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.
Famous
The Divine Comedy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I know you've cried
I know you've died a little inside, but...
Baby you could be famous
You could see your marble face all around
Baby you could be famous
If you could just get out of this town
Baby you could be famous
You could sell the world a new look and sound
Baby you could be famous
If you could just get out of this town
Just get out of this town now
You sold your soul to rock 'n' roll
Gave up control
But here's your loophole:
You are the queen of every scene
You are the king of everything
The Divine Comedy's song "Famous" is an anthem for those who dream of making it big in the entertainment industry. The opening lines convey a sense of empathy from the singer towards his listener, recognizing the obstacles they have faced in their journey thus far. He encourages them to keep their eyes fixed on the prize, picturing their "marble face" plastered all around. The singer emphasizes that fame is well within the grasp of the listener if they can manage to leave their hometown behind.
The chorus repeats the same message, reinforcing the concept that the listener has all the raw talent necessary to achieve international recognition. The hyperbolic suggestion that the listener "could sell the world a new look and sound" imbues them with a sense of purpose and potential that is hard to resist. In the final lines, the singer reminds them of their past sacrifices, but reclaims their power by asserting that they are now royalty in the entertainment world, with the ability to own every aspect of its culture and seize its opportunities.
Overall, this song is an empowering call to action for anyone trying to make it as an artist. It acknowledges the struggle and the doubt that can accompany the pursuit of fame, but emphasizes the rewards that come with leaving one's comfort zone and boldly embracing audacious goals.
Line by Line Meaning
I know you've tried
I understand that you have made an effort to achieve your dreams.
I know you've cried
I understand that this has been a painful journey for you.
I know you've died a little inside, but...
I understand that this experience has taken an emotional toll on you.
Baby you could be famous
You have talent and potential that can lead to fame and success.
You could see your marble face all around
You could become a recognized figure in the music industry with your photo appearing everywhere.
If you could just get out of this town
Your present location is limiting your prospects, so you need to relocate to achieve your dreams.
You could sell the world a new look and sound
You have a unique perspective and musical style that can appeal to a global audience.
You sold your soul to rock 'n' roll
You made a sacrifice of time and energy for your art form to attain a level of success.
Gave up control
You have surrendered your autonomy to the rules of the music industry in order to achieve success.
But here's your loophole:
There is always a way out of every situation, and you can always redefine yourself.
You are the queen of every scene
Your music is popular in many different musical genres and you've made a name for yourself as a talented artist.
You are the king of everything
Your music is respected and popular worldwide and you've successfully established your reputation as a king in the music industry.
Contributed by Camilla A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
pbucci
Yoda - "cover ever best" .. maybe not the best, but not terrible ..