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.
Love Don't Leave Me Waiting
Glen Hansard Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You've been hanging on for that sign too long
And love, you've been leaving me waiting
And I don't know why or what it is I've done
And love, don't leave me guessing
Oh, love, don't keep me
Show yourself to me
And time, you've been erasing
You've been running out on me
And tongues, you've been a talking
You've been saying what you really mean
And love, don't leave me waiting
Oh, love, don't keep me
And love, don't leave me guessing
Oh, love, don't keep me
Show yourself, show yourself
And love, don't leave me waiting
Oh, love, don't keep me
And love, don't leave me guessing
Oh, love, don't keep me
Show yourself to me
In "Love Don't Leave Me Waiting," Glen Hansard sings about the longing and uncertainty that comes with waiting for love to return. In the first verse, he tells us that love has been hesitating and hanging on for a sign for too long, leaving him waiting and unsure about what he could have done wrong. The chorus pleads for love to not keep hiding and to show itself, so that he can stop guessing and finally feel secure in the relationship. The second verse brings in time as another factor that has been erasing and running out on him, while tongues have been talking and revealing their true intentions. The final chorus repeats the plea for love to not keep him waiting or guessing, but instead to show itself to him.
The lyrics paint a picture of a person who is vulnerable and yearning for emotional clarity and commitment in their romantic relationship. The repetition of the chorus emphasizes the singer's impatience and desperation for answers, creating a sense of urgency in the message of the song. The use of the repetition technique makes us feel the singer's inner turmoil and confusion.
Overall, “Love Don’t Leave Me Waiting” is a somber and emotional portrayal of the pain that comes with waiting for love and wanting it to be reciprocated. The singer is left with doubts as to whether his love is being returned or not, causing him to second-guess himself and the relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
Love, you've been hesitating
Love has been indecisive and uncertain
You've been hanging on for that sign too long
Love has been holding out for a signal or sign for an extended period
And love, you've been leaving me waiting
Love has been causing the singer to wait and be patient
And I don't know why or what it is I've done
The artist is unaware of the reason for Love's behavior
And love, don't leave me guessing
The artist wants Love to be clear and decisive
Oh, love, don't keep me
The singer wants Love to not be distant or unresponsive
Show yourself to me
The singer desires for Love to reveal itself and be authentic
And time, you've been erasing
Time has been causing the disappearance or fading of something
You've been running out on me
Time has been leaving the artist behind and moving too quickly
And tongues, you've been a talking
People have been saying things and expressing their true thoughts
You've been saying what you really mean
People have been expressing their true feelings and opinions
And love, don't leave me waiting
The artist wants Love to be prompt and decisive
And love, don't keep me
The singer wants Love to be present and engaged
And love, don't leave me guessing
The singer wants Love to be clear and honest
Oh, love, don't keep me
The singer wants Love to be responsive and not hold back
Show yourself to me
The artist wants Love to be authentic and present
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: GLEN HANSARD, GLEN JAMES HANSARD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@swarnavoghosh654
Love, you've been hesitating
You've been hanging on for that sign too long
And love, you've been leaving me waiting
And I don't know why or what it is I've done
And love, don't leave me guessing
Oh, love, don't keep me
Show yourself to me
And time, you've been erasing
You've been running out on me
And tongues, you've been a talking
You've been saying what you really mean
And love, don't leave me waiting
Oh, love, don't keep me
And love, don't leave me guessing
Oh, love, don't keep me
Show yourself, show yourself
And love, don't leave me waiting
Oh, love, don't keep me
And love, don't leave me guessing
Oh, love, don't keep me
Show yourself to me
@catherinetodd
The Rookie Season 1 Episode 15... so glad to find this beautiful song here. Thanks for posting!
@martinswells7gmail.
Hello Catherine, how are you doing.
Where are you from?
@chelseamorning4640
This was the processional at my wedding. Today is our first anniversary and I am so thankful for this song. It never fails to bring a smile to my face and memories of that day to mind. Glen, I don't know if you'll ever see this, but thank you so much for this song and all the others ❤
@Stonecrow25
Beautiful! I miss my what if girl, it would have been ours 30 years ago. Drink it in love, no regrets
@glenhansard7475
Thanks...I want to Specially appreciate you for being a big fan. Thanks for your nice comment on my post, it means a lot to me. I want you to send me a direct message via hangouts using my personal email. Also endeavor to add your name to the text so I can know you are the one texting because I don’t reply unnecessary messages,send me a message directly on hangout as specified thank you.
hangout mail:
glenhansardaccess@gmail.com
@norcalgirl83
Glen is the most talented singer/songwriter out there today! How is he not more well known?
@kforrest1
This man is a truly fine and genuine artist and human being. For example, I watched him perform at an arts festival(paid entry) and there were heaps of people around the outskirts of the venue, obviously liking what they were hearing. Anyway, Glen Hansard invited them in to join us, for free. Much to the disgust of security :).
@luciamokte1090
Awww that is just awesome!!!
@ripcurl111
i'm sure if they are a true Glen fan, they would respect it.
@natanielisaac
:3 Nice story!