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.
Our Mutual Friend
The Divine Comedy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And when I sleep I visualize her.
I saw her in the pub. I met her later at the night-club.
A mutual friend introduced us.
We talked about the noise
And how it's hard to hear your own voice
Above the beat and the sub-bass.
As we all went back to his place.
On our friend's settee She told me that she really liked me
And I said "cool, the feeling's mutualâ??.
We played old 45's. I said "it's like the soundtrack to our livesâ??
And she said "true, it's not unusualâ??.
Then privately we danced
But couldn't seem to keep our balance,
A drunken haze had come upon us.
We sank down to the floor and we sang
A song that I can't sing any more,
And then we kissed and fell unconscious.
I woke up the next day all alone but for a headache.
I stumbled out to find the bathroom.
But all I found was her wrapped around another lover.
No longer then is he our mutual friend.
The Divine Comedy's song "Our Mutual Friend" tells the story of a night out and a subsequent romance that ends in heartbreak. The singer of the song cannot get this woman out of his mind and even dreams about her. He meets her through a mutual friend at a pub and later at a nightclub. They bond over the difficulty of hearing themselves speak over the loud music. Their conversations go on for hours and continue in the back of their friend's car as they head back to his place. There, they confess their attraction to one another, dance and share a special moment, but end up getting drunk and passing out.
The next morning, the singer wakes up alone with a headache and makes his way to the bathroom, where he finds his new love wrapped up with someone else that he recognizes as the friend who introduced them. The singer feels betrayed, hurt and incredibly alone. It's clear that he has been replaced, and the final lyrics of the song make it crystal clear: "No longer then is he our mutual friend." The song is a melancholic and introspective reflection on love, loss and the transience of life.
Line by Line Meaning
No matter how I try I just can't get her out of my mind
Despite my efforts, I cannot stop thinking about her.
And when I sleep I visualize her.
Even my dreams are filled with her image.
I saw her in the pub. I met her later at the night-club.
I first noticed her at the pub, and later encountered her at the nightclub.
A mutual friend introduced us.
We were introduced by someone we both knew.
We talked about the noise
Our conversation revolved around the loud music.
And how it's hard to hear your own voice
We discussed the difficulty of communicating over the noise.
Above the beat and the sub-bass.
Specifically, we were struggling to hear ourselves speak over the heavy bass of the music.
We talked and talked for hours, we talked in the back of our friend's car
We conversed for a long time, even while on the way back to our friend's place in their car.
As we all went back to his place.
The three of us proceeded to our mutual friend's home.
On our friend's settee She told me that she really liked me
As we sat on our friend's couch, she expressed her fondness for me.
And I said "cool, the feeling's mutualâ??.
I reciprocated her feelings, saying that I felt the same way.
We played old 45's. I said "it's like the soundtrack to our livesâ??
We listened to old vinyl records and I remarked that they seemed to perfectly represent our own experiences.
And she said "true, it's not unusualâ??.
She agreed with me, and made a reference to the Tom Jones song 'It's Not Unusual.'
Then privately we danced
We shared a private dance, just the two of us.
But couldn't seem to keep our balance,
We were both unsteady on our feet, suggesting that we may have been under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
A drunken haze had come upon us.
We were likely impaired by intoxicants.
We sank down to the floor and we sang
Our lack of balance caused us to fall to the ground, where we began to sing together.
A song that I can't sing any more,
The song we sang together is now associated with a memory that is too painful or nostalgic to revisit.
And then we kissed and fell unconscious.
We then shared a kiss and lost consciousness.
I woke up the next day all alone but for a headache.
I regained consciousness the next day, suffering only from a hangover and physical discomfort.
I stumbled out to find the bathroom.
I got up and stumbled around, likely due to residual effects of our inebriation.
But all I found was her wrapped around another lover.
I discovered that she had spent the remainder of the night with someone else, likely someone she had been involved with previously.
No longer then is he our mutual friend.
As a result of her actions, our mutual friend is no longer on good terms with either of us.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: NEIL HANNON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@mkyN77
No matter how I try I just can't get her out of my mind
And when I sleep I visualize her.
I saw her in the pub. I met her later at the night-club.
A mutual friend introduced us.
We talked about the noise
And how it's hard to hear your own voice
Above the beat and the sub-bass.
We talked and talked for hours, we talked in the back of our friend's car
As we all went back to his place.
On our friend's settee. She told me that she really liked me.
And I said "cool, the feeling's mutual??.
We played old 45's. I said "it's like the soundtrack to our lives"
And she said "true, it's not unusual".
Then privately we danced
But couldn't seem to keep our balance,
A drunken haze had come upon us.
We sank down to the floor and we sang
A song that I can't sing any more,
And then we kissed and fell unconscious.
I woke up the next day all alone but for a headache.
I stumbled out to find the bathroom.
But all I found was her wrapped around another lover.
No longer then is he our mutual friend.
@dionsmith3654
No matter how I try
I just can't get her out of my mind
And I when I sleep I visualize her
I saw her in the pub
I met her later at the nightclub
A mutual friend introduced us
We talked about the noise
And how its hard to hear your own voice
Above the beat and the sub-bass
We talked and talked for hours
We talked in the back of our friend's car
As we all went back to his place
On our friend's settee
She told me that she really liked me
And I said, "Cool, the feeling's mutual"
We played old 45's
And said it's like the soundtrack to our lives
And she said, "True, it's not unusual"
Then privately we danced
We couldn't seem to keep our balance
A drunken haze had come upon us
We sank down to the floor
And we sang a song that I can't sing anymore
And then we kissed and fell unconscious
I woke up the next day, all alone but for a headache
I stumbled out to find the bathroom
But all I found was her, wrapped around another lover
No longer then is he our mutual friend
@audreytrance34
No matter how I try I just can't get her out of my mind
And when I sleep I visualize her.
I saw her in the pub. I met her later at the night-club.
A mutual friend introduced us.
We talked about the noise
And how it's hard to hear your own voice
Above the beat and the sub-bass.
We talked and talked for hours, we talked in the back of our friend's car
As we all went back to his place.
On our friend's settee She told me that she really liked me
And I said "cool, the feeling's mutual??.
We played old 45's. I said "it's like the soundtrack to our lives??
And she said "true, it's not unusual??.
Then privately we danced
But couldn't seem to keep our balance,
A drunken haze had come upon us.
We sank down to the floor and we sang
A song that I can't sing any more,
And then we kissed and fell unconscious.
I woke up the next day all alone but for a headache.
I stumbled out to find the bathroom.
But all I found was her wrapped around another lover.
No longer then is he our mutual friend.
@aweescotsdog8358
Is there a sadder, more profound, more relatable song in the universe? It has everything, regret, missed opportunity, desire.lust even .. But tempered by genuine attraction followed by bitter disappointment - my disappointment...a life less ordinary of sorts .. And yet caressed by its own miseries....
But be happy folks, this is just a YouTube comment, there is a world out there with grass and trees and sunsets and breeze! Love your lives and use morosity only to wonder and inspire ... tomorrow is another day... a new adventure!
Best wishes fellow life travellers!
Slàinte
P.S. Still an absolutely brilliant track though!
@CamiloSapag
This is the most beautiful song ever written! I can't get over this. His talent is so big and unlimited!
@daniandres3211
Check Nick Cave's "To Be By Your Side" and Dire Straits' "Romeo and Juliet". Also almost painfully beautiful pieces of music!
@tremendousyeet3467
@Dani Andres Your turn, check "The Mind Electric" and "Fate of the Stars" by Tally Hall. i offer devastation via tune.
@nickywilks7928
I cannot believe that I've only heard this song for the first time...October 2020....outstanding....so full of meloncholy, it made me cry.
@Mark-vq5dz
Me too , it was on BBC Radio 2, I sat in the car, utterly spellbound. A gift
@nathaliehagestein4599
Yeah, same for me, last Saturday that was! WOW
@Mark-vq5dz
@Nathalie Hagestein Can't beat a bit of R2 can you 🙂
@nickywilks7928
Yep radio 2 a guest request on the Graham Norton show......
@dreamyeyedgirl5
Me too! In my hospital bed and helped me so much.
@thedeathnight
Even after all these years this is still the most emotionally gut wrenching song I know. Such an underrated masterpiece