Absent Friends

Huzzah, It's time to talk about The Divine Comedy again!

I love this band.  Really, it's just an Irish man named Neil Hannon who performs as The Divine Comedy.

When you have the kind of epidemic I have where you love music and songs constantly play in your head (I'm serious, next time you see me, just ask me what song is playing in my head, I'll tell you.  It's always something...) more often than not, you can't explain where the song came from.  Let's see if I can explain well how today's song found its way into my head.  

This morning's song is The Divine Comedy's "Absent Friends" which is the title (and opening) track from their 2004 album.  Last night I woke up in the night with horrible allergy fits.  It was about 4:30 that I decided that rather than keep my wife awake with my sniffles and sneezes (my throat was itchy too, it's the WORST!) I would head downstairs to turn the television on.

I looked through our collection of DVD's and chose the 1963 classic "The Great Escape."  I got about 5 minutes into it before falling back asleep.  Thank goodness!

I awoke about 3 hours later.  The movie was over and the title screen of the DVD was repeating with the uncanny score (by Elmer Bernstein) to this great film.

ANYWAY, I'm rambling, but immediately the lyric from the song "Absent Friends" came into my head which references THE GREAT ESCAPE:

Steve McQueen, jumped the first one clean
But the great escape he'd tried to make was not to be
Maybe next time, Steve.

OK, here's the song and he sings the lyric I've referenced right about 1 minute and 30 seconds:

I love this song.  I'm curious, if you feel like commenting how you feel about the song and in particular Neil Hannon's voice?  A few people I know who've heard music by The Divine Comedy have complained about the sound of his voice.  Is it distracting enough that you couldn't like the music?  I think it's a fantastic voice, maybe just not the kind one would be used to in popular music....

Also, take the time if you're really bored to reference all the characters Hannon talks about in this song:  Woodbine Willie, Jean Seberg, Steve McQueen, Laika the dog and Oscar Wilde.  Interesting song making a tribute to many interesting character.
 
OK, I've rambled enough today.  Good night magic internet land.