Oct 4, 2026 · 58 min · 13 segments
After the tragic and untimely death of singer Glen Hansard this Summer, the Lyric Feature opens its Autumn series by revisiting a programme from 'Vocal Chords' a series of programmes in which…
Glen HansardGuest
Iarla Ó LionáirdHost
Mary BrophyHost
It was always those with little else to carry who carried the songs, to Babylon, to the Mississippi.
Some of these last possessed less than nothing, did not even own their own bodies.
Yet three centuries later, deep rhythms from Africa stowed in their hearts, their bones, carry the world's songs.
Songs were their soul's currency, the pure metal of their hearts, to be exchanged for other gold, other songs which rang out true and bright when flung down on the deal boards of their days.
And there's also a sense of classlessness, and that was, I suppose, for me, the first thing that struck me about the choice I had made instinctively as a kid.
In my house, there was always songs, but the songs were always related to drink.
My dad had arrived back at 2:00 in the morning with half the pub, and the house would be raised, and we'd be put on duty frying eggs, and suddenly there'd be a, a massive sing song, and we'd go till the morning.
And I, I must have been quite young, 'cause the perspective I remember was kinda sitting under the table looking at all the legs and listening to the voices.
And she'd have me, uh, sing that in the dead of night, you know, like everyone locked.
And I realized very young that if you sing a song, you're standing equal with everybody.
It was always those with little else to carry who carried the songs, to Babylon, to the Mississippi.
Some of these last possessed less than nothing, did not even own their own bodies.
Yet three centuries later, deep rhythms from Africa stowed in their hearts, their bones, carry the world's songs.
Songs were their soul's currency, the pure metal of their hearts, to be exchanged for other gold, other songs which rang out true and bright when flung down on the deal boards of their days.
And there's also a sense of classlessness, and that was, I suppose, for me, the first thing that struck me about the choice I had made instinctively as a kid.
In my house, there was always songs, but the songs were always related to drink.
My dad had arrived back at 2:00 in the morning with half the pub, and the house would be raised, and we'd be put on duty frying eggs, and suddenly there'd be a, a massive sing song, and we'd go till the morning.
And I, I must have been quite young, 'cause the perspective I remember was kinda sitting under the table looking at all the legs and listening to the voices.
And she'd have me, uh, sing that in the dead of night, you know, like everyone locked.
And I realized very young that if you sing a song, you're standing equal with everybody.
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