God Bless you, Woodbine Willy. A life well-lived.

What a beautiful story beautifully sung

My late father loved this band. Now 4 years on from his death I really wish I could sit and listen to this with him now that I appreciate it. Beautiful song

This is eternal. Thank you Neil.

Neil Hannon is a class act. A statement that nobody can deny. We love you Neil, keep doing what you do.

When humans work together as a collective we can create such beauty.

Neil Hannon is a gentleman. Eternal músic and infinite class

how lucky we are for living in an age where a band has been so brilliant!

A song with a beginning, middle and an end. A work of genius by Mr Hannon and you can see how much the orchestra love it too. Listen to it over and over.

A long lost friend DJ Johnny -- found me (in FB) after 48 years and out of the blue he wrote me today and sent a link to this video. How fitting. My first boyfriend was his best friend back then, but he passed away the meantime. Now, just like back in '74, Johnny turned me on to cool music I hadn't heard before- Divine Comedy. Some days life brings you magic despite the tragic.

This is such a beautiful masterpiece effortlessly sung

Makes me cry every time I hear it A truly beautiful piece of work !!

I want this to be played at my funeral!

Genius. Cried when I first heard this, not sure why, perhaps I was remembering absent friends, or revelling in the beautifully crafted lyrics, or the Jerome Moross, The Big Country reference, probably all and I still do. Wonderful!

The most innovative singer ,songwriter the 21 century has ever seen...deverse a nighthood ..for his individuality alone..xx

' The great escape, he tried to make, was not to be. Maybe next time - Steve '. Classic. This guy's songs are kinda like poems, prose, and comedy all mixed into one.

What a brilliant song sung by a brilliant singer 👍👍👍👍👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏

When the Coronavirus pandemic is over this song needs to be played very loud every day till the end of time

This is just pure class.

love it.what a voice a hidden gem

Harry Stiles "As it Was" = 723 million views / This masterpiece = 334 thousand. What has gone wrong with this world?!

The first 100 listens you appreciate the musicality, singing and emotional depth. From then on your googling who the hell Woodbine Willy and little Jean were?! And after you find out you're even more impressed by this masterpiece

Writing from Marshalltown, Iowa, and as one who shares your admiration of 'Little Jean'- THANK you for remembering her in this most moving tribute. For the record, and thank Goddess, in the years since this recording, M'town as a whole has now embraced, and is celebrating, and honoring, she who was Jean Seberg. As, it should...

To All our Absent Friends, we have lost along the way Godspeed to Them All

I fell in love with the Divine Comedy with this song (and the whole album)

Definitely one of Neil’s finest. I love the arrangement, the lyrics and the production, but I also love the cheeky bit of “The Big Country” theme tune near the end 🥰🥰

"Hey, I've written a song" "Is it any good?" .......🤯

Neil Hannon,wordsmith extraordinaire,brilliant as always

What a song ❤

C'est toujours un grand plaisir d'écouter ce grand monsieur

Neil opened his gig last week in York with this. Thunderous applause and many, many tears. A great song with a whole new meaning.

The comedy is so divine.

Brill arrangement as usual, takes us all somewhere else, cheers for this!

Wonderful orchestration. Goes a bit Elmer Bernstein at 1:22, absolute genius!

pure genius, my heart melts every time I hear this... and I love Puccini too!

🥀Quelle classe! SPECTACULAIRE❣️A Gentleman, Neil HANNON🌹 🇫🇷...12.9.2022

Not me crying over this song and how much I miss my friends =)

Great voice voice, and a wonderful song. Victor from Australia

Definitely channelling Scott Walker vibes here… superb though

Heard on Radio 2 today. Forgot about this fantastic song

Beautiful Track pure class

Immenso Neil Hannon sono pazzo per te

British pop music is so hight upon the other ones."Hey you neighbours ! Could you please put your radio louder, please ?" (A french musician)

The Best. What a great song.

This is England ! 💖👌✨😀

Among the best of his generation....make Oasis look pedestrian for sure

Brilliant song 🤩

Simply wonderful!

This was used as the opening to an Alan Ayckbourn play called Absent Friends. It fitted very well.

Brilliant...just brilliant..x

Pure brilliance

Amazing song ! Deserve more !

Beautiful...

Lovely

Neil Hannon and #TheDiveneComedy 🥰🥰🥰🥰 every song is #perfect lyrcally, vocally and not #politically but I would say #profoundly #thoughtfully #provoking xxx

What a perfect voice😊

Superb, thank god for you tube

Love it. Just love it...

Powerful stuff!

Beautiful

Yer something else my friend. Thank you so much.

Oscar Wilde was a lonely child He fought and won acceptance from the world They smiled, they laughed, they praised They drove poor Oscar to his grave

Most amazing song ever wtiten..x

amazing

So unusual , this is a great song.

Still loving them 😂❤

classic divine comedy

Remember this on cd single... was special song what stuck with me for years... probably thanks to father ted as well

1.6.2023~🥀🎧J’aime toujours autant et je fonds de bonheur au son des trompettes🎺🎺🎺quant aux violons🎻🎻🎻et à la voix de Neil HANNON, c’est💎💎💎Quel Magnifique Spectacle❣️❣️❣️…💋de France.

esta musica me lembra quando nós, meu marido e eu moramos na espanha (valencia) na casa um grande amigo.... ele ouvia muito Divine Comedy e a gente aprendeu a gostar muito, fomos até em um show deles lá.... Amo 🤩

Great stuff :)

Watched this to remember you playing the feile an phobail in Belfast 10 years ago, Falls leisure centre, Genius appreciated.

Watching this and I cant breath 🤪

To all my absent friends 😢

Absent friends Here's to them ......

Genius goes unrecognised. Sycophancy just is.

Perfect.

I love this but it is sad.

Quand un morceau d'un compositeur peut-être joué par un orchestre philarharmonique, c'est que c'est une grande composition.

Sherry in a cup ❤️❤️❤️

To them ALL Sx

Much more sincere than Bowie and with that being said Mick Ronson would of slept so much more easy😊😊😊

This is almost like listening "Metal". Powerful as f...

i loooooooooove it (: Neal met my Bro whooooooooooo

Great

The great escape, he tried to make, was not to be. Maybe next time Steve. Really hits me hard ☹

♡

I uses to smoke woodbine!lol

To be or not to be...He is

Divine

To me workmates I worked with for years now gone this is for you

Absent Friends Absent friends, here's to them And happy days, we thought that they would never end. Here's to absent friends. Little Jean Seberg seemed So full of life, but in those eyes such troubled dreams. Poor little Jean.Woodbine Willie couldn't rest until he'd Given every bloke a final smoke before the killing. Old Woodbine Willie. Steve McQueen jumped the first one clean But the great escape he'd tried to make was not to be. Maybe next time Steve. Laika flew through inky blue 'Til Laika neared the atmosphere and Laika knew Laika's life was through. Oscar Wilde was a lonely child. He fought and won acceptance from the world. They smiled, they laughed, they praised, They drove poor Oscar to his grave. Absent friends, here's to them, And happy days, we thought that they would never end, But they always end. Raise your glasses then to absent friends.

Poor Laika :(

phenominal artist

Bonita canción compuesta por Coque malla y cantada por esta voz tan bonita😍

Ya like 😂❤ #always

it was watching brideshead or listening to this, guess who won? escapism from dc touches my soul or maybe br was just tooo lonnngggg

Did anyone else end up here because of Scotland 78 A Love Story?

I didn't think it was a bit funny , in fact the opposite it's a beautiful song

6 days to go #CorkOperaHouse xxx