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‘Fairytale of New York’ at Shane MacGowan’s funeral

At singer-songwriter Shane MacGowan’s funeral, a group of musicians led by Glen Hansard and Lisa O’Neill performed “Fairytale of New York.”

I love the Irish saying about “may you be in heaven a full half-hour before the devil knows you’re dead.” Maybe it is the part of me that has Irish blood, but I similarly love the traditions of the Irish wake in the way they treats death as something besides a solemn occasion. A funeral is also an opportunity to celebrate the deceased’s life. So with that background, it gave me great joy to see clips from the funeral of singer-songwriter-musician Shane MacGowan, including the performance of what may be his most famous song, “Fairytale of New York.”

After helping create the Pogues, MacGowan co-wrote “Fairytale of New York” with Jem Finer. We’ve called it “one of the greatest Christmas songs of all-time” while also including it in our list of depressing Christmas songs. One of my favorite versions now is this new one from MacGowan’s funeral.

MacGowan passed away on November 30, 2023, dying from pneumonia at home in Dublin with his wife Victoria Mary Clarke next to him. He was 65. Since his death, many have praised his talents, and of course many bring up his classic “Fairytale of New York,” including a rendition on the streets of Dublin.

And then at his funeral at a church in Nenagh, Ireland on Friday, December 8, 2023, a group of musicians led by Glen Hansard and Lisa O’Neill on vocals, performed “Fairytale of New York.” It was beautiful and uplifting, even leading to some dancing in the aisles.

As the song says, “can’t make it all alone.” We all should have such a send off.

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Springsteen and Hansard “Drive All Night”

In the various E Street Band live versions of Bruce Springsteen singing “Drive All Night,” I have always felt that Springsteen cannot capture the loneliness and angst of the original recording on The River (1980). As the next-to-last song on side four of the two-album set, “Drive All Night” brings together all of the sadness of the album, reminding the listener (along with the underrated final song “Wreck on the Highway“) that the only hope of surviving the despair is with love, even if there is no guarantee that it will do anything more than make a moment better.

The best place to listen to “Drive All Night” is to put the song on the stereo in a dark room while you think about everything you have ever lost. By contrast, a live full-band version cannot capture that feeling because a Springsteen concert is a celebration of community with a large crowd and the E Street Band backing up the singer. But when Glen Hansard sings his version of “Drive All Night” live, he comes close to the feeling of the original recording.

Singer-songwriter (and sometimes movie actor) Glen Hansard has a voice made for evoking sadness and pain. There are great versions of Hansard covering “Drive All Night” by himself. As the title track for a 2013 EP, Hansard recorded his own version of “Drive All Night” with Eddie Vedder helping on vocals and E Street Band member Jake Clemons playing saxophone. Check it out.

Springsteen must have recognized Hansard’s skill with the song, as he invited him to sing the song with him in July 2013 when Springsteen played in Kilkenny, Ireland. When Hansard begins singing, Springsteen has a look on his face like, “This guy gets this song.” Check it out.

But my favorite Hansard version is where he sings alone with a guitar with a little help from Once co-star and former Swell Season bandmate, Marketa Irglova. The two have voices that blend perfectly, and the fact that the two are former lovers adds another layer of poignency to the performance. Check it out.

What is your favorite version of “Drive All Night”? Leave your two cents in the comments.

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Glen Hansard the Busker

CBS Sunday Morning recently featured a story about singer-songwriter-actor Glen Hansard. In the segment, Hansard talks about his life, his time busking on the streets of Dublin, and his success with the movie Once (2006), which is now a Broadway play.

The segment features both touching moments — such as Hansard discussing his former relationship with his Once co-star Markéta Irglová — and funny touches, like a scene in a Dublin pub where Hansard’s grade school principal discusses telling a 13-year-old Hansard it was okay to drop out of school to pursue his music career. 2016 Update: The video is no longer available for embedding, but you may watch some of the segment on YouTube.

Below is another clip of an interview with Hansard that was done for The Busking Project.

What is your favorite song by Glen Hansard? Leave your two cents in the comments.

Springsteen and Hansard “Drive All Night”

Glen Hansard’s Tiny Desk Concert

‘Fairytale of New York’ at Shane MacGowan’s funeral

A Visit to Millard Fillmore’s Home

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Berry Gordy and the Legend of Motown

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Glen Hansard’s Tiny Desk Concert

Earlier this summer, NPR featured Glen Hansard in its Tiny Desk Concert series, where you get Hansard alone with his guitar up close. Hansard, who recently released his first solo CD after recording with The Frames and with Markéta Irglová, has a great voice that comes through in this acoustic set. Of course, you may know him from his role in the charming film Once (2006) with Irglová.

So check out this set of Hansard and his guitar, where he plays the songs: “Love Don’t Leave Me Waiting,” “Bird Of Sorrow,” “Come Away To The Water,” “Lucia,” and “The Song Of Good Hope.”

Hansard’s new CD — Rhythm and Repose (2012) — features four of the songs he plays above.

What do you think of Hansard’s tiny desk concert? Leave your two cents in the comments.

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Springsteen and Hansard “Drive All Night”

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‘Fairytale of New York’ at Shane MacGowan’s funeral

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The Onion AV Club recently presented this cover of The Band’s “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down” as part of its Underground series. Here, Glen Hansard is joined by Lisa Hannigan, who is touring with Hansard, and John Smith to sing the song at Chicago’s Architectural Artifacts, a museum and store.

In the first part of the video before they sing the song, Hansard talks about the first time he heard “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down” and how he always remembers that moment in his life when he thinks of the song. Check it out.

“The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down,” which evokes the waning days of the American Civil War in the South, first appeared on The Band’s self-titled album in 1969. Since then, there have been a number of live versions released by The Band, including on The Last Waltz (1976), and the song has been recorded by other artists, including a hit version by Joan Baez in 1971. As in the case of the artists in the video above, Baez does a great cover on the song, but the definitive versions remain with Levon Helm’s lead singing with The Band.

Even though the songwriting is officially credited to Robbie Robertson, Levon Helm later noted that he helped with the research and the writing. Whether or not he wrote the song, it became his song when he sang it. Apparently, Helm never sang the song again after his performance at The Last Waltz, shown below when all the people were singin’.