Neil Hannon, Originally from Derry, has been the only ever-present member of the band, being its founder in 1989 when he was joined by John McCullagh and Kevin Traynor. Their first album, the heavily R.E.M.-influenced and now-deleted Fanfare for the Comic Muse, enjoyed little success though. A couple of equally unsuccessful EPs - Timewatch (1991); Europop (1992) - were to follow, with newly-recruited member John Allen handling lead vocals on some tracks. After the commercial failure of the latter EP, this line-up soon fell apart.
Hannon, however, was not deterred in his efforts and re-appeared in 1993 with Liberation. Featuring a fairly diverse musical outlook that goes from the tongue-in-cheek synth pop of Europop(nearly unrecognisable from the previously-released version) to the classical stylings of Timewatching.
Indeed, it was only some minor success in France that really enabled Hannon to proceed to his second effort Promenade. Released in 1994, this was heavily driven by classical influences, with Michael Nyman's stylings clearly an influence. Hannon himself acknowledged this when he apparently sent a copy of his new album to the composer, jokingly asking him not to sue. Essentially a concept album about a day spent by two lovers, it also received similar critical acclaim to that which Liberation was afforded. Commercial success, though, was not forthcoming.
At around the same time, Hannon also wrote and performed the theme music for the TV sitcom Father Ted (which would subsequently be incorporated into the song Songs of Love on the album Casanova), and later wrote the music for the deliberately bad mock-Eurovision song My Lovely Horse for one episode. Hannon resisted widespread requests from fans to release the track as a single for the Christmas market, but it was eventually released in 1999 as the third track on the CD-single Gin Soaked Boy. This would not be the only time they would be responsible for a TV theme, as In Pursuit Of Happiness was also used by the BBC science and technology show, Tomorrow's World. Hannon also recently composed the music for the comedy series "The IT Crowd".
The album Casanova (1996), and in particular the single Something for the Weekend led to the band's first major successes, with Neil Hannon becoming a distinctive, albeit unlikely, popstar in an immaculate suit, and always appearing the elegant dandy. At the height of their commercial success, the band put out A Short Album About Love (a reference to the Krzysztof Kieślowski movie A Short Film About Love), recorded live at soundcheck with the Brunel Ensemble in preparation for a concert at the Shepherd's Bush Empire, from which several songs were released as b-sides. It was aptly released on Valentine's Day in 1997. Subsequently, the band contributed a reworking of Noel Coward's I've Been to a Marvellous Party to a compilation of covers of the writer's songs, with Hannon affecting a Cowardesque lilt (albeit interspersed with an aggressive electronic musical backing).
The foppish image, but not the suit, was ditched for the more sombre album Fin De Siècle in 1998, although its biggest hit, the jaunty National Express, a song about the national coach operators, belied its more intimate, soul-searching tone. Maintaining the balance between these poles, 1999's Secret History - the Best of The Divine Comedy included a re-recording of Liberation track The Pop Singer's Fear of the Pollen Count and two new songs (Gin-Soaked Boy and Too Young to Die) alongside the band's main hits. In the same year, the band also collaborated with Tom Jones on a cover version of Portishead's All Mine, featured on his album Reload.
A serious side to the band was also in evidence in 2000's collaboration with Ute Lemper on her album Punishing Kiss, most of which featured The Divine Comedy as Lemper's backing band.
The 2001 album Regeneration attempted to remove the band still further from its association with comedy. Hannon hired famous producer Nigel Godrich to "remake" the band. Neil ditched the suit and donned the Britrock band image. However, the album was a greater critical than commercial success, and soon after its release it was announced that The Divine Comedy were splitting up. However within a year Hannon was touring again with a revised band line-up, playing a series of joint-headline gigs in the USA, UK and Ireland featuring both The Divine Comedy and Ben Folds, who would cover The Divine Comedy's Songs of Love on his Sunny 16 EP.
Eventually a new album surfaced in the form of 2004's Absent Friends. Striking a balance between the occasionally earnest sound of the band's later material and the lighter tone of the more popular releases, it encapsulated the essence of The Divine Comedy. 2004 saw two dates of particularly acclaimed performances, one at the London Palladium (which was later released as a live DVD) and one at the Royal Albert Hall.
In January 2005, Hannon announced that he had acquired the worldwide copyrights to all of his recorded output with his former record label, Setanta Records. He declared on the band's official website that he would be launching his own record label Divine Comedy Records in order to re-release his 1990s output.
Hannon's ninth album under the Divine Comedy moniker, Victory for the Comic Muse (a reference to his debut), was released in June 2006. It is suggested by fans to be less personal and more free-approach in tone than his most recent albums. The bulk of the record was recorded in just two weeks, hence the more spontaneous sound, and features appearances from Travis bass player Dougie Payne.
Hannon collaborated with Thomas Walsh of Pugwash to create an album themed around the sport of cricket. Released under the alias The Duckworth Lewis Method, the self-titled album was released in 2009 to critical acclaim.
The following year saw the tenth Divine Comedy album and first on his own label, Bang Goes the Knighthood.
At the Indie Disco
The Divine Comedy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Dance to our favourite indie hits until the morning light
At the indie disco, the indie disco
At the indie disco, yeah
We've got a table in the corner that is always ours
Next to the poster of Morrissey with a bunch of flowers
We drink and talk 'bout stupid stuff
You know I just can't get enough
Of the indie disco, the indie disco
At the indie disco, yeah
Give us some Pixies and some Roses and some Valentines
Give us some Blur and some Cure and some Wannadies
And now we're moving to the beat
And staring at each others feet
I wonder if she fancies me
At the indie disco, the indie disco
At the indie disco, yeah
And when it's over and I'm freezing on the night-bus home
I think of her and I sing the words to my favourite song (Oh Yeah)
She makes my heart beat the same way
As at the start of Blue Monday
Always the last song that they play
At the indie disco, the indie disco
At the indie disco, yeah
The Divine Comedy's song "At the Indie Disco" paints a picture of young people's social life revolving around the indie music scene. The song's lyrics describe an experience in a typical indie club, featuring the familiar rituals of drinking, dancing, and flirting. The song is a nostalgic ode to a period when indie music had a prominent role in youth culture, and it conveys the idea of music as a way for people to escape from everyday life and connect with each other.
The song's opening lines set the scene for a weekly ritual, suggesting that the indie disco is a central part of the singer's life. The song's chorus repeats the phrase "at the indie disco" several times, emphasizing the importance of this experience. The reference to Morrissey and the flowers creates a vivid image of the posters and decorations in the club, which often feature iconic indie artists. The song's final lines underscore the emotional resonance of this experience, as the singer sings about thinking of his crush on the bus ride home and feeling connected to her through the music.
Overall, "At the Indie Disco" is a beautifully observed portrait of a moment in time and an evocative tribute to a specific musical subculture.
Line by Line Meaning
We go down to the indie disco every Thursday night
We make it a point to visit the indie club every Thursday night without fail.
Dance to our favourite indie hits until the morning light
We enjoy dancing to our chosen and most liked indie music until the early hours of the morning.
At the indie disco, the indie disco
We particularly prefer going to the indie club and don't feel as excited about visiting other places.
At the indie disco, yeah
We express enthusiasm for going to the indie club whenever we can.
We've got a table in the corner that is always ours
We've reserved a table that's exclusively for us in the corner of the club for convenience and consistency.
Next to the poster of Morrissey with a bunch of flowers
Our table is located close to a Morrissey poster that has been decorated with a bunch of flowers.
We drink and talk 'bout stupid stuff
We drink alcohol and indulge in meaningless conversations, not concerning significant topics or related issues.
Then hit the floor for Tainted Love
After our warm-up, we get ready for some exciting moments of dancing by commencing with Tainted Love, a song that stimulates and energizes us.
You know I just can't get enough
The experience is something we relish so much that once is never enough to satiate our enjoyment.
Give us some Pixies and some Roses and some Valentines
We expect the playlist to offer us some music from Pixies, Roses, and Valentines in the vein of indie music.
Give us some Blur and some Cure and some Wannadies
We look forward to tracks from Blur, Cure, and Wannadies to follow the earlier songs played at the indie club.
And now we're moving to the beat
The music's tempo and rhythm propel and inspire us to start dancing.
And staring at each other's feet
We're so engrossed in our dance moves that we don't look up or make eye contact with our dance partners - instead, we find ourselves looking down.
I wonder if she fancies me
Despite not making eye contact, we sort of imagine and wonder if our dance partner finds us attractive or has some kind of inclination for us.
And when it's over and I'm freezing on the night-bus home
After a night of fun, we go home on a night bus, and it's always freezing outside.
I think of her and I sing the words to my favourite song (Oh Yeah)
During the ride, I reminisce about my dance partner while singing the lyrics to my favourite song, 'Oh Yeah'.
She makes my heart beat the same way
My dance partner makes my heart race and beats faster in rhythm with the music.
As at the start of Blue Monday
It reminds me of how enthralling the first chords of Blue Monday were and how my partner made me feel similarly excited.
Always the last song that they play
The final song that they play as a farewell anthem is the most memorable for us and will always remind us of our amazing experience at the indie club.
At the indie disco, the indie disco
We'll always remember how we enjoyed our lives and found joy in each other's company at the indie club.
At the indie disco, yeah
Definitely! We affirm and celebrate our time spent in the indie club by loudly acknowledging it.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: NEIL HANNON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
bigguscurlyus
The first time I heard this I was almost in tears; It brought back every happy memory of growing up, and going out with friends in Newcastle!
Keith Timmins
Love this band. Songs usually take a few listens to like but once with the comedy is enough. So very underated.
dirkbogarde44
The lyrics are just so spot on of a typical indie fan. Always make me smile.
Depeche101
One of the most underated bands of all time, everyone in their thirties can relate to this song. Pure Class !
Eva Villasenin
Love it!!!!!! Great song, great video, just love it!!!! Neil deserves to be considered by everyone one of the best musicians in history, seriously!!
Mike Lloyd
What a lovely song! The ascending chord run, spare beat, strings, Neil has, once again, come up with the perfect pop song.
Colleen Howe
Such an underrated and brilliant track. Love it 😊
ArcticSounds
This is so good! You're such a fantastic writer!
Shiftless in Seattle
I only just heard of them. I live in Seattle. They're great! You're right!
Music Lover
@Shiftless in Seattle he's been going since the early nineties? ... just rediscovered him as I lost track in late nineties! Amazing treasure trove of albums. Touring again in 2019.😎