Music from the movie Once isn't supposed to be this good. Usually, when you see a low-budget indie film shot on digital handycams in the streets of Dublin, you expect something raw, maybe even a bit messy. What you don't expect is a collection of songs so structurally perfect and emotionally devastating that they end up winning Oscars and spawning Broadway musicals.
It’s been years since Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová stood on that stage at the Academy Awards, looking slightly out of place in their formal wear, but the music they created for that 2007 film hasn't aged a day. It’s timeless. It’s basically the gold standard for how to integrate song into cinema without making it feel like a "musical."
The "Guy" and the "Girl"—that’s all they are in the credits. No names. Just a busker and a flower seller. But through the music from the movie Once, we know more about them than we do about characters in three-hour epics.
The Raw Power of "Falling Slowly"
You can’t talk about the soundtrack without starting with "Falling Slowly." It’s the anchor. It’s the song that everyone tries to play at open mic nights, usually failing to capture that specific, gravelly desperation Hansard brings to the bridge.
Interestingly, the song didn't actually start with the movie. Hansard had already recorded it with his band, The Frames. There was actually a minor controversy regarding its eligibility for the Oscars because it had appeared on an album (The Cost) and another soundtrack before Once took off. The Academy eventually ruled it was written specifically for the film’s concept, which, honestly, saved them from a huge oversight.
What makes it work? It’s the dynamic shift.
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It starts with a simple C to F piano progression. Subtle. Almost hesitant. Then Irglová’s voice enters—thin, pure, and haunting. When they hit that "Take this sinking boat and point it home" line, the harmony isn't just a musical choice. It’s a narrative pivot. It’s the moment these two lonely people in Dublin realize they aren't alone anymore.
The scene in the music shop where they first play it together was filmed in Walton’s Music on South Great George's Street. It wasn't a closed set with a massive crew. It was just director John Carney and a couple of guys with cameras. That lack of artifice is exactly why the music from the movie Once feels like it’s happening to you, not just playing in the background.
Beyond the Big Hit: The Deep Cuts
While "Falling Slowly" got the trophy, the rest of the album is arguably more interesting from a songwriter's perspective. Take "When Your Mind's Made Up." It’s a masterclass in tension.
The song builds from a muted acoustic strum into a full-on vocal breakdown where Hansard is essentially screaming the lyrics. If you listen to the recording, you can hear his guitar strings buzzing and snapping. It’s "imperfect" in the best way possible. Most modern soundtracks are polished until they’re frictionless; this music has teeth.
- "Lies": A brutal, biting track about betrayal. It showcases Hansard’s background in the Dublin busking scene—you have to play loud and aggressive to get people to stop and listen.
- "The Hill": This is Irglová’s moment. It’s a solo piano piece that feels incredibly private. The lyrics about a husband back home in the Czech Republic add a layer of moral complexity that most "romance" movies shy away from.
- "Gold": Written by Interkal’s Fergus O'Farrell, this song provides a rare moment of upbeat, rhythmic energy. It’s the sound of the band coming together in that makeshift studio, proving the movie is as much about the labor of making music as it is about the feeling of it.
Why the "Lo-Fi" Sound Works
John Carney, the director, was actually the bassist for The Frames back in the day. He knew how Hansard worked. He knew that if he put Hansard in a professional soundstage with 50 people watching, the magic would evaporate.
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So, they used natural reverb. They recorded in small rooms. They let the city sounds bleed in.
This "lo-fi" approach is why the music from the movie Once feels so authentic. It’s not "movie music." It’s folk music. Folk music is meant to be shared, passed around, and played on battered instruments. When you hear the hammer action on the piano keys in "The Hill," it’s like you’re sitting three feet away from Markéta.
There's a specific term for this in film studies: diegetic music. It’s music that the characters can hear. In Once, almost every single note is diegetic. They aren't singing to the audience; they are singing to each other. This creates an intimacy that big-budget musicals usually kill with over-production.
The Cultural Ripple Effect
The success of the music from the movie Once basically paved the way for a specific kind of "earnest indie" sound that dominated the late 2000s and early 2010s. You can hear echoes of it in bands like The Lumineers or Mumford & Sons. It made it "cool" to be vulnerable and acoustic again.
But more than that, it turned the Swell Season (the name Hansard and Irglová gave their duo) into a global phenomenon. They toured the world. They even appeared on The Simpsons.
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Yet, the story didn't have a Hollywood ending. The two leads were actually a couple in real life during filming, but they broke up not long after the Oscar win. You can see the fallout of that fame and the strain of their relationship in the documentary The Swell Season. It makes the music from the movie Once even more poignant in retrospect—it was a capture of a very specific, fleeting moment in two lives.
Practical Ways to Engage with the Music Today
If you’re a musician or just a fan, there are better ways to experience this soundtrack than just hitting play on Spotify.
First, check out the Broadway cast recording. While it’s "slicker," the arrangements for cello and violin are actually quite stunning. It gives the songs a more orchestral weight that works surprisingly well.
Second, look up the live versions of "Say It to Me Now." Hansard often performs this song completely unplugged, walking into the middle of the audience and shouting the lyrics without a microphone. It’s the purest expression of what the movie was trying to say: music is a physical, demanding act of communication.
Finally, if you’re a guitar player, learn the "Once" tuning. Hansard uses a lot of open tunings and unconventional chord shapes that give his acoustic guitar that "massive" sound. It’s not just about playing the chords; it’s about how you strike the strings.
Actionable Steps for Music Lovers
- Listen to The Frames: If you love the intensity of Hansard’s voice, go back to albums like Fitzcarraldo or For the Birds. You’ll hear the DNA of the Once soundtrack in those earlier recordings.
- Watch the Documentary: Track down The Swell Season (2011). It provides the "after" to the movie's "before," showing the reality of what happens when your small indie film becomes a global juggernaut.
- Analyze the Lyrics: Pay attention to "Leave." It’s often overlooked, but the lyrical structure is a perfect example of how to write a song that functions as a monologue.
- Support Local Buskers: The movie started as a love letter to the street performers of Dublin. The next time you see someone with an open guitar case, remember that you might be listening to the next "Falling Slowly" before the rest of the world catches on.
The music from the movie Once remains a rare example of lightning in a bottle. It wasn't manufactured by a studio or written by a committee of pop songwriters. It was just two people, a few guitars, and a city that provided the perfect, grey backdrop for some of the most colorful melodies of the 21st century. It’s a reminder that you don't need a million-dollar budget to make something that lasts—you just need something honest to say.
Go back and listen to the soundtrack from start to finish. Don't skip the instrumental tracks. Let the silence between the notes breathe. You'll find that the real magic isn't in the high notes, but in the cracks in the voices and the sound of the fingers sliding across the strings. That’s where the truth is.