After a heartfelt performance at Glen Hansard’s funeral on Tuesday, U2 shared the “Beautiful Day” lyrics Bono and the Edge reworked for the occasion.
“Yesterday at Glen Hansard’s send-off at St. Patrick’s Cathedral Bono played a voice message from Patti
Smith… her first reaction to hearing the news of Glen’s passing,” the band shared on Instagram following the funeral. “It’s a lullaby for Glen’s family… which was followed by Beautiful Day rewritten by Bono and Edge for Glen.”
The band posted the new lyrics in the caption and on the image of a painting of Hansard by artist Colin Davidson. They read: “See those eyes flashing landing light blue/ Seven towers holding up the sky for you/ Arrivals and departures, this is what we do/ You write your life ‘til the story becomes true/ Ginger cake smile, a movie star too/ If the street be your stage how come there’s thousands in the queue/ McDaid’s feels like a stadium but there’s only me and you/ You left a hangover from hell, of this there is no doubt/ But as you wake up in heaven, all the angels will shout.”
During the funeral, held at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Dublin , Bono played a musical voicemail from Smith before reciting the lyrics of “Beautiful Day.” Eddie Vedder performed Hansard’s “The Song of Good Hope” with Markéta Irglová, who shared the 2008 best original song Oscar with Hansard for “Falling Slowly” from Once. Both singers joined a group performance of Bob Dylan’s “Forever Young.”
Bono’s tribute celebrated Hansard’s gift for friendship. “How do you do that?” he asked. “People on the green outside, best friends. People tuning in, best friends. Even people who haven’t met him, best friends. Everyone who met him, they just remember the day they met him.”
Hansard died on July 29 at the age of 56 after a motorcycle crash. His death has led to an outpouring of grief from both his peers and his global audience.
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