow and improve.
I know this place, I know this task
I am familiar with the difficulties and struggles of life, and am ready to face them head-on and overcome them.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: GLEN HANSARD, GLEN JAMES HANSARD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind