The song was written "in a couple of hours", credited to Pól and Ciarán Brennan. Gerald Seymour, author of Harry's Game, originally wanted to use "Mhorag 's Na Horo Gheallaidh", a Scottish Gaelic song from Clannad's album Fuaim, but Clannad felt Irish-language lyrics would be more appropriate. The verse is adapted from a Connacht Irish proverb in a 1948 anthology, glossed by Máire Brennan as "Everything that is and was will cease to be." This was considered appropriate to the miniseries' depiction of the futility of political violence. Although it is often claimed that the song was the first Irish-language song to chart in the UK, the refrain uses a slowed-down lilting of non-lexical vocables from English folk music: "Fol lol the doh fol the day". Over previous albums, Clannad's sound had moved away from traditional Irish music arrangements, and the production of "Theme from Harry's Game", using lush slow layers of synthesiser and vocal harmony, marked the arrival of what would become their signature style for the next decade.
Reception
The song won an Ivor Novello award, and launched Clannad's global career. Its success delayed the release of the band's 1983 album Magical Ring, which was altered to include it and more material in the same style. It has since appeared in several Hollywood movies, most notably Patriot Games, in which an IRA member, played by Patrick Bergin, is seen watching the music video for the song on his television. Clannad's 1990 album Anam was released in the United States in 1992 to capitalise on the Patriot Games exposure, with "Harry's Game" inserted in the tracklist; the album sold well and the track was often broadcast on VH1. Its use from late 1992 in a Volkswagen Passat commercial introduced Clannad to a broader American audience and boosted sales of Anam. The song also features on Clannad's vocalists' live albums, the 2005 album Óró - A Live Session and the 2008 Moya Brennan solo album Heart Strings. The original has also been sampled various times by artists such as Kaleef and Elate. Moya Brennan recorded a solo version at Mothership Studio for dance musician Chicane, which he used on his UK top 10 hit "Saltwater."
Track listing
Theme From Harry's Game – 2:30
Strayed Away – 2:47
Chart history
1989 Theme from ''Harry's Game'' / Hourglass AA-side
In 1989, as part of the promotion for their compilation Pastpresent, Clannad re-released the "Theme from Harry's Game" as an AA-side single with their new song "Hourglass."
1992 ''Patriot Games'' re-release
In 1992, the "Theme from Harry's Game" was used in the soundtrack to the film Patriot Games, and it was also re-released as a single. There were two versions of the CD single, a two-track and a four-track version, both with the same cover and catalogue number.
In 1993, in connection with an advertising campaign for Jameson Whiskey, both "Theme from Harry's Game" and "In A Lifetime" were re-released in The Netherlands.
Track listing
"Theme from Harry's Game"
"Caisleán Óir"
Cover versions and other use
The song has been covered by artists including Phil Coulter and Celtic Woman. The Irish rock band U2 also used the song as their outro during the War Tour, and it can be heard as such at the beginning and end of their live film . It has also been used extensively by the RAF for the decommissioning flypasts of the Avro Vulcan Delta wing bomber, and subsequently in memorial flights at airshows.
