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.
Say It To Me
Glen Hansard Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I'm trying hard to work it out
And so much has gone misunderstood
And this mystery only leads to doubt
And I didn't understand
When you reached down to take my hand
And if you have something to say
'Cause this is what you've waited for
A chance to even up the score
And as these shadows fall on me now
I will somehow, yeah
'Cause I'm picking up the message, Lord
And I'm closer than I've ever been before
So if you have something to say
Say it to me now, just say it to me now, now
Oh, oh, oh
The lyrics to Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová's song, Say It To Me Now, revolve around the idea of unspoken communication and the doubts that surface when one does not express their thoughts and feelings openly. The song begins with a sense of restlessness - the singer is scratching at the surface, trying to work out what has gone misunderstood. There is a mystery that only leads to doubt, and the lack of clarity is palpable. The singer recollects a moment when someone reached out to them, but they did not understand what was meant by the gesture. The song implores the listener to speak up if they have something to say, for fear that silence will only lead to further misunderstandings and missed opportunities.
The chorus of the song provides a sense of hope and redemption. The singer acknowledges that this is what they have been waiting for - a chance to even up the score and overcome the shadows that have been weighing them down. They are picking up on the message and feel closer than ever before to connecting with the person they are addressing. Once again, the song ends with a plea for the listener to speak up and say what's on their mind.
Overall, Say It To Me Now is a raw and emotional song that speaks to the power of communication in our relationships. The lack of clarity and unspoken thoughts can create a sense of detachment from the people in our lives, and this song serves as a reminder to be open and honest.
Line by Line Meaning
Scratching at the surface now
I am just starting to explore and understand what is happening.
And I'm trying hard to work it out
I am putting in effort to comprehend what's going on.
And so much has gone misunderstood
There has been a lot of confusion and miscommunication.
And this mystery only leads to doubt
The more unknowns there are, the more unsure I become.
And I didn't understand
I was not able to comprehend.
When you reached down to take my hand
When you offered me help and support.
And if you have something to say
If there is something that you need to communicate.
You better say it now
It is best to speak up immediately.
'Cause this is what you've waited for
This is the moment you've been anticipating.
A chance to even up the score
An opportunity to balance out the situation.
And as these shadows fall on me now
As I face difficult circumstances.
I will somehow, yeah
I will find a way to overcome it.
'Cause I'm picking up the message, Lord
I am finally beginning to fully understand the situation.
And I'm closer than I've ever been before
I am extremely close to reaching a breakthrough moment.
So if you have something to say
If there is something that needs to be communicated.
Say it to me now, just say it to me now, now
Please tell me what you need to say as soon as possible.
Oh, oh, oh
This line has no specific meaning and is more of a vocalization.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Colm Macconiomaire, David Odlum, Glen James Hansard, Graham Downey, Noreen O'Donnell, Paul James Brennan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@justthatcreator
Scratching at the surface now
And I'm trying hard to work it out
And so much has gone misunderstood
And this mystery only leads to doubt
And I didn't understand
When you reached down to take my hand
And if you have something to say
You better say it now
'Cause this is what you've waited for
A chance to even up the score
And as these shadows fall on me now
I will somehow, yeah
'Cause I'm picking up the message, Lord
And I'm closer than I've ever been before
So if you have something to say
Say it to me now, just say it to me now, now
Oh, oh, oh
@cletusdeletus
I had the pleasure of seeing Glen live 2 years ago. The lady working coat check at the venue that night was obviously a fan. Glen could see her peering through the doors during the show trying to see the best she could, and asked why she couldn't come in and watch. Someone explained that she was working, and he felt bad she was missing the show. During his encore, he ran out to the lobby and sang this song to her. After he finished playing, he kissed her on the cheek. It was the coolest thing I've ever witnessed at a concert to date.
@davidculhane4388
That is awesome what a guy!
@marekszymanski5158
It’s amazing. can you tell when it was and where?
@batshapedheart
Glen is one of the most remarkable artists I’ve ever seen live. His songs so full of raw feeling, a great soul through and through
@lovelyloni8711
Awwwwh he's so fucking cool 😭😭😍😍
@ChristopherRockhill
I think happened in Atlanta. I saw him there and this same thing occurred.
@mathewhutchins2539
He retuned his guitar midsong...like dude you're incredible.
@ancientslav4863
And he ignored the broken G string like it wasn't even supposed to be there in the first place.
@radium05
He broke Gs all his life...
@tumbledownmusic5420
When I saw Steve Goodman in concert back in the late 70s, he broke a string in the middle of a song and not only retuned in the middle of the song, but actually restrung the broken string (while continuing to play).