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The five songs that inspired Glen Hansard the most: “Teaching me how to sing”
Glen Hansard, the Irish singer-songwriter best known for "Falling Slowly" and his role in the film Once, has spoken about the five songs that most shaped him as a musician, offering insight into the folk-rooted influences behind his own work. The piece, published in tribute to Hansard, reflects on how connection and collaboration defined his career, tracing that ethos back to the artists who first inspired him to pick up a guitar and sing.
His picks span decades and styles: his own Oscar-winning "Falling Slowly" with Markéta Irglová; Joni Mitchell's "Coyote"; Bob Dylan's 1971 track "Down on the Flood" (also known as "Crash on the Levee"), which he credited with teaching him how to sing; Van Morrison's "Hungry for Your Love"; and Leonard Cohen's "Famous Blue Raincoat", tied to a chance meeting with Cohen after a gig. Together, the selections illustrate the folk lineage — from Dylan and Mitchell to Morrison and Cohen — that fed into Hansard's own songwriting.
In short
- Glen Hansard named the five songs that most inspired his music.
- Picks include Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Van Morrison and Leonard Cohen tracks.
- His own "Falling Slowly" also made the list as a pivotal song.
Explained simply
Glen Hansard is an Irish singer-songwriter who first came to wider attention as a musician and actor in the film Once. He later won an Academy Award with his co-writer and musical partner Markéta Irglová for “Falling Slowly”, a song from the film.
Hansard’s music draws on folk and rock traditions associated with artists such as Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Van Morrison and Leonard Cohen. Their songwriting and singing offer context for the influences he has described, while his work with Irglová shows the importance of musical collaboration in his career.