Bono Honors Glen Hansard at Funeral with “Beautiful Day” Tribute, Patti Smith Lullaby

At the funeral of Glen Hansard in Dublin on Tuesday, Bono paid tribute to the late musician by performing a spoken-word rendition of U2's "Beautiful Day" and playing a voicemail from Patti Smith. Bono expressed his admiration for Hansard's ability to make everyone feel like his "best friend." He recounted how people who met Hansard, even if they hadn't met him personally, still remembered the day they encountered him.

Bono then played a voice message from Smith, whom he called "another one of his best friends," that she had sent on the day of Hansard's passing. Smith's message was described as a lullaby for the family and friends of the deceased.

In his tribute, Bono reworked and incorporated lyrics from U2's "Beautiful Day." The heart, Bono said, shoots up through the stony ground, there's no room or space to rent in this town. He went on to discuss the feeling of being stuck in traffic and not moving anywhere, struggling to find a friend to take you out of the place. Bono concluded his spoken-word rendition by saying, "It's a beautiful day, don't let it get away," accompanied by his bandmate The Edge.