Theme from Harry's Game
Encyclopedia
"Theme from Harry's Game" or just "Harry's Game" is a BAFTA
-nominated hit song by Irish
group Clannad, written by Pól Brennan
. It was released in 1982 and served as the main track from their album Magical Ring
. However, the song was initially written for a Yorkshire Television
production called Harry's Game
, which depicted The Troubles
in Northern Ireland
.
The lyrics are in the Irish language
, and the song is to date the only British hit single ever to have been sung entirely in Irish. The chorus "Fol lol the doh fol the day, Fol the doh fol the day", is ancient Irish
mouth-music
which is common in traditional music. The song won an Ivor Novello
award, and launched Clannad's global career. It has since appeared in several Hollywood movies, most notably Patriot Games
, in which an IRA member is seen watching the music video for the song on his television. Its use in a Volkswagen
commercial introduced Clannad to an American audience.
Clannad's debut trans-Atlantic album, Anam
, was released in the United States
in 1992 and became an enormous American success - spurred on by a strong reaction to "Harry's Game", including extensive video exposure on VH1
. The song went on to garner the Billboard Music Award
for World Music Song Of The Year and to reach the Billboard Hot 100
singles chart three years after its release.
The song also features on Clannad's vocalists' live albums, 2005's Óró - A Live Session
and 2008's 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
, used on his UK top 10 hit "Saltwater
".
among all sides in Northern Ireland
and the future of the sides (Nationalist
, Republican
, Unionist and Loyalist
). Moya Brennan
, while explaining how Clannad was about the music and never political, explained the meaning behind the song. The lyrics, derived from an ancient text from Galway
, explain how in war and in violence, no side will win - that all lose.
, and 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.
5" compact disc
and Celtic Woman
. Irish rock band U2
also used the song in their concerts in the 1980s. The song would play after the end of their concerts, and can be heard as such at the end of their live film U2 Live at Red Rocks: Under a Blood Red Sky. 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.
British Academy Television Awards
The British Academy Television Awards are presented in an annual award show hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts . They have been awarded annually since 1954, and are analogous to the Emmy Awards in the United States.-Background:...
-nominated hit song by Irish
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
group Clannad, written by Pól Brennan
Pól Brennan
Pól Brennan is an Irish singer, songwriter and producer. He is the brother of Enya and Moya Brennan. He is a member of the family band Clannad, and co-wrote the hit song "Theme from Harry's Game". He left the group in 1990, but rejoined in 2011...
. It was released in 1982 and served as the main track from their album Magical Ring
Magical Ring
Magical Ring is the seventh album by Irish folk group Clannad. It was released in 1983.-Track listing:# "Theme from Harry's Game" – 2:30# "Tower Hill" – 3:51# "Seachrán Chairn tSiail" – 2:20# "Passing Time" Magical Ring is the seventh album by Irish folk group Clannad. It was released in...
. However, the song was initially written for a Yorkshire Television
Yorkshire Television
Yorkshire Television, now officially known as ITV Yorkshire and sometimes unofficially abbreviated to YTV, is a British television broadcaster and the contractor for the Yorkshire franchise area on the ITV network...
production called Harry's Game
Harry's Game
Harry's Game is a British television miniseries made by Yorkshire Television for ITV in 1982. It is based on the novel of the same name by Gerald Seymour, which was published in 1975.The three-part serial starred Ray Lonnen as Capt...
, which depicted The Troubles
The Troubles
The Troubles was a period of ethno-political conflict in Northern Ireland which spilled over at various times into England, the Republic of Ireland, and mainland Europe. The duration of the Troubles is conventionally dated from the late 1960s and considered by many to have ended with the Belfast...
in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
.
The lyrics are in the Irish language
Irish language
Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...
, and the song is to date the only British hit single ever to have been sung entirely in Irish. The chorus "Fol lol the doh fol the day, Fol the doh fol the day", is ancient Irish
Music of Ireland
Irish Music is the generic term for music that has been created in various genres on the island of Ireland.The indigenous music of the island is termed Irish traditional music. It has remained vibrant through the 20th, and into the 21st century, despite globalizing cultural forces...
mouth-music
Puirt à beul
Puirt a beul is a traditional form of song native to Scotland, Ireland, and Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia.-Name:The Scottish Gaelic for such a tune is port à beul: "a tune from a mouth—specifically a cheerful tune—which in the plural becomes puirt à beul...
which is common in traditional music. The song won an Ivor Novello
Ivor Novello
David Ivor Davies , better known as Ivor Novello, was a Welsh composer, singer and actor who became one of the most popular British entertainers of the first half of the 20th century. Born into a musical family, his first successes were as a songwriter...
award, and launched Clannad's global career. It has since appeared in several Hollywood movies, most notably Patriot Games
Patriot Games (film)
Patriot Games is a 1992 film directed by Phillip Noyce and based on Tom Clancy's the novel of the same name. It is a sequel to the 1990 film The Hunt for Red October. In the movie, Jack Ryan is played by Harrison Ford, Jack's surgeon-wife, Dr...
, in which an IRA member is seen watching the music video for the song on his television. Its use in a Volkswagen
Volkswagen
Volkswagen is a German automobile manufacturer and is the original and biggest-selling marque of the Volkswagen Group, which now also owns the Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, SEAT, and Škoda marques and the truck manufacturer Scania.Volkswagen means "people's car" in German, where it is...
commercial introduced Clannad to an American audience.
Clannad's debut trans-Atlantic album, Anam
Anam (album)
Anam is an album by Clannad which was originally released in 1990.-Track listing:# "Rí Na Cruinne" – 4:03# "Anam" – 4:03# "In Fortune's Hand" – 3:55...
, was released in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1992 and became an enormous American success - spurred on by a strong reaction to "Harry's Game", including extensive video exposure on VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
. The song went on to garner the Billboard Music Award
Billboard Music Award
The Billboard Music Award is an honor given by Billboard magazine, the preeminent publication covering the music business. The Billboard Music Awards show had been held annually in December until it went dormant in 2007, but it returned in May 2011...
for World Music Song Of The Year and to reach the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
singles chart three years after its release.
The song also features on Clannad's vocalists' live albums, 2005's Óró - A Live Session
Óró - A Live Session
Óró - A Live Session is a music album by Irish musician Máire Brennan, now known as Moya Brennan. Just before the start of the German tour, Moya and her band recorded a "live session" album to have available for fans on the tour. She's tried to recreate some of the live feel with the band in the...
and 2008's Heart Strings
Heart Strings (Moya Brennan album)
Heart Strings is a live album by Irish singer Moya Brennan. The album was released in September 2008, but was previously available to fans throughout Brennan's Spring 2008 tour of the Netherlands. It was recorded at her concerts on 21 October 2007 in the Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool and in November...
. The original has also been Sampled
Sampling (music)
In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...
various times by artists such as Kaleef
Kaliphz
Kaliphz were a British hip hop crew formed in Rochdale by 2-Phaan and Jabba da Hype. They began as part of the breakdancing scene in the early 1980s, before branching out into spoken word and rap as other members joined the group. The group had a constantly shifting membership, and various name...
and Elate. Moya Brennan recorded a solo version at Mothership Studio for dance musician Chicane
Chicane
A chicane is an artificial feature creating extra turns in a road, used in motor racing and on city streets to slow cars to lower speeds.- Motor Racing :...
, used on his UK top 10 hit "Saltwater
Saltwater (Chicane song)
"Saltwater" is a song by Chicane featuring the vocals of Irish singer Máire Brennan. The track uses parts of Clannad's 1982 hit "Theme From Harry's Game" with both re-recorded and newly-written lyrics....
".
Meaning
The lyrics to the song were written to depict the story of The TroublesThe Troubles
The Troubles was a period of ethno-political conflict in Northern Ireland which spilled over at various times into England, the Republic of Ireland, and mainland Europe. The duration of the Troubles is conventionally dated from the late 1960s and considered by many to have ended with the Belfast...
among all sides in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
and the future of the sides (Nationalist
Irish nationalism
Irish nationalism manifests itself in political and social movements and in sentiment inspired by a love for Irish culture, language and history, and as a sense of pride in Ireland and in the Irish people...
, Republican
Irish Republicanism
Irish republicanism is an ideology based on the belief that all of Ireland should be an independent republic.In 1801, under the Act of Union, the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Kingdom of Ireland merged to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland...
, Unionist and Loyalist
Ulster loyalism
Ulster loyalism is an ideology that is opposed to a united Ireland. It can mean either support for upholding Northern Ireland's status as a constituent part of the United Kingdom , support for Northern Ireland independence, or support for loyalist paramilitaries...
). Moya Brennan
Moya Brennan
Moya Brennan, born Máire Ní Bhraonáin , also known as Máire Brennan , is an Irish folk singer, songwriter, harpist, and philanthropist who began performing professionally in 1970, when her family formed the band Clannad, and is now widely considered as the "First Lady of Celtic Music"...
, while explaining how Clannad was about the music and never political, explained the meaning behind the song. The lyrics, derived from an ancient text from Galway
County Galway
County Galway is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the city of Galway. Galway County Council is the local authority for the county. There are several strongly Irish-speaking areas in the west of the county...
, explain how in war and in violence, no side will win - that all lose.
Chart history
| Chart (1982) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Irish Singles Chart Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured... |
2 |
| Dutch Top 40 Dutch Top 40 The Dutch Top 40 is a weekly music chart, which started as the "Veronica Top 40", because the offshore radio station Radio Veronica was the first to introduce it. It remained "The Veronica Top 40" until 1974, when the station was forced to stop broadcasting... |
9 |
| Swedish Singles Chart | 16 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
5 |
1989 Theme from Harry's Game / Hourglass AA-side
In 1989 as part of the promotion for their compilation, Pastpresent, Clannad re-released "Theme from Harry's Game" as an AA-side single with their new song "Hourglass (Clannad song)|Hourglass".1992 Patriot Games re-release
In 1992 "Theme from Harry's Game" was used in the soundtrack to the film Patriot GamesPatriot Games (film)
Patriot Games is a 1992 film directed by Phillip Noyce and based on Tom Clancy's the novel of the same name. It is a sequel to the 1990 film The Hunt for Red October. In the movie, Jack Ryan is played by Harrison Ford, Jack's surgeon-wife, Dr...
, and 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.
Tracklisting
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
In 1993, in connection with an advertising campaign for James Whiskey, both "Theme from Harry's Game" and "In A Lifetime" were re-released in The Netherlands.Cover versions and other use
The song has been covered by artists including Phil CoulterPhil Coulter
Phil Coulter is an artist with an international reputation as a successful songwriter, pianist, music producer, arranger and director. His success has spanned four decades and he is one of the biggest record sellers in Ireland...
and Celtic Woman
Celtic Woman
Celtic Woman is an all-female musical ensemble conceived and assembled by Sharon Browne and David Downes, a former musical director of the Irish stage show Riverdance...
. Irish rock band U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
also used the song in their concerts in the 1980s. The song would play after the end of their concerts, and can be heard as such at the end of their live film U2 Live at Red Rocks: Under a Blood Red Sky. It has also been used extensively by the RAF for the decommissioning flypasts of the Avro Vulcan
Avro Vulcan
The Avro Vulcan, sometimes referred to as the Hawker Siddeley Vulcan, was a jet-powered delta wing strategic bomber, operated by the Royal Air Force from 1956 until 1984. Aircraft manufacturer A V Roe & Co designed the Vulcan in response to Specification B.35/46. Of the three V bombers produced,...
Delta wing bomber, and subsequently in memorial flights at airshows.
- 1993 – Phil CoulterPhil CoulterPhil Coulter is an artist with an international reputation as a successful songwriter, pianist, music producer, arranger and director. His success has spanned four decades and he is one of the biggest record sellers in Ireland...
on Recollections - 1997 – Phil CoulterPhil CoulterPhil Coulter is an artist with an international reputation as a successful songwriter, pianist, music producer, arranger and director. His success has spanned four decades and he is one of the biggest record sellers in Ireland...
and James GalwayJames Galway- External links : IMGArtists.com 15 September 2008. AllAboutJazz.com 5 August 2008.*...
on Legends - 1999 – ChicaneChicane (recording artist)Chicane is a British electronic dance music act, and the guise of British musician, composer, songwriter and record producer, Nicholas Bracegirdle....
on Saltwater - 2005 – Órla FallonÓrla FallonÓrlagh Fallon , professionally known as Órla Fallon, is an Irish soloist, songwriter and former member of the group Celtic Woman and the chamber choir Anúna.- Life and career :...
, then of Celtic WomanCeltic WomanCeltic Woman is an all-female musical ensemble conceived and assembled by Sharon Browne and David Downes, a former musical director of the Irish stage show Riverdance...
, on Celtic Woman (album)Celtic Woman (album)Celtic Woman is the eponymous debut album of the singing group Celtic Woman. The members of the group were first featured on the PBS musical special also by the same name. With the help of said special, Celtic Woman reached #1 on the World Music charts within weeks and remained there for a record... - 2009/2011 – Dierdre Shannon on Celtic ThunderCeltic ThunderCeltic Thunder is a singing group composed of male soloists who perform both solo and ensemble numbers. Celtic Thunder debuted in August 2007 at The Helix in Dublin, Ireland...
: StormCeltic Thunder: Storm (DVD)Celtic Thunder: Storm is the title of both a CD album and DVD which was released on September 20, 2011, by the musical group Celtic Thunder. This article relates mostly to the DVD, which is worthy of mention because unlike Celtic Thunder's other DVDs, which are filmed versions of their touring...
(the album was recorded in 2009 but released in 2011)