The Divine Comedy is a baroque pop band now based in Dublin, Ireland, front… Read Full Bio ↴The Divine Comedy is a baroque pop band now based in Dublin, Ireland, fronted by Neil Hannon.

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.

Moon River
The Divine Comedy Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Moon River
Wider than a mile
I′m crossing you in style
Some day

You dream-maker
And heart-breaker
Wherever you're going

I′m going there too

Two drifters
Off to see the world
There's such a lot of world to see

We're after the same rainbow′s end
Waiting ′round the bend

My Huckelberry friend
Moon River and me

Overall Meaning

In The Divine Comedy's version of the classic song "Moon River", the singer finds himself on a journey, crossing a river that stretches wider than a mile. The lyrics exude a sense of adventure and freedom, as the singer refers to himself and his companion as "drifters" who are headed out to see the world. The dreamy and floaty nature of the song is reflected in the whimsical lyrics, which refer to the wanderlust of the two protagonists as well as their desire to chase the end of a rainbow that might lead them to new and exciting places.

The lyrics describe the singer's desire to go wherever his companion may go, suggesting that the two are deeply connected to each other in some way. The reference to a "dream-maker" and a "heart-breaker" hints at the bittersweet nature of their journey, suggesting that the two might be seeking something that is unattainable or difficult to achieve. Overall, the song appears to be a meditation on the nature of life, the meaning of friendship and the power of dreams.

Line by Line Meaning

Moon River
The title of the song, referring to the river as a symbol of the journey through life.

Wider than a mile
The river is depicted as vast and significant in size, representing the scope of the journey through life and its many experiences.

I'm crossing you in style
The singer is embarking on their life journey with confidence, style, and purpose.

Some day
A vague reference to the future, suggesting uncertainty and anticipation about what it may hold.

You dream-maker
The river is personified as a dream-maker, responsible for inspiring and guiding individuals on their journey through life.

And heart-breaker
The river is also a heart-breaker, representing the struggles and difficulties that may arise during an individual's journey through life.

Wherever you're going
Regardless of where the river may lead, the singer is committed to following it on their journey through life.

I'm going there too
The artist has a strong sense of companionship with the river, and feels a connection to it that they cannot ignore.

Two drifters
The artist and the river are both metaphorical 'drifters', wandering aimlessly through life without a specific destination in mind.

Off to see the world
The journey through life is an opportunity to explore and discover the world around us, and the artist and river are excited to take advantage of that opportunity.

There's such a lot of world to see
The world is vast and full of wonder, and the singer and river are eager to experience everything it has to offer on their journey through life.

We're after the same rainbow's end
The artist and river share a common goal or purpose, symbolized by the search for the end of a rainbow, which represents fulfillment and completion.

Waiting 'round the bend
The fulfillment and completion they seek may be just around the corner, and they are excited to see what lies ahead on their journey through life.

My Huckleberry friend
The river is personified as a friend, specifically a 'Huckleberry friend', a term used to describe a close and trusted companion.

Moon River and me
The singer and river are united on their journey through life, facing whatever challenges and adventures may come their way together.

Writer(s): Neil Hannon

Contributed by Abigail S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

João Takanori jamjao

Moon River, bem mais extenso que uma milha
Com prazer estarei cruzando esse rio, algum dia
Aah, seu sonhador, destruidor de corações
Onde que que você navegue,
Cruzarei por você

Dois viajantes para vislumbrar o mundo
Tem muita coisa no mundo para se admirar
Estaremos a procura no mesmo fim do arco-íris
A espera, bem na curva
Meu camarada Huckleberry Friend, Moon River, e eu

.....

Moon River, bem mais extenso que uma milha
Com prazer estarei cruzando esse rio, algum dia
Aah, seu sonhador, destruidor de corações
Onde que que você navegue,
Cruzarei por você

Dois viajantes para vislumbrar o mundo
Tem muita coisa no mundo para se admirar
Estaremos a procura no mesmo fim do arco-íris
A espera, bem na curva
Meu camarada Huckleberry Friend, Moon River, e eu

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