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.
Races
Glen Hansard Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's a long way down to the bottom we've been racin'
Coughing my lungs up on rue des Irlandais becoming a risk to myself
It's a long way down to the bottom and we're racin'
The radio silence and the anarchists are gathering names, dates and lists for burnin'
It's a long way down to the bottom that we've been racin'
Oh, how you move me, truly
I'm shadowing in with the crowds unnoticed, somebody painted an 'X' on my back
It's a long way down to the bottom and we're racin'
There's piss on the streets after dark in Paris, even our dear Joan of Arc, she knows
It's a long way down to the bottom and we've been racin'
Even the Gods as they gaze down on us
Know that there's no one to be saved among us, they keep turning away, turning away
We're singin' along with the righteous people
The bullets will rain down from the mosques and steeples, they keep turning away, turning away
A taste for the wine and a woman's forgiveness, her man's in decline, oh, it's a nasty business
It's a long way down to the bottom that we've been racin'
Our blood is no thicker than this water, my brother, you'll find out soon one way or the other
It's a long way down to the bottom that we've been racin'
Even the clouds that send the rains down on us
See a horizon that goes way beyond us, they keep driftin' away, driftin' away
While down in the dark in the tick-tock alleys
Time's running out and there's still bills to tally
We keep chippin' away, chippin' away, oh
Slidin' along with the bouquinistes, Baldwin and Brecht and the distance between us
It's a long way down to the bottom that we've been racin'
I'm rising up strong like a snake that's charmed, a handsome Parisienne on my arm
It's a long way down to the bottom that we've been racin'
Yeah
In Glen Hansard’s song “Races,” the singer muses on the risk and excitement of life, surrounded by the bustling city of Paris. The song is set on May Day, a day of celebration in the city. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of a Paris street soaked in rebellion and risk. The singer is racing against time, trying to keep up with the flow of the city and the momentum of the crowds around him. He is both exhilarated and exhausted, singing about the “long way down to the bottom” that everyone seems to be racing towards.
The lyrics contain themes of mortality, rebellion, and a sense of being swept up in something larger than oneself. The singer describes feeling like a part of the crowd, unnoticed and painted with an “X” like a target. He sings about the gathering anarchists and the impending danger of the situation, but ultimately seems to find solace in the “righteous people” around him.
The song’s chorus is a love letter of sorts, with the singer singing “oh, how you move me, truly,” and “oh, how you set my heart aglow,” perhaps directed towards a woman by his side in the midst of the chaos. The song ends on a note of defiance and triumph, with the singer rising up strong “like a snake that’s charmed” and taking on the city with a newfound confidence.
Line by Line Meaning
Slidin' along by the Seine, it's May Day, this song's in my head once again
I'm strolling along the Seine River in Paris on May Day, and this song fills my thoughts again.
It's a long way down to the bottom we've been racin'
The journey we've been on is tough, and we've still got a long way to go.
Coughing my lungs up on rue des Irlandais becoming a risk to myself
I'm struggling with my health, coughing badly on a street called rue des Irlandais, and it's becoming dangerous for me.
It's a long way down to the bottom and we're racin'
We've still got a lot to go, and we're racing to get there as quickly as possible.
The radio silence and the anarchists are gathering names, dates and lists for burnin'
There's no communication, and the anarchists are collecting information to be destroyed.
Oh, how you move me, truly
Oh, how you set my heart aglow
You inspire me so much and fill my heart with warmth and happiness.
I'm shadowing in with the crowds unnoticed, somebody painted an 'X' on my back
I'm blending in with the crowds and going unnoticed, but someone labeled me with an 'X' on my back.
There's piss on the streets after dark in Paris, even our dear Joan of Arc, she knows
Even the legendary Joan of Arc would know that there's filth on the streets of Paris after nightfall.
Even the Gods as they gaze down on us
Know that there's no one to be saved among us, they keep turning away, turning away
Even the divine beings know that no one is saved among us, and they turn away from us.
We're singin' along with the righteous people
The bullets will rain down from the mosques and steeples, they keep turning away, turning away
We're singing with the righteous ones, knowing well that attacks will come from all directions, and even the divine beings will ignore us.
A taste for the wine and a woman's forgiveness, her man's in decline, oh, it's a nasty business
A desire for alcohol and a woman's forgiveness for her husband's declining state is not a good situation at all.
Our blood is no thicker than this water, my brother, you'll find out soon one way or the other
It's a long way down to the bottom that we've been racin'
We're not any more connected to each other than to this water around us, and soon you'll find out how things aren't going well for us.
Even the clouds that send the rains down on us
See a horizon that goes way beyond us, they keep driftin' away, driftin' away
Even the clouds that bless us with rain see a world beyond us, and they continue to drift away.
While down in the dark in the tick-tock alleys
Time's running out and there's still bills to tally
We keep chippin' away, chippin' away, oh
While we're struggling in the dark alleys, time is running out, and we still have to take care of our responsibilities.
Slidin' along with the bouquinistes, Baldwin and Brecht and the distance between us
It's a long way down to the bottom that we've been racin'
I'm browsing the books with the bouquinistes, and authors Baldwin and Brecht seem to be distant from us, and we're still not at the finish line of this race we've been on.
I'm rising up strong like a snake that's charmed, a handsome Parisienne on my arm
It's a long way down to the bottom that we've been racin'
Yeah
I'm feeling confident and powerful with a charming Parisian as my partner, but I'm aware that we still have a long way to go in this race.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Glen James Hansard
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Suep7788
When you turn it up as loud as it will go, put on ear phones, and just float away with it......that's when you've heard a beautiful song by Glen Hansard....AGAIN! Perfection!
Michael
One of my favourites from Glen, I've seen him twice now and he's not played this unfortunately!, and after looking at Setlist FM he's only played it 3 times since 2001!
DianaDefence
This is such a lovely song.
Dalibor Weiss
Always like this man! He is sooooo pure!!! and beautifull crazy!
Mirza van der Merwe
My Irish friend brought me here. Twice I watched Glen's Concert. One of the best of my life!
Dawn Boivin
Superb music!
cloud6060
Do this after getting a little bit of THC into your system and you'll end up bawling your eyes out at how beautiful this song and his others are.
Mabloni
i love this song... it reminds me of falling down by scarlett johansson. :)
Suep7788
Ha Lol! THC might be a little much for me. I might end up passed out and miss the beautiful music. You hang in there and enjoy! I'll stick with my big glass of wine and chill with Glen that way but, thanks for the post. I recently acquired Glen's Rhythm and Repose CD, the movie Once, and The Swell Season Documentary. I have been feeling up on some of the best music in the world. Love this man and am so jealous of those who have gotten to see him perform live or meet him.....I need more wine!
EricJ
"Cause I never left you And you never let me go"