Irish Singer Songwriter Glen Hansard is no stranger to this blog. I first wrote about him when I reviewed the surprise packet 2007 indie romantic film – Once in which he played a music busker who befriends another musician Markéta Irglová. Their song from the film Falling Slowly won the Academy Award for Best Original Song. I also saw Glen Hansard open for Bob Dylan (twice) in Melbourne the same year his film was released. Allow me to digress one moment…It’s very serendipitous how I see Bob Dylan in Sydney 2001 the night before he received his Academy Award for Things Have Changed from the movie Wonder Boys and then I see Glen Hansard open for Bob in 2007 and soon thereafter he wins the same Academy Award for Falling Slowly in Once. Anyhows, on to today’s featured song.
I would never have thought a Britney Spears song would appear on my blog, but here we are with Everytime. Britney must be praised for her creation here that beautifully captures the heartbreak, regret, and longing of losing a loved one and the desire for reconciliation. Everytime was at the time allegedly about Spears’s ex-partner Justin Timberlake.
Glen Hanson recorded it during a live show at Today FM and then released it on the Irish charity covers compilation, Even Better than the Real Thing Vol. 2. Britney’s original version is a piano based pop ballad (which received universal acclaim from music critics and understandably so), where as Hanson’s is an acoustic guitar and violin folk ballad. The only part of Hanson’s version which falls flat for me is the lackluster ‘bridge’, but otherwise I find it tip-top.
Hansard’s version also features Colm Mac Con Iomaire a fellow Irish composer and musician who plays keyboards, violin and sings with Glen’s band The Frames. Iomaire also played violin for an artist who has featured prominently in my blog – David Gray on his 1998 album White Ladder (on the track Silver Lining).
[Verse 1]
Notice me
Take my hand
Why are we
Strangers when
[Pre-Chorus]
Our love is strong?
Why carry on without me?
[Chorus]
Every time I try to fly, I fall
Without my wings, I feel so small
I guess I need you, baby
And every time I see you in my dreams
I see your face, it’s haunting me
I guess I need you, baby
[Verse 2]
I make believe
That you are here
It’s the only way
I see clear
[Pre-Chorus]
What have I done?
You seem to move on easy
[Chorus]
[Bridge]
I may have made it rain
Please forgive me
My weakness caused you pain
And this song’s my sorry
References:
1. Everytime – Wikipedia
“The more I live, the more I learn. The more I learn, the more I realize, the less I know.”- Michel Legrand
Observation Blogger 
I generally don’t pay attention to Britney Spears – oops!…I did it again, I said it! 🙂
On a more serious note, I didn’t know Spears’ original and have to say it’s the best Britney Spears song I’ve heard to date. Glen Hansard did a great job with his rendition, which I think I prefer over the original.
I love the piano playing in Britney’s version, but like you I probably lean towards Hansard’s version. I’m biased of course because of my appreciation of his other music. If you have a moment check this one out from his Indie movie, ‘Once’:
Thanks, Matt, I think this song sounds great as well!
I’m stoked you liked it so much! It’s a fabulous clip and showcases how a newly formed and unknown band in the studio for the first time – gets into a groove straight off the bat because of fabulous songwriting and arrangement.
Wow… I had no clue she even wrote much less anything good…it is really good.
There is sometimes magic in the mayhem.
Yea…I feel for the woman…I don’t dislike her but I feel sorry for her.
I have no idea about her TBH apart from Hansard covering it and my research into the song.