U2 Rewrite 'Beautiful Day' for Glen Hansard's Funeral. Here's what each side is saying, and what none of them are telling you.
🌐 Full story, every source, both narratives: https://cvrdnews.com/story/u2-rewrite-beautiful-day-for-glen-hansard-s-funeral
📰 THE FULL STORY
Bono and The Edge of U2 performed a rewritten version of their hit 'Beautiful Day' at a funeral tribute for Irish musician Glen Hansard. The reworked lyrics were tailored to Hansard, with lines such as 'You left a hangover from hell, of this there is no doubt/ But as you wake up in heaven, all the angels will shout.'
For the performance, Bono incorporated a lullaby that had been sent to him by the singer and poet Patti Smith. The moment took place at the memorial service and was later shared publicly by the band.
After the tribute, U2 posted the full rewritten lyrics online. The gesture marked a personal farewell from one Irish music icon to another.
The moment drew attention across the music press for its intimacy and craft. The stripped-down, personalized version stood apart from the anthemic original.
⬅️ HOW THE LEFT COVERS IT
Coverage frames this as a moving act of artistic tribute among Irish music royalty, emphasizing the craft of reworking a beloved anthem into something intimate and the emotional weight of Bono and The Edge honoring a peer. The takeaway pushed is that grief can be transformed into art, with Patti Smith's lullaby held up as proof of a wider community of artists rallying around Hansard's memory. The specific rewritten lyrics are foregrounded as evidence of genuine feeling rather than spectacle. (Rolling Stone, NME)
⬛ HOW THE CENTER COVERS IT
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➡️ HOW THE RIGHT COVERS IT
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⚠️ WHAT THEY AREN'T TELLING YOU
The rewritten lyrics quoted by Rolling Stone, 'You left a hangover from hell, of this there is no doubt/ But as you wake up in heaven, all the angels will shout,' reference Hansard's personality directly rather than the original's abstract optimism. NME notes the lullaby integrated into the performance was specifically sent to Bono by Patti Smith. Both outlets confirm The Edge accompanied Bono live at the service rather than a recorded backing.
🌐 WHAT THE INTERNET IS SAYING
On TikTok, @rtenews reported that Bono performed a spoken word version of U2's 'Beautiful Day' at Glen Hansard's funeral. On the same platform, @20m noted that Bono dedicated the song to his friend.
On X, @RollingStone and @NME both highlighted that U2 shared the reworked 'Beautiful Day' lyrics from the tribute. @NME added that Bono performed the new version alongside The Edge after sharing a lullaby sent by Patti Smith.
According to @RollingStone and @NME on X, Bono, Eddie Vedder, and Markéta Irglová all performed at the service.
📎 SOURCES
• Rolling Stone: https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/u2-beautiful-day-lyrics-glen-hansard-funeral-bono-the-edge-1235604461/
• NME: https://www.nme.c
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