Falling Slowly

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"Falling Slowly"
Song

"Falling Slowly" is a song in the indie folk and indie rock genres that was written, composed, and performed by Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová. The song is featured in the 2007 film Once, which starred Hansard and Irglová, and for which it won the Academy Award for Best Original Song at the 80th Academy Awards.[1] The song was also recorded by Hansard's band The Frames.

History

The song was written and composed while Once was in production. The film's director and screenwriter, John Carney, developed the script around songs which Hansard and Irglová had provided to him.[2] In the movie, the duo play the song in Walton's music shop in Dublin, with Hansard on guitar and Irglová on piano. The couple performed it at gigs in various European venues over the next two years.[3] Versions appeared in 2006 on two albums: The Cost, which Hansard's band The Frames recorded and released, and The Swell Season, an album on which Hansard and Irglová collaborated.,[4] and the song has been used also in the movie Beauty in Trouble. According to the "First Showing" article:

After almost getting her acceptance speech skipped and almost not getting to say a word for her acceptance at the 2008 ceremony after their Oscar win, Irglova made a speech about the song in which at the end of the speech she says, "This song was written from a perspective of hope, and hope at the end of the day connects us all, no matter how different we are..."[5]

Charts

The song charted at #16 in the Irish Singles Chart when The Frames first released it. The Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová version charted at #28 in December 2007, before peaking at #2 in March 2008, following the song's Oscar win. It sold 944,000 digital downloads in the United States.[6]

Chart (2008) Peak
position [7]
Irish Singles Chart 2
Canadian Hot 100 8
US Billboard Hot 100 61

Awards

"Falling Slowly" was nominated for a 2008 Grammy, for Best Song Written For Motion Picture, Television Or Other Visual Media; it lost to "Love You I Do" from Dreamgirls.[8]

The song won the Academy Award for Best Original Song on 24 February 2008, beating out the choral gospel song "Raise It Up" from August Rush and three songs from the modern Disney musical Enchanted.[4] The win marked the fourth year in a row that the Oscar-winning song had not been nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song.

Earlier the song's eligibility for an Oscar was in dispute because it had been performed and recorded prior to the release of Once.[4] The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences ruled, however, that because the song had been written and composed for the movie, and because the prior public exposure during the long period that the movie took to produce had been minimal, it remained eligible.[3] The Academy had ruled likewise on a similar controversy involving 2004 Best Original Song nominee "In the Deep." According to the Academy rules, that song was disqualified because there was some dispute over whether or not it was written originally for the film.

Cover versions

"Falling Slowly" appears on the original cast album of the stage adaptation of Once, performed by Steve Kazee and Cristin Milioti; this album won the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album.

It has been covered by synthpop group Joy Electric on their 2009 covers album, Favorites at Play. Derek Webb recorded a cover of the song on his democratically selected cover album Democracy, Vol. 2. The song also has been covered by the operatic pop group Il Divo on their album Wicked Game as a Spanish rendition, as “Falling Slowly (Te Prometo).” It was also covered by Linda Eder on her album "Soundtrack" in 2009.

Damian McGinty covered it on Celtic Thunder's Voyage album in 2012.

Josh Groban covered it on his 2013 album All That Echoes.

Louise Dearman and Shayne Ward released a version on 17 February 2014.[9]

Korean singer Han Dong Geun covered the song alongside Pledis Entertainment trainee Minkyeong on December 5, 2014.[10]

Australians Kate Ceberano and David Campbell released a version on 17 December 2014.[11]

English boy band Collabro covered the song on their first album Stars (Collabro album) on 15 August 2014.

Welsh singer John Owen Jones featured the song on his most recent album, Rise, Released in March 2015.

American Broadway actors Laura Osnes and Aaron Tveit performed the song during the outdoor concert, Elsie Fest on September 27th 2015.

The Dave Arch singers performed the song to accompany the rumba danced by Jay McGuiness and Aliona Vilani on the thirteenth series of Strictly Come Dancing.

Critical reception

Response to "Falling Slowly" was generally positive.

After Kris Allen's performance of "Falling Slowly" on American Idol, the song went from the 33rd most popular and downloaded song on iTunes to the 29th most popular and downloaded song. Though Allen's appearance was not one of American Idol judge Randy Jackson's favorite performances, it clearly moved the live studio audience before whom the installment of the show was being taped.[12]

Glen Hansard's and Marketa Irglova's performances of "Falling Slowly" on screen and on stage amazed so many people that even Bob Dylan wanted them to be his opening act on his World Tour.[13]

According to Entertainment Weekly, "The film and lyrics to the song were popular search terms on Google this morning."[13]

References

  1. ↑ "Art I Love: Glen Hansard And Marketa Irglova "Falling Slowly: From the Film "Once," 2007. The MCG Project. 14 Feb 2013. Web. 3 Nov. 2013 http://themcbproject.com/art-i-love-glen-hansard-and-marketa-irglova-falling-slowly-from-the-film-once-2007/
  2. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ "Once Actress Marketa Irglova's Wonderful Oscar Acceptance Speech." First Showing. 24 Feb. 2008. Web. 11 Nov. 2013. http://www.firstshowing.net/2008/once-actress-marketa-irglovas-wonderful-oscar-acceptance-speech/
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ "Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova - Falling Slowly worldwide chart positions and trajectories". aCharts.us. Retrieved March 15, 2008.
  8. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ http://ituneshut.blogspot.com.au/2014/02/single-louise-dearman-shayne-ward.html
  10. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iaa1EJvJZbI
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ "'American Idol': Will Kris Allen Help Boost Sales of 'Once'?" EW.com. Entertainment Weekly, 15th Apr. 2009. Web. 06 Nov. 2013. http://popwatch.ew.com/2009/04/15/will-kris-allen/
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Songfacts. Web. Retrieved on 2 Nov. 2013 at http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=10097

External links

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