1982 single by Clannad
"
Theme from
Harry's Game
" is a 1982 song by
Clannad
commissioned as the
theme
for
Harry's Game
, a
Yorkshire Television
miniseries adapted from a 1975 novel set in
The Troubles
in
Northern Ireland
.
[1]
It was released as a
single
in October 1982 and became a surprise hit, reaching number 5 in the
UK Singles Chart
the following month and number 2 in the
Irish Singles Chart
.
Composition
[
edit
]
The song was written "in a couple of hours",
[2]
[1]
credited to
Pol
and Ciaran Brennan.
[n 1]
Gerald Seymour
, author of
Harry's Game
, originally wanted to use "Mhorag 's Na Horo Gheallaidh", a
Scottish Gaelic
song from Clannad's album
Fuaim
, but Clannad felt
Irish-language
lyrics would be more appropriate.
[2]
The verse is adapted from a
Connacht Irish
proverb
[1]
in a 1948 anthology,
[n 2]
[2]
[6]
glossed by
Maire (Moya) Brennan
as "Everything that is and was will cease to be."
[2]
This was considered appropriate to the miniseries' depiction of the futility of political violence.
[7]
[2]
The song is to date the only British hit single ever to have been sung entirely in Irish.
[8]
The chorus "
Fol lol the doh fol the day, Fol the doh fol the day
", is ancient
Irish
mouth-music
, known as Portaireacht, which is common in traditional music.
[9]
Over previous albums, Clannad's sound had moved away from
traditional Irish music
arrangements, and the production of "Theme from
Harry's Game
", using lush slow layers of
synthesiser
and
vocal harmony
, marked the arrival of what would become their signature style for the next decade.
[2]
Reception
[
edit
]
The song won an
Ivor Novello
award, and launched Clannad's global career. Its success delayed the release of the band's 1983 album
Magical Ring
, which was altered to include it and more material in the same style.
[10]
[2]
It has since appeared in several
Hollywood
movies, most notably
Patriot Games
,
in which an IRA member, played by
Patrick Bergin
, is seen watching the music video for the song on his television.
Clannad's 1990 album
Anam
was released in the United States in 1992 to capitalise on the
Patriot Games
exposure, with "Harry's Game" inserted in the tracklist; the album sold well and the track was often broadcast on
VH1
.
[11]
Its use from late 1992 in a
Volkswagen Passat
commercial introduced Clannad to a broader American audience and boosted sales of
Anam
.
[12]
[13]
[14]
The song also features on Clannad's vocalists' live albums, the 2005 album
Oro - A Live Session
and the 2008 Moya Brennan solo album
Heart Strings
. The original has also been
sampled
various times by artists such as
Kaleef
and Elate. Moya Brennan recorded a solo version at Mothership Studio for dance musician
Chicane
, which he used on his UK top 10 hit "
Saltwater
."
Track listing
[
edit
]
- Theme From
Harry's Game
? 2:30
- Strayed Away ? 2:47
Charts
[
edit
]
Weekly charts
[
edit
]
|
Year-end charts
[
edit
]
|
1989 Theme from
Harry's Game
/ Hourglass AA-side
[
edit
]
In 1989, as part of the promotion for their compilation
Pastpresent,
Clannad re-released the "Theme from
Harry's Game
" as an AA-side single with their new song "
Hourglass
."
1992
Patriot Games
re-release
[
edit
]
In 1992, the "Theme from
Harry's Game
" was used in the soundtrack to the film
Patriot Games,
and it was also re-released as a single. There were two versions of the CD single, a two-track and a four-track version, both with the same cover and catalogue number.
Track listing
[
edit
]
7" single, cassette, 5" compact disc
- "Theme from
Harry's Game
"
- "Robin (The Hooded Man)"
5" compact disc
- "Theme from
Harry's Game
"
- "Robin (The Hooded Man)"
- "
In a Lifetime
"
- "Closer to your Heart"
1993 Jameson Whiskey re-release
[
edit
]
In 1993, in connection with an advertising campaign for
Jameson Whiskey
, both "Theme from
Harry's Game"
and "In A Lifetime" were re-released in The Netherlands.
Track listing
[
edit
]
- "Theme from
Harry's Game
"
- "Caislean Oir"
Cover versions and other use
[
edit
]
The song has been covered by artists including
Phil Coulter
[24]
and
Celtic Woman
.
[25]
The Irish rock band
U2
also used the song as their
outro
during the
War Tour
, and it can be heard as such at the beginning and end of their live film
U2 Live at Red Rocks: Under a Blood Red Sky
.
[14]
[26]
It has also been used extensively by the RAF for the decommissioning flypasts of the
Avro Vulcan
Delta wing bomber, and subsequently in memorial flights at airshows.
[27]
- ^
a
b
The song is credited solely to Paul Brennan (Pol O Braonain) in the
liner notes
of various recordings from 1982 to 1995,
[3]
and to Paul and Ciaran in liner notes from 2003 and later.
[4]
According to Moya Brennan, it was written "mainly" by Paul and Ciaran, with some input from her.
[1]
[5]
- ^
The original is:
[6]
Imeoidh an seanfhear ata craite liath,
Imeoidh an fhuiseog is ailne ar an gcraoibh,
Imeoidh an duine og is a chail ina dhiaidh
Imeoidh a dtiocfaidh is a dtainig ariamh.
A literal translation to English is:
The old man, grey with torment, will go,
The most beautiful
skylark
on the branch will go,
The young man will go, and his reputation will follow him,
All that ever will come and has come will go.
References
[
edit
]
- ^
a
b
c
d
Simpson, Dave (13 April 2020).
"How Clannad made Theme from Harry's Game"
.
The Guardian
. Retrieved
1 April
2022
.
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
Bond, Lahri (August?September 1993).
"Clannad & Maire Brennan"
.
Dirty Linen
(47). Archived from
the original
on 8 November 2008
. Retrieved
5 November
2008
.
- ^
e.g.
- ^
e.g.
- ^
"The Success Of Clannad"
.
RTE Archives
. 25 October 2017 [1987]. 1m18s
. Retrieved
25 August
2019
.
- ^
a
b
O Maille, Tomas S. (1948).
Sean-fhocla Chonnacht
(in Irish). Vol. 1. Oifig an tSolathair. p. 8, No. 51.
OCLC
14877629
.
; cited in
Denvir, Gearoid (1987).
Cadhan aonair: saothar liteartha Mhairtin ui Chadhain
. Leabhair thaighde (in Irish). Vol. 54. An Clochomhar. p. 52.
ISBN
978-0-903758-45-1
.
- ^
Elswick, Justin R. (31 January 2004) [2003].
"
Two Horizons
: Moya Brennan"
.
Musical Discoveries
. Retrieved
23 August
2019
.
- ^
"Moya Brennan at Musical Discoveries"
.
www.musicaldiscoveries.com
. Retrieved
8 September
2021
.
- ^
"Clannad & Maire Brennan"
. 2 May 2009. Archived from
the original
on 2 May 2009
. Retrieved
8 September
2021
.
- ^
"Clannad"
.
Discogs
.
- ^
Newman, Melinda (22 May 1993).
"New Clannad Set Coming To America"
.
Billboard
. Vol. 105, no. 21. Nielsen Business Media. pp. 12, 113.
- ^
Gates, David (4 April 1993).
"The Marketing O' The Green"
.
Newsweek
. p. 60
. Retrieved
25 August
2019
.
- ^
Clancy, Luke (17 May 1996).
"Celtic Cake Mix"
.
The Irish Times
. p. 12
. Retrieved
24 August
2019
.
- ^
a
b
Hochman, Steve (2 June 1993).
"Clannad Finds Road to U.S. Exposure : Pop music: The use of 'Harry's Game' in TV car commercials has given the Irish folk-pop group another shot at the American market"
.
Los Angeles Times
. Retrieved
24 August
2019
.
- ^
"
Nederlandse Top 40 ? week 39, 1983
" (in Dutch).
Dutch Top 40
. Retrieved 1 May 2021.
- ^
"
Clannad ? Theme from Harry's Game"
(in Dutch).
Single Top 100
. Retrieved 1 May 2021.
- ^
"
Clannad ? Theme from Harry's Game"
.
Singles Top 100
. Retrieved 1 May 2021.
- ^
"Clannad: Artist Chart History"
.
Official Charts Company
. Retrieved 1 May 2021.
- ^
"
Clannad ? Theme from Harry's Game"
(in Dutch).
Ultratop 50
. Retrieved 1 May 2021.
- ^
"
Nederlandse Top 40 ? week 27, 1993
" (in Dutch).
Dutch Top 40
. Retrieved 1 May 2021.
- ^
"
Clannad ? Theme from Harry's Game"
(in Dutch).
Single Top 100
. Retrieved 1 May 2021.
- ^
"Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1993"
. Dutch Top 40
. Retrieved
1 May
2021
.
- ^
"Jaaroverzichten ? Single 1993"
.
dutchcharts.nl
. Retrieved
1 May
2021
.
- ^
"Legends"
. 25 February 1997 – via Amazon.
- ^
"Celtic Woman"
. 22 May 2006 – via Amazon.
- ^
"Archived copy"
. Archived from
the original
on 30 March 2007
. Retrieved
29 September
2007
.
{{
cite web
}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (
link
)
- ^
"Vulcan index"
.
- ^
Newsdesk, The Hot Press.
"MuRli, Maria Kelly, Daithi and more reimagine classic tracks for the 'Irish Songbook: Vol 1' compilation album"
.
Hotpress
. Retrieved
11 October
2023
.
- ^
"Theme from Harry's Game - LN-6"
.
Spotify
. Retrieved
8 May
2024
.
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Studio albums
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Soundtrack albums
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Live albums
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Compilation albums
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Singles
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See also
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